Mixed reviews at the CDC
February 8, 2007 at 3:45 pm by Alyssa Abkowitz in NewsDespite all the criticism the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has received — from the exodus of top scientists to the low morale of employees — the public recently rated the organization the best federal agency. The poll, conducted by Harris Interactive, was released a week after a government survey showed only 40 percent of CDC employees trust their leaders.
The varying results make you wonder: Is the public not reading the news or do they not care that the nation’s leading public-health agency could be suffering from bureaucratic changes and budget cuts? Or are CDC employees a bunch of whiny, decently paid scientists who’re just uncomfortable with change?
CDC director Julie Gerberding has ruffled plenty of feathers within the organization by shifting the focus of the CDC’s research from infectious diseases (hepatitis, West Nile virus) to chronic diseases (obesity, autism), but that plan makes sense. And she’s had an uphill battle with the Bush administration, which has treated the CDC like an ugly stepchild. The administration is currently considering yet another agency budget cut.
Some of this might be sorted out next month, when the Government Accountability Office releases its report on the CDC. Let’s just hope the GAO’s findings don’t cause Bush to strip more money from the already ailing agency.
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