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Frieden to Head CDC
- Categorized in: May 2009 Issue
WASHINGTON—Thomas Frieden, M.D., commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, was named the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on May 15. He replaces Julie Gerberding, M.D., who stepped down as CDC director earlier this year.
“I am deeply honored and privileged to be selected for this position, and I look forward to learning from and working with the wonderful staff of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” Dr. Frieden said of his appointment.
Dr. Frieden has been commissioner of the New York City health department since 2002. A leading expert in tuberculosis control, he was appointed health commissioner after working in India for 5 years, where he assisted with national tuberculosis control efforts.
Prior to his tenure in India, Dr. Frieden was instrumental in stopping the tuberculosis epidemic in New York City. He began his career at the New York City Department of Health in 1990 as a CDC epidemiologic intelligence service officer working on a wide range of health issues. During his time as director of the Bureau of Tuberculosis Control and assistant commissioner from 1992 to 1996, New York City reduced cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis by 80 percent.
In a written statement, President Obama called Dr. Frieden “a leader in the fight for healthcare reform,” and an “expert in preparedness and response to health emergencies” The President also noted, “[He] has been at the forefront of the fight against heart disease, cancer and obesity, infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and AIDS and in the establishment of electronic health records.”
The American Public Health Association applauded the appointment, saying, “Frieden has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to protecting the public’s health through his tireless work on issues ranging from implementing a ban on smoking in restaurants and bars to increasing HIV testing rates. He has not backed away from the tough public health challenges and in doing so has helped the people he served lead healthier, longer lives.”
A graduate of Oberlin College, Dr. Frieden received degrees in Medicine and Public Health from Columbia University. He completed specialty training in Internal Medicine at Columbia and subspecialty training in Infectious Diseases at Yale University.
Acting CDC Director Rich Besser, M.D., who led the agency after Dr. Gerberding departed, will continue leading CDC’s Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response, a position he has held for four years.
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Department of Health and Human Service's Scientific Advisory Committee for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome formally recommended change of leadership at the CDC/CFS (William C. Reeves)
From the Center for Disease Control's Intranet front page: http://www.cdcchatter.net/
New progressive leadership needed for CFS at CDC (Removal of Dr. William C. Reeves): Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 12:00 AM (73740 Reads by CDC staff) Read full article: 'New progressive leadership needed for CFS at CDC' (1766 bytes more) Dr. William C. Reeves is the current head of the CDC's CFS program.The Department of Health and Human Service's (HHS) Scientific Advisory Committee for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the International Association for CFS/ME have formally recommended a change of leadership at the CDC that can achieve efficient meaningful progress in CFS research, clinical care and education. They recommend "that the CDC needs to identify a CFS program leader who is a progressive, open-minded, and dynamic manager with a sense of urgency commensurate with the pressing needs of the CFS community." Based on estimates of increasing prevalence and the poor track record after 25 years of effort, the IACFS/ME is highly critical of the proposed 5 year strategic plan and urges that the CFS program be relocated to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion which "contains the necessary expertise and leadership critical to establishing interventions to detect, control and prevent CFS."
Also at issue is the possible misuse of funds. Formally testifying before the CFSAC, Kim McCleary, President and CEO of the CFIDS Association of America, detailed concerns about the management of CDC funds allocated for CFS research.
Minutes of the DHHS Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee (CFSAC) Meeting, October 2008 http://www.hhs.gov/advcomcfs/meetings/minutes/cfsa...
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee (CFSAC) Meeting
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Room 800, Hubert H. Humphrey Building
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
October 2008 http://www.hhs.gov/advcomcfs/meetings/minutes/cfsa...
CFSAC recommendations,HYPERLINK "http://www.hhs.gov/advcomcfs/recommendations/05272009.html" May 2009
IACFS/ME's recommendationsHYPERLINK "http://www.iacfsme.org/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx" on CDC's 5 Year Strategic Plan for CFS Research, July 2009 http://www.hhs.gov/advcomcfs/recommendations/05272...
Committee Recommendations:
May 27-28, 2009
CFSAC voted upon and agreed for the following recommendations to be forwarded to the Assistant Secretary for Health and the Secretary:
Recommendation # 1 - Remove Dr. William C. Reeves
Establish progressive leadership at the CDC that can achieve efficient meaningful progress in CFS research, clinical care and education.
Recommendation # 2
Provide adequate funding to CDC to effectively carry out a detailed 5-year plan. This should include, but not be limited to, immediate progress in these priority areas:
Recommendation # 3
Identification of biomarkers and etiology of CFS;
Creation of guidelines for adult and pediatric CFS management in full partnership with organizations representing CFS scientific and clinical expertise;
Provision of web-based guidelines for CFS management given our current state of knowledge and expert opinion, again in full partnership with organizations representing CFS clinical and scientific expertise; and
Provision of comprehensive information about CFS in partnership with CFS experts to the scientific community, medical and mental health providers, educational institutions and the public for both adult and pediatric CFS through DHHS resources.
Establish Regional Centers funded by DHHS for clinical care, research, and education on CFS. These centers will provide care to this critically underserved population, educate providers, outreach to the community, and provide effective basic science, translational, and clinical research on CFS.
It is this study from the private, year old Whittemore-Peterson Institute that found this cancer-Chronic Fatigue/Immune Dysfunction virus after only about one year and a million or so dollars. Meanwhile, the CDC under Dr. William C. Reeves has accomplished NOTHING except waste and possible federal contracting abuse in the 20 years he has been the head of the CDC/CFS program. Reeves is under investigation from the Inspector Generals of CDC and DHHS for contracting back to his own contractors at the CDC (The Emory University Medical School, Psych Dept (Mind-Body Program). In those 20 years, Reeves and the CDC have done nothing but demean and degrade CFIDS. The tiny amounts of funding for CFIDS research to CDC is now about $3M/yr. and most of that money has already been spent by Reeves contractors at Emory University Mind-Body Program and a simple Statement of Work (SOW) done by ABT Associates.
Please read this new cancer-connection-to-CFIDS study as it affects EVERYONE. For the last almost 3 decades this virus has been allowed to be entered into the nation's blood supply. The researchers also believe it is contagious and can spread by non-sexual means like couging, sneezing, sharing food/drinks/utensils/plates -- all the things that a family or friend do on a daily basis.
There is evidence (written and verbal to patients) that Reeves instructed people NOT TO GIVE BLOOD because he knew there was a contagious component to this disease. He knew about the study done in 1990 by Dr. Elaine DeFreitas (Wistar Inst), and one that the CDC damaged in replicating in order to destroy Dr. DeFreitas' work. The CDC also damaged her career. So, here we are in 2009 with millions of people worldwide sick, dying from heart disease and the long known CFIDS cancers. Millions are bedridden and their finances and marriages and family lives are gone - all because of CFIDS and all because the CDC stopped further research on a virus that showed far too much potential.
Below is the study on the "new" virus. Also, the Department of Health and Human Services has recommended that Dr. William C. Reeves be removed from the CDC/CFS program. They also believe that funding is an issue, once again with both the CDC/CFS program and the CDC generally. Martin White - Washington DC
Calls for new progressive leadership in CDC's Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) program and a more appropriate location in the CDC organization, as well as concerns about use of CDC funds for CFS.