The Trump administration on Monday named a new nominee to lead the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, following the withdrawal of its previous candidate, Dr. David Weldon.
Susan Coller Monarez currently serves as acting director at the CDC and could be elevated to lead the agency if confirmed by the Senate.
WHY IT MATTERS
Monarez has spent nearly two decades in various roles across the government, in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security and in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Among her HHS roles, Monarez served at the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, Health Resources and Services Administration – where she was founder of the HRSA Center of Innovation – and most recently as deputy director at Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).
At ARPA-H, Monarez developed and launched more than $2 billion in programs and projects targeting public health and care delivery challenges and led "agency data innovation strategy and data systems architecture design, including pioneering generative AI end-to-end enabled capabilities," according to her LinkedIn page.
She has led the development of AI and machine learning projects focused on several key challenges for public and population health, according to her CDC bio: affordability and accessibility, expanding access to behavioral and mental health interventions, tackling the opioid epidemic, addressing health disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality, and improving the country's organ donation and transplantation programs.
THE LARGER TREND
Earlier this month, the White House withdrew the nomination of Weldon, its initial pick to lead the CDC, when it became apparent the former Florida congressman could not garner enough support from fellow Republicans to be confirmed in the Senate.
The GOP-controlled Senate health committee said on March 13, just minutes before a planned hearing on Weldon's nomination had been scheduled to start, that it would cancel the hearing after several Republicans aired concerns about his vaccine-skeptical views.
ON THE RECORD
"Americans have lost confidence in the C.D.C. due to political bias and disastrous mismanagement," President Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, in announcing the new nomination. "As an incredible mother and dedicated public servant, Dr. Monarez understands the importance of protecting our children, our communities, and our future."
Monarez holds a Ph.D. but would be the "first nonphysician to lead the agency in more than 50 years," according to the New York Times.
Other population and public health leaders have applauded the nomination.
"She has a strong reputation as a solid researcher and expert in infectious diseases," Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, told the Times. “She clearly understands public health and the role governmental public health plays. I believe the public health community can work with her in a positive manner.”
"Susan has a long, distinguished history as a data-driven, effective civil servant," Jennifer Nuzzo, professor of epidemiology and director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University School of Public Health, told CNN. “I am thrilled to hear she’ll be leading CDC."
"Dr. Monarez understands the critical roles of technology and data in the needed transformation of public health in the US," said Lisa Bari, CEO of Civitas Networks for Health, in a LinkedIn post. "Changes are clearly planned for the future of the CDC, HHS in general, and other HHS agencies. Dr. Monarez and the other agency heads who have been nominated, I'm hopeful that they will work together to create a stronger and more efficient HHS, resulting in better health and outcomes for all Americans."
Mike Miliard is executive editor of Healthcare IT News
Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication.