President Donald Trump has nominated former U.S. deputy surgeon general Dr. Erica G. Schwartz to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Recent directors have been fired and others have been highly criticized for their controversial stances or credentials. She would be the fourth.
Trump also named healthcare executive Sean Slovenski, Texas health commissioner Jen Shuford, and FDA official Sara Brenner as nominees for senior agency roles at the CDC.
“She is a STAR!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday announcing Dr. Schwartz’s nomination.
Dr. Schwartz graduated from Brown University in Providence, RI with a degree in Biomedical Engineering in 1994. She later earned a medical degree from the Warren Alpert Medical School in 1998. She has both an MD and an MPH.
She has served in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (USPHSCC), where she held the rank of Chief Medical Officer, and has also served in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard.
During Trump’s first term, Schwartz served as Deputy Surgeon General and was involved in the federal government’s response during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, she served as the HHS’ point person for the transition between the Trump and Biden administrations.
According to ABC News, she has been “pro vaccine” in the past.
While there have been critics to the nomination, she has widely received public support from those in the political and medical communities as being highly qualified for the position.
If confirmed by the Senate, Dr. Schwartz would become the fourth leader of the CDC amid ongoing debate over vaccines, public health guidance, and the agency’s future direction.
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