New CDC Director Erica Schwartz vows to speak truth to power and champion transparency

In an all-hands meeting recorded by STAT, Erica Schwartz, the newly appointed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told staff she is very comfortable and very confident in speaking truth to power and willing to disagree with administration leaders.

Schwartz laid out three priorities for the agency: preserving public trust through radical transparency and scientific rigor; strengthening the CDC’s capacity to respond to disease threats; and deepening partnerships with state and local health officials.

She said she would stand up to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. if needed and encouraged employees to do the same, signaling a shift toward greater independence for the public‑health agency.