Infectious disease center increases public health impact

The Department of Health and Human Services recently announced the reorganization of the Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new organizational structure comprises four national centers and two consolidated organizations designed to provide services across all four new centers.

"With this approval, CDC's major reorganizations are complete, and we are now in a much better position to prevent infectious diseases and to respond to national and international emerging threats," said Julie Gerberding, MD, director of CDC, in a prepared statement.

The CCID's new structure now includes the National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases, directed by Dr. Lonnie J. King, who is the first veterinarian to be director of a center at the CDC. Dr. King is a former dean of the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

The other centers are the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, directed by Rear Adm. Anne Schuchat, MD; the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, directed by Kevin Fenton, MD; and the National Center for Preparedness, Detection, and Control of Infectious Diseases, directed by Rima Khabbaz, MD.

In addition, the two consolidated organizations that provide service across CCID are the Strategic Business Unit and the Strategic Science and Program Unit.

"Our CCID fundamental mission has not changed; it will always be about improving public health by preventing infectious diseases," said Rear Adm. Mitchell L. Cohen, MD, director of CCID, in a prepared statement. "But we are very pleased that through this reorganization, we now have a much stronger alignment of our people and resources to increase our efficiency and impact on public health."

To learn about the roles of each part of the CCID structure, view the CDC statement HHS Makes CCID Organization Official online at cdc.gov/news.