US CDC leader appointed
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
US President Barack Obama has appointed Dr Thomas Frieden director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He has served as New York City's health commissioner since 2002 and will start in his new post in early June. Dr Richard Besser, who has served as acting CDC director during the H1N1 influenza outbreak, will return to his previous post as head of the CDC's co-ordinating office for terrorism preparedness and emergency response. Dr Frieden is the second former New York City health commissioner tapped to lead a public health agency under the Obama administration. Dr Margaret Hamburg, the nominee for FDA commissioner, led the New York City department from 1991 to 1997. The Senate health committee recently cleared Dr Hamburg's nomination, which now heads to the Senate floor for approval.