NMA Acknowledges Confirmation of New CDC Director
Physician Leaders Encourage Dr. Erica Schwartz to Stand up for Health and Science-Backed Care
For Immediate Release: August 6, 2026
Statement attributable to: Dr. Brandi Kaye Freeman, 127th President, National Medical Association
SILVER SPRING, Md. — The National Medical Association, the nation’s oldest and largest organization representing Black physicians, commends Dr. Erica Schwartz on her confirmation as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The nation’s health care system depends on the expertise of the physicians, scientists and staff members of the CDC. We encourage Dr. Schwartz to lead with a focus on science and evidence-based public health efforts.
Physicians, health care workers and patients depend on the public health work of the CDC. Our communities are negatively impacted when this critical public health resource is not appropriately staffed or is not focused on science. Our hope is that with a confirmed leader, the CDC will be strengthened and continue to provide trustworthy information for the health care workforce and the public. We are further encouraged by Dr. Schwartz’s stated intention to provide clear, honest and evidence-based public health guidance.
We have seen in the last year the negative effects of a lack of leadership based in science and research. In addition, the misinformation and disinformation that has been propagated by the CDC in recent months, paired with challenges to proven vaccine information and decreased epidemiological surveillance, have caused issues across the U.S. As physician leaders, we see this daily in our practices and communities, and we would welcome Dr. Schwartz in her new role to engage with us to begin repairing the damage and focusing on strengthening our public health system for providers and communities.
