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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the federal agency that helps protect and improve the health of the American public. |
Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, Director of CDC
“In a very real sense, I view the CDC Foundation as a venture capitalist - a trusted business advisor that offers CDC ongoing support and flexibility to help us achieve far more than we could possibly do alone. CDC is an exicting place to work, constantly in motion, and it makes a real difference in the world. Together with important partners like the CDC Foundation, our CDC team is working faster and more effectively than ever before to ensure a safer, healthier America.”
Julie L. Gerberding, M.D., M.P.H., was named director of CDC and administrator for the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) in July 2002. An infectious disease expert, Gerberding played a major role in leading CDC’s response to the anthrax bioterrorism attacks of September 2001.
Gerberding, the first female to lead CDC, was previously acting principal deputy director of CDC. She also served as acting deputy director of CDC’s National Center for Infectious Diseases. She joined CDC in 1998 as director of the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, where she developed CDC’s patient safety initiatives and other programs to prevent infections, antimicrobial resistance and medical errors in health care settings.
“Public health is at a tipping point,” says Gerberding. “We’ve never had more challenges, but we’ve never had more opportunities. The CDC Foundation offers CDC so much support and flexibility, and has brought us into contact with experts and visionaries who have helped shape our agenda. Additionally, the CDC Foundation is helping us launch pilot projects and programs that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. if these programs seem worthwhile, which so many of them have proven to be, we’re in a much better position to leverage that experience for funding in the long run.”