Sunday, May 17, 2009

A new CDC director!

President Obama nominated Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, to be the new CDC director. He is currently the New York city health commissioner, and in his job, he has been responsible for some controversial acts. Under his direction, New York city instituted a ban on smoking in restaurants and bars and eliminated trans-fat from NYC's menus. He also pushed to make HIV testing a mandatory part of routine medical exams and had the city's HIV program pass out more than 35 million condoms a year. Some call him a "legislator of lifestyle [and] a Fascist of no fun." Libertarians hate him because he denies people of their right to eat food that's bad for them.

Under his direction, the city has expanded collection and use of epidemiological data and has launched an annual Community Health Survey. Before his work as NYC's commissioner, he worked mainly on tuberculosis control programs in both New York City and India.

Random tidbit: Frieden is fluent in Spanish!

-Elizabeth

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