The U.S. Senate has confirmed Dr. Erica G. Schwartz as the 22nd Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), making her the agency’s first permanent leader in nearly a year.
The Senate approved her nomination in a 51-44 vote, ending months of leadership uncertainty at the nation’s top public health agency.
Dr. Schwartz assumes leadership at a critical time as the CDC continues responding to infectious disease outbreaks, foodborne illnesses, and efforts to rebuild public confidence following significant staffing reductions and leadership changes over the past year.
During her confirmation hearing, she pledged to uphold scientific integrity, increase transparency, and strengthen the CDC’s public health mission.
A physician specializing in preventive medicine, Dr. Schwartz brings decades of experience in military and public health leadership.
She earned her undergraduate and medical degrees through Brown University’s Program in Liberal Medical Education, later receiving a Master of Public Health from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland.
Schwartz served in the U.S. Navy before joining the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps in 2005. She went on to become Chief Medical Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard, overseeing the service’s nationwide health system and preventive medicine programs. From 2019 to 2021, she served as Deputy Surgeon General of the United States during the first Trump administration.
Following her government service, she held executive leadership positions in the private healthcare sector and served on the boards of several healthcare companies.
Public health leaders say Dr. Schwartz’s extensive background in medicine, public health, law, and military service positions her to guide the CDC through ongoing health challenges while restoring stability to one of the nation’s most important public health institutions.
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