A lesson learned as North Carolina hhealth yessecretary it’s that she’s not always the best conduit for public health guidance. His team sometimes turned to religious leaders, NASCAR drivers and even TikTok influencers to bring scientific information to the public.
“Certainly the science and the data will come from the CDC. But there are a lot of trusted messengers,” he said. “This is a team effort.”
In his first few weeks, Cohen does not have a summer vacation. Much of the US is locked in a deadly and unrelenting heat wave. The country has faced its first malaria outbreak in 20 years and opioid-related deaths continue to rise. There is also concern about another winter surge of respiratory viruses, including covid, flu and RSV. Whether it’s a virus, a fire, or an onslaught of mosquito-borne disease, a top priority for Cohen is investing in data.
A reassessment of CDC web pages is already underway to ensure that the information available to people is clear and understandable, Dr. Dan Jernigan, director of CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, said at a news conference this week. “There are also other efforts to get our data more quickly,” Jernigan said.
The data is “enormously important,” Cohen said. “You can’t solve problems you don’t see, and having data helps you see where your problems are and then deploy resources.” In turn, it will be critical for CDC scientists to be able to translate those issues. “We have to be crisp, clear communicators so people have common-sense solutions to protect their health. It sounds simple, but it’s really hard.”
So far though, Cohen makes it sound simple. He warmly greets everyone he sees at CDC, from those in leadership positions to security guards. He asks them about their families and their concerns, and he is open about his own. Cohen’s husband and her two young daughters plan to join her in Atlanta, but have not yet moved from North Carolina. “I miss them so much,” she said.
But she works hard to focus on reinstilling a spark in the work done at CDC. On her first day, she played Alicia Keys and other music in the lobby to greet her new coworkers. “I like my music,” she said, shrugging and smiling.
“One of my values that I bring here to work is joy,” he said. “It’s not just about parties and celebrations; it’s about the connection to the mission. But you have to have a little fun at work in order to bring your A-game. I truly believe the American people deserve everyone’s A-game.”
