As public health guidance becomes increasingly politicized and divisive, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a plan to unite Americans.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, who took the helm of the agency in July, says the key to addressing health issues is to start with topics people agree on and build relationships across the aisle.
“This is a journey,” she said in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY. “There are many threats in the world. Let's start where there is enough consensus.”
This tactic worked for her in her previous job, running health and human services in a “purple” state in North Carolina. Mr. Cohen ultimately expanded Medicaid, a polarizing issue in the conservative state. She started the Medicaid conversation from day one, but it took about seven years for the project to cross the finish line, she said.
In her early years, she spent time working with communities to address the opioid crisis, then moved to reforming the Medicaid program.
“Once we built trust and said to each other, 'We can do difficult things together,' we were able to take that step,” she said.
At the national level, Cohen points to two big topics on which he believes opposing parties can easily find agreement: mental health and young families.
In the field of mental health, Cohen focuses on reducing suicide and overdose deaths. The agency is investing in comprehensive data collection and analysis to understand where deaths are occurring so it can provide evidence-based guidelines and best practices.
She said data and information are where the CDC “really shines.” “You can't solve a problem unless you fully understand it.”
Cohen also wants to support young families by addressing maternal mortality, healthy pregnancies and births, routine childhood immunizations, food security, and caregiver health.
By collecting data on chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, she hopes to support prevention programs that help parents take control of their health.
“People forget that we are the Centers for Disease Control. prevention” he emphasized. “We need a healthy country where lifelong health starts early in life.”
After tackling health issues that both sides can support, she will work harder on divisive issues, such as encouraging people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
What's keeping the CDC director up at night?
In the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, Cohen said he is looking ahead to the next threat and making sure government agencies are prepared. She said she is suffering from another infectious disease that is “like no other our bodies have ever experienced,” is “highly contagious,” and “very serious,” an infection similar to COVID-19. I'm worried about my illness.
“We've been through a lot as a country and as a world. I don't want to go there again,” she said.
One of the most important lessons learned from the pandemic was how important it is to be materially and logistically prepared for the next major health threat. Once the science yields results, it's important to get the supply chain in place and coordinate talent across government agencies and the private sector.
When the next threat arrives, it will be important to have mass testing available to prevent infections and aggregate data to inform public health decision-making, she said.
“We were focused on the science and the transmission of the virus, but what's important is the operational readiness for all of this,” she said.
Cohen also emphasized the importance of getting the message across and building trust. She feels it's important for her agency to communicate what it knows and be transparent about what it doesn't know.
As North Carolina's health secretary during the pandemic, she appeared on the afternoon news every day to update the public and explain the reasoning behind major public health decisions.
“We've learned a lot of lessons and we want to make sure they stick,” she said. “Trust is more than just a feeling. It's a tactical plan.”
Adriana Rodriguez is a USA TODAY national team health reporter. Contact Adrianna at adrodriguez@usatoday.com or @AdriannaUSAT on X.
