In a recent media interview as the new CDC director, Dr. Mandy Cohen highlighted her commitment to refocusing the agency on rebuilding trust through increased transparency, improved communication, and by presenting the best available evidence to the public.
During her first meeting with CDC staff members the central theme was "trust." Cohen felt that trust was the foundation of the hard work and the agency is using their efforts to move forward from the missteps made during the pandemic.
During her speech she emphasised the priority was to rebuild trust with the American people, acknowledging that some of that trust was eroded in recent years. Her job is to redirect the organisation towards regaining that trust by embracing transparency, executing plans with precision, and delivering on their commitments while maintaining clear and effective communication.
As North Carolina's health secretary, one valuable lesson she learned was that she might not always be the most effective channel for conveying public health guidance.
Cohen states, "While the science and data originate from the CDC, we recognise that there are numerous trusted messengers out there."
"This is a collaborative endeavor, and we must work as a team to achieve our goals."
Cohen emphasised the immense significance of data. Data is hugely important and you cannot address problems that you are unaware of, and having data allows you to identify areas of concern and allocate resources accordingly. It is therefore critical for CDC scientists to effectively communicate and translate these issues.
She emphasised "We have to be crisp, clear communicators so that folks have commonsense solutions to protect their health. It sounds simple, but it's really hard".
Source : NBC News
Image Credit: iStock
