Almost Two-Thirds of CDC Employees Oppose Reorganization Plan

Almost two-thirds of CDC employees oppose a reorganization of the agency, according to the results of a recent voluntary internal survey obtained this month by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The anonymous online survey, which included responses from about 37% of 8,500 CDC employees, found that 65% of respondents said the Futures Initiative will not result in positive changes at the agency, compared with 42% in a 2003 survey (Wahlberg, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 7/26). Under the reorganization, the details of which CDC Director Julie Gerberding announced last year, the agency consolidated 12 major subdivisions into four "coordinating centers" and implemented other reforms (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 5/17/04). About 62% of respondents said CDC significantly improves the health of U.S. residents, compared with 74% in 2003, and 30% said that the agency improves the health of residents to some extent, compared with 22% in 2003, according to the survey. The survey also found that most respondents said they have a significant effect on the mission of CDC and "feel motivated to do their best," the Journal-Constitution reports. According to the survey, respondents cited several main complaints: an "inappropriate" business focus to the public health mission of CDC, low employee morale, increased bureaucracy, loss of trust, loss of important staff members and damage to the reputation of the agency. Tom Skinner, a spokesperson for Gerberding, on Monday said that the survey had no protection against multiple responses from CDC employees. Gerberding also said that the survey "was done at the worst possible moment as far as people's anxiety" about the reorganization. She said morale among CDC employees has improved since that time, adding, "I knew how hard it would be. I take this all very, very seriously. We had to change." The Journal-Constitution obtained the results of the survey through the e-mails and telephone calls from CDC employees who disagree with the details of the reorganization, as well as members of the public health community familiar with the survey (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 7/26).