CDC Replaces Financial Chief as Part of Plan To Bolster Management
CDC is replacing John Tibbs as director of its financial management office, a move that "comes as federal investigators are investigating allegations of altered payment records and after a recent report criticized the office's leadership," the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Young, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/4). The recent draft report, complied by Deloitte Consulting, found that the CDC finance office, whose employees have received a large number of performance bonuses in recent years, is inefficient and has ineffective managers (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 10/2). According to an e-mail sent to employees and acquired by the Journal-Constitution, Tibbs said he will be moving to a new job as chief management official in the CDC's Office of Workforce and Career Development. "While I have spent my CDC career at FMO, this affords me the opportunity to gain programmatic experience and be part of a larger management transition plan," Tibbs wrote in the e-mail. The financial management office is responsible for managing the accounting of the agency's annual budget of about $8.5 billion. As of this week, Bill Nichols will become director of the agency's financial management office. Nichols was formerly the head of the agency's procurement and grants office. CDC spokesperson Tom Skinner said the move is just one of several recent "job rotations" within the agency. Skinner said, "To allude that one particular issue or another led to the rotations really minimizes what we're trying to accomplish here. What we're trying to accomplish is strengthening management and business innovations across all of CDC." CDC Chief Operating Officer Bill Gimson said, "John Tibbs is the best budget person in the department, and this move is a normal part of his career development, just as it is with all of the others involved in this move." Tibbs did not respond to requests for comment (Young, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/4).
Gerberding Discusses Issues at CDC
CDC Director Julie Gerberding, "in her first extensive public discussion of issues facing CDC since the agency's turmoil has made national and international headlines," last week discussed with Journal-Constitution editors "criticism" of her leadership, changes she made to the agency during her tenure and reports of "poor morale" at the agency, among other issues. In addition, Gerberding "revealed what keeps her awake some nights and reflected on the difficulties she has faced at the CDC," the Journal-Constitution reports (Young, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/8).
Opinion Piece
Journal-Constitution editors this year decided to "continue covering the scientific mission" of CDC, "while taking a more aggressive look at the agency's administrative functions" because of the importance of those issues, Angela Tuck of the Journal-Constitution writes in an opinion piece. According to Tuck, although "CDC officials aren't disputing the accuracy of these reports," Gerberding has called them "attacks" that are not fair and balanced. However, in additional to reports, the Journal-Constitution "has recognized and will continue to recognize the work of the agency's many dedicated employees" (Tuck, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/7).