Friday, May 15, 2009
News Dr. Thomas Frieden named new CDC director
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Fri, May 15, 2009 at 3:21 PM
President Barack Obama stunned the nation today as he showed his affinity for "celebrity culture" — Dr. Sanjay Gupta, anyone? — and named well-known New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman to head the Atlanta-based U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Reached for comment at a nanotechnology conference in Hong Kong, Friedman said he did not understand the question, denied the appointment, and asked why our publication is named "Creative Loafing." We called him a liar, said he was wrong about the Earth being flat, and told him his moustache was well developed.
No, really, but Obama did name a new CDC director today. He's New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden! He was the guy who came up with the awesome (really) idea to distribute condoms branded with the iconic "I Love NY" logo. He sounds like a hellraiser and we welcome him to our city!
From the AJC:
Frieden, 48, has served as New York City’s health commissioner for the past seven years and has been outspoken on controversial health issues. He spearheaded a campaign to ban smoking in restaurants and bars, boosted the number of New Yorkers getting HIV tests and helped to distribute millions of free condoms.
Nanny-state fearing activists hate him, evident in this post from the always cheerful ActivistCash:
Frieden doesn’t simply blur the line between public and private health; he barely recognizes its existence. He famously told the Financial Times that “when anyone dies at an early age from a preventable cause in New York City, it’s my fault.” What constitutes a “preventable cause” for Frieden? Essentially any behavior that he personally disapproves of, including: eating fatty foods, smoking (anywhere), “insufficient” breast-feeding, and using birth control that isn’t city-approved.
Ah, yes, a preventive health advocate — one who advises people to stop smoking, exercise and eat right — sounds like a terrible pick for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Especially since the U.S. health care system is financially unsustainable and the best idea is to help people avoid dying from some of the most costly and preventable illnesses, like smoking-related cancer and heart disease. Brilliant!
Welcome to Atlanta, Dr. Frieden! There are many of your old neighbors already living here among us!
(Courtesy Wikipedia Commons)
Comments (6)
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This is a world class pick by President Obama. Frieden was amazing in New York and the country will be better off for his leadership at the CDC. Bravo.
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There is no doubt that Dr.Frieden is a strong advocate for prevention. What remains to be seen is his commitment to the study and control of infectious disease. There is a reason many virologists consider working for the CDC career suicide. Although the psychosocial agenda is not without merit, microbes don't really give a hoot about exercise, fresh air or belief systems - they are equal opportunists.
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