CDC director nominee Erica Schwartz says she hopes to shift the agency's tone

NPR | By Pien Huang

Published July 22, 2026 at 4:47 AM EDT

Public health officials acknowledge they need to shed paternalistic messaging if they want to reach more people. The nominee to run the CDC says she will strike a new tone.

Pien Huang

Pien Huang is a health reporter on the Science desk. She was NPR's first Reflect America Fellow, working with shows, desks and podcasts to bring more diverse voices to air and online.

See stories by Pien Huang

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