CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H , Epidemiologist, advises President Obama, who advises you?

[Fred Sanders]

Career Highlights

As a CDC EIS officer disease detective from 1990-1992, Dr. Frieden conducted many epidemiologic investigations, including outbreaks of measles, typhoid, cryptosporidium, and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

From 1992-1996, as a CDC assignee, he led New York City’s program that rapidly controlled tuberculosis, including reducing cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis by 80 percent.
While working in India for five years as a CDC assignee to the World Health Organization, he assisted with national tuberculosis control efforts. The program in India has treated more than 10 million patients and has saved more than three million lives.

As Commissioner of the New York City Health Department from 2002-2009, he directed the city’s effort that reduced the number of smokers by 350,000, and reduced teen smoking by half.
New York City also became the first place in the United States to eliminate trans-fats from restaurants, leading more than 50 national chains to eliminate transfat from their menus, and require certain restaurants to post calorie information prominently.


Immediately upon his appointment as CDC Director in 2009, Dr. Frieden led the nation’s response to the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus pandemic.

Dr. Frieden launched the first-ever national paid anti-tobacco media campaign, CDC’s Tips from Former Smokers, projected to help more than 100,000 smokers quit, saving money and preventing tens of thousands of deaths.

He also prioritized CDC’s efforts to reduce infections in healthcare settings, cutting some life-threatening infections by a third or more.

Dr. Frieden created CDC’s Vital Signs, a monthly clear-language publication, pointing out today’s most critical health problems, and guiding the public health community and clinical providers to actionable solutions.

..............................

See that, the head of the CDC who reports directly to President Obama, is an accomplished, highly experienced, highly educated, universally respected fucking EXPERT freaking epidemiologist.

Who do the fear mongers and science deniers have to advise them?

VERUS the best the GOP has, a curiously egotistical, self certified, self centred, ophthalmologist juicing fear for political gain, who you gonna believe, or the journalists looking for a headline who twist expert interviews into sensational, clickable headlines, who are you gonna believe, or Ted Cruz, who you gonna believe, or Fox News, you could believe them,......or are the voices from the glowing rectangular box just more convincing?

I believe President Obama, I believe in his experts, I believe in science.

Science is a threat to the media as it is to religion, because one can not effectively filter science without systemic deceptions, the science always instantly bites back, the debunking is far too quick, it is what it is, so their roles as controllers of information is diminished.

Unless you use fear, there is always that to control the message. Kind of a last resort, the emergency button, if you will.

Really quite elementary, my dear comrades.

[GeorgeGist]

1. CDC link ...

http://www.cdc.gov/about/pdf/cdcdirector/directors-bio.pdf

[former9thward]

2. CDC Director does not directly report to President Obama.

CDC is part of Health and Human Services. That Secretary reports to Obama. Freiden may be accomplished but he was quick to blame anyone but himself when ebola presented itself. He quickly blamed the nurses for "breaking protocol" when he did not know a single fact about the situation. He has admitted CDC response was lacking. But I am not a "comrade" so what do I know.

[Fred Sanders]

3. He directly reports NOW I would wager...but that was kind of incidental to my opinion.

Who advises you?

[cherokeeprogressive]

5. My guess is he reports directly to the Czar. Else why have a Czar in the first place?

Anyway, your OP was a yawn...

[former9thward]

17. I have to fend for myself when it comes to advice.

I don't have the privilege of getting advice from a person in Atlanta sitting in a comfortable office blaming others on the front lines.

[Fred Sanders]

18. What?

[kestrel91316]

31. Meaning: I don't trust the CDC or their website so I get my info from Faux.

[Fred Sanders]

35. They should just say that instead of dancing around it.

[former9thward]

44. No, it means I have no respect for a CDC Director who blames those on the front lines

while he sits pontificating in his luxury office in Atlanta. He blamed the nurses for "not following protocol" the instant they were diagnosed when he did not know a single fact about the cases.

[dixiegrrrrl]

45. This should interest you then:

In the article
Four Ebola quotes that may come back to haunt CDC's Tom Frieden

this one stood out:

Where to treat Ebola patients has always been an issue. Should major treatment facilities be the lead or can any hospital deal with cases?

Frieden insisted that any place was OK.

“Essentially any hospital in the country can safely take care of Ebola. You don't need a special hospital to do it,” he said at one of the numerous news conferences he has given.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-four-ebola-quotes-haunt-frieden-20141016-story.html

Later, it was admitted that only the 4 hospitals that have Bio level 3 or higher were suited to treat Ebola.

[840high]

51. Frieden is a politicians.

[fredamae]

4. I'm listening to the Adults

starting with POTUS/CDC

[Fred Sanders]

10. We seem to be in the minority, the fear has spread to the liberals.

[fredamae]

16. Yes, thats a problem

The ONLY thing Not spreading Here right now...is Ebola.
Flu season is upon us (and usually kills more than 30k Every year) and while No one is talking about it-there Is another highly contagious disease affecting our children and spreading fast..EVD68
http://theotherpress.ca/be-prepared-for-evd68/

[cali]

6. this is such a sad little way to make an argument

a) he's hardly the only expert on the subject, and shockingly, quite a few have written pieces and been interviewed about ebola. b) That's the same as the ridiculous "argument" that President Obama has expert advisers on Iraq and Syria so us little peons should shut up about wars and such. News Flash, Fred: You don't have to have experts on staff to have an informed opinion- and for someone who's so... cocksure of your opinions, you might want to reflect on that.

cheers

[Fred Sanders]

8. Military experts are not the same thing as scientific experts...you equate the two...interesting.

And one should realize the CDC director has any army of experts. On staff. Independent.

I could google the CV's for you if you wish, but why bother, you do not believe in science.

[cherokeeprogressive]

21. Who posted this? "P.S. Do not be offensive yourself, it does not help."

Surely not YOU, right?

Two challenges for you: 1) Name his "army of experts". 2) Post even a FEW of their CVs.

Do that and I won't call you on the bullshit in your response to cali.



For those who are curious... the quote in my subject line is from a post where Fred was telling us how to use DU, six months after he got here.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025154764

[Fred Sanders]

23. Go to the CDC site and look for yourselves, but you doubt the CDC has experts so....

Ad hominem attacks with out of context snips, you work for Fox?

[cherokeeprogressive]

25. You don't have any fucking idea what I doubt, Fred... so I'll tell you.

I doubt you had any intent of posting anyone's CV, and were just being as offensive as you counseled DU at large not to be in June.

[Fred Sanders]

30. Here you go, could have done it yourself:

MMWR Staff
Charlotte K. Kent, PhD, MPH
John S. Moran, MD, MPH
Christine G. Casey, MD
Teresa F. Rutledge
Douglas W. Weatherwax
Jude C. Rutledge
David C. Johnson
Jeffrey D. Sokolow
Cathy Bricker Lansdowne
Denise Williams
Martha F. Boyd
Terraye Starr
Stephen R. Spriggs
Julia Choate Martinroe
Maureen A. Leahy
Quang M. Doan
Phyllis H. King
Barbara A. Stallworth
Billie Lester
Jamey S. Giddens
Robert P. Gaynes, MD

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/staff/staff.html#Charlotte_K_Kent

Lot of long and impressive resumes and experience, here is one of many:


PhD, MPH
Acting Editor-in-Chief, MMWR
[e-mail]
404-498-0576

Charlotte Kent, PhD, has 24 years of public health experience, working internationally as the Director of the AIDS Epidemiology Unit for the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health in Bern, Switzerland, during 1990-1991; at the local level as the Chief, Epidemiology Unit, STD Prevention and Control Services at the San Francisco Department of Public Health for 15 years; and for 4 years with CDC as the Chief of the Health Services Research and Evaluation Branch in the Division of STD Prevention. During her tenure in San Francisco, Dr. Kent was the principal investigator on numerous CDC Cooperative Agreements related to surveillance and multi-site research projects. Dr. Kent received her PhD in Epidemiology and her MPH in Biomedical Sciences from the University of California Berkeley, and her BA in Anthropology from Amherst College. Her bibliography includes more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, MMWR articles, and book chapters related to Community Health, STDs, HIV, H1N1 and Correctional Settings. She has received numerous awards at CDC, including the CDC & ATSDR Honor Award for Excellence in Quantitative Sciences; the Kaafee Billah Memorial Award, Honoring Excellence in Economic Research; and the Charles C. Shepard Science Award.

Dr. Kent is married to a fellow epidemiologist, who is an outstanding methodologist and trusted advisor. Their two teenage sons enjoy building robots for competitions, and Dr. Kent serves as a mentor for their robotics team. The family also enjoys traveling together.



............Center, Institute and Offices

CDC's Center, Institute, and Offices (CIOs) allow the agency to be more responsive and effective when dealing with public health concerns. Each group implements CDC′s response in their areas of expertise, while also providing intra-agency support and resource-sharing for cross-cutting issues and specific health threats. The CIOs are:

CDC Washington Office
Center for Global Health
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support
Office of Equal Employment Opportunity
Office of Infectious Diseases
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
Office of Minority Health and Health Equity
Office of Noncommunicable Diseases, Injury and Environmental Health
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response
Office of Public Health Science Services
Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services
National Center for Health Statistics
Office of the Associate Director for Communication
Office of the Associate Director for Policy
Office of the Associate Director for Science
Office of the Chief of Staff
Office of the Chief Operating Officer
View CIO′s official mission statements and organizational structures.......

They all have expert staff.

Apology accepted.

[kestrel91316]

33. What a disgusting slap in the face to every single medical professional at CDC.

And there are many thousands. My own nephew may very well wind up one of them in the not-too-distant future.

[cherokeeprogressive]

37. I think you took the post out of context. It really wasn't about CDC or anyone who works there...

as much as it was about Fred being an ass to cali.
.
I have no problems with CDC at all.

[Fred Sanders]

38. We all see you do, you just posted several times you did.

[kestrel91316]

40. Oh really???

Could have fooled me.

[muriel_volestrangler]

41. It looks more like you trying to insert yourself with a 'gotcha!' call

Egotistical, and completely irrelevant. What you linked to was about alerts being offensive. Not about a bogus comparison of science and the almost random 'art' of waging war.

[cherokeeprogressive]

46. Wow. I dug a hole with this one, and that wasn't my intent.

Some highlights of the OP cali referred to:

"who advises you?" - When I read a question with ends with the word "you", I guess I sometimes infer the poster is speaking to me.

"...highly educated, universally respected fucking EXPERT freaking epidemiologist." - I don't know that anyone has argued he isn't.

"I believe President Obama, I believe in his experts, I believe in science." - Are there people here who don't?


I found the whole post kinda preachy. He asks numerous times "who you going to believe?" Then he says this to cali:

"I could google the CV's for you if you wish, but why bother, you do not believe in science".

I thought it was a terribly shitty thing to post. I thought it was offensive. Do you believe that cali doesn't believe in science? This poster, who's been here a fraction as long as she has, does. I don't. So, I took the other part of his statement, "I could google X for you if you wish," and challenged him to follow up on it because I thought it was just a small part of the larger insult he tossed her way. The CDC had nothing to do with it. I might as well have been asking him to list the designer of every jet in Boeing's commercial fleet, and its chief designer, because he said he could do it... but, was going to refrain for whatever reason.

I used the link to his previous post only because that post was condescendingly telling DUers how they should conduct themselves after he had been her a matter of months, in which he ended with "don't be offensive", which is what I thought he was in his response to cali. To a lesser degree, I thought he was on the same track in this OP when he asked DU who advised them and then explained who should be by telling us how elementary the whole thing is that we seem to be missing.

He said in a post which he edited that I didn't believe in science either but that's not what I'm trying to explain. I read his post about Frieden, told him I didn't think he reported directly to the President since a Czar was appointed, then was struck by the shitty thing he said to cali. I'm sorry anyone inferred that I meant to impugn the CDC or anyone who works there.

I just thought he was being shitty, and pointed out to him where he told us not to be shitty after instructing us on how to conduct ourselves.

[muriel_volestrangler]

47. The 'you' in the OP: the GOP, Rand Paul, journalists, Ted Cruz, Fox News, the media

who are collectively "the fear mongers and science deniers".

Who do the fear mongers and science deniers have to advise them?

VERUS the best the GOP has, a curiously egotistical, self certified, self centred, ophthalmologist juicing fear for political gain, who you gonna believe, or the journalists looking for a headline who twist expert interviews into sensational, clickable headlines, who are you gonna believe, or Ted Cruz, who you gonna believe, or Fox News, you could believe them,......or are the voices from the glowing rectangular box just more convincing?

I believe President Obama, I believe in his experts, I believe in science.

Science is a threat to the media as it is to religion, because one can not effectively filter science without systemic deceptions, the science always instantly bites back, the debunking is far too quick, it is what it is, so their roles as controllers of information is diminished.

Unless you use fear, there is always that to control the message. Kind of a last resort, the emergency button, if you will.

And, unbelievably, it seems cali decided to jump in on the side of the above - the people trying to 'control the message'. Normally, I'd say yes, cali 'believes in' science. But in this thread, they've thrown their lot in with the GOP and Fox News, who are now, it seems, as qualified as the CDC on the subject of epidemics.

[cherokeeprogressive]

48. Well at least now you know where I was coming from.

And for what it's worth... I know you don't in your heart of hearts believe for a moment that cali doesn't believe in science.

[Fred Sanders]

11. You resent my confidence in my opinions...not new.

[B2G]

14. As you summarily dismiss others'

Cute.

[Bluenorthwest]

32. Confidence? You are highly evasive of stating your opinion, you refuse direct questions about basic

Democratic policies, you become defensive and aggressive when asked even about choice, Unions, LGBT rights, separation of religion and government...
Here is one of my favorite Fred Threads for others to see how confident you are. It's a piece of work. It's a second round of you refusing to state your opinions on specific, basic Democratic policies......
http://upload.democraticunderground.com/10025344259#post2

[Fred Sanders]

34. Another ad hominem attack, I must be doing something right?

[muriel_volestrangler]

42. That's really disappointing to see from you, cali

I thought better of you. You're joining the side of fear, uncertainty and doubt here.

[cali]

49. You misinterpret my post. I objected to the argument that Fred employed

that's it. I'd ask you where I fear monger. I don't. I simply am pointing out that the "argument" that the Fred employed- don't question because the President knows more than you is a stinking pile.

[muriel_volestrangler]

50. The argument Fred employs is the president has experts, while the GOP amd media are fearmongering

with no experts to back them up. You're defending the fearmongers. You then compared scientific knowledge to the always unreliable guesses about warfare. There is a world of difference between the consistency of science and fighting wars, and I thought you'd know that. I didn't expect you to follow a "there's no such thing as an expert" post-modern bullshit line.

[cali]

52. the argument that fred employs is "how dare anyone question the CDC"

I am not defending the fear mongers. It's quite disconcerting that you would make such a spurious accusation. Do point out where I defend the fear mongers. Oh, you can't because I didn't. ever. Which is what makes your comments such crapola.

I really have nothing but contempt for false accusations It's a shame to see you stooping to that

[muriel_volestrangler]

53. Your insulting post #6 ("sad little way", " someone who's so... cocksure") was a reply to the OP

Since you seem to have difficulty reading it, try reading #47 where I embolden the many points where the OP makes abundantly clear that Fred is going after the fear mongers. You are now trying to defend your decision to support people like Ted Cruz on this. This could be your worst moment on DU ever. Stop making excuse for ignorant Republicans.

[geek tragedy]

7. The admin's problem re Ebola has been perception

not policy or reality.

[Fred Sanders]

9. It is the administration's problem (political) because of the problem of science denial, being the point.

[malaise]

12. Not GTA Issa who knows more than doctors

[Fred Sanders]

13. Wow. The way folks take umbrage to having their closely held fears snatched from them is interesting

[cherokeeprogressive]

20. Just to be clear; you haven't snatched anything from me, but do go on... it's fun to watch.

[JaneyVee]

15. Pres.Obama: "Science, not fear, is the key to Ebola response"

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/6046060?&ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000016

[AngryAmish]

19. Appeal to authority

Always persuasive.

[customerserviceguy]

22. By the time you get to be the head of the CDC

or any other government health organization that is primarily known by its acronym, you're less of a doctor and more of a bureaucrat with an expensive education.

What I fear is how political considerations very often taint one's scientific judgments. The President needs to at least appear that he cares as much about the health of American citizens who have not left this country as he does about any other group of people affected by this disease. Govs. Cuomo and Christie get that.

[Fred Sanders]

24. Please read his CV, convieniently posted above, and tell me is is not an expert in epidemiology and

infectious diseases? Education is a good thing, remember?

[customerserviceguy]

27. Yeah, he's got a wonderful resume

But he still looks like a bumbling bureaucrat to most Americans. That's why the President felt he needed to grab a concept from the Carter Administration and appoint a 'czar'.

For starters, both of them need to get rid of that wishy-washy word "guidelines", because it sounds too much like "suggestions". Even the word "protocol" is weak when compared to the word "requirement".

In fact, the more "scientific" someone is, the less likely they're able to effectively communicate their ideas to the lay public. Geeks are notoriously infamous when it comes to conveying compassion, safety, and calm. At least this 'czar' has an awareness of the optics of the situation.

[Fred Sanders]

28. Where to begin...you feeling alright? Now the director is a geek...funny stuff.

[customerserviceguy]

29. If he's so wonderful

Then why did the President feel the need to appoint the czar?

Frieden had his shot on the Sunday talking heads shows, I saw him on them, and he failed to get his message across. Ebola fear is going to flip this election away from us, and I'm sorry if I see that as a bad thing.

Whether he's perceived as a geek who cannot relate to ordinary people's fears, or he's seen as a lying bureaucrat, or he's seen as incompetent to stop the flow of Ebola into the US doesn't matter. He's been losing the PR war on this, and his blather about how travel bans are bad for Americans just doesn't sell.

We've got about ten days now, and I sure as hell hope that I'm wrong and that you're right.

[Fred Sanders]

36. Some folks trust in education and in the CDC and some do not, which kind of folks are you?

[customerserviceguy]

39. Oh, I like science and education just fine

But I work to keep informed. The people who usually swing elections are much more fond of going with their gut and not their head, and those are the ones I'm worried about.

Anybody who thinks that there is no difference between a Democratic candidate and a Republican one, and that they decision needs to be made days, hours, or even minutes before going to vote simply isn't paying attention, and they don't care about the C.V., nor would they even know what it was an abbreviation for.

Maybe on November 5th, you can see how the optics on this whole thing were bad from the get-go. Like I said, I sure hope I'm wrong and you're right.

[zappaman]

26. Dr. Jenny McCarthy. N/t

[greatlaurel]

43. Thanks for the information, your links are very informative.

I cannot believe the number of posts pushing a fear and panic agenda. It is sad how many people like to live in the fact free zone.