SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday introduced a brand new California-led public well being initiative, tapping former U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention officers who publicly clashed with the Trump administration, together with the previous company chief who warned that the nation’s public well being system was headed to “a really harmful place.”
Newsom mentioned the initiative will probably be led by Dr. Susan Monarez, the previous CDC director, and Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC’s former chief medical officer. The pair will lead the Public Well being Community Innovation Trade, or PHNIX, which the governor’s workplace mentioned will “modernize public well being infrastructure and keep belief in science-driven decision-making.”
The initiative was created to enhance the programs that detect and examine public well being tendencies and construct a contemporary public-health spine that connects knowledge, know-how and funding throughout states.
“The Public Well being Community Innovation Trade is anticipated to carry collectively one of the best science, one of the best instruments, and one of the best minds to advance public well being,” Newsom mentioned in a press release Monday. “By bringing on knowledgeable scientific leaders to accomplice on this launch, we’re strengthening collaboration and laying the groundwork for a contemporary public well being infrastructure that can provide belief and stability in scientific knowledge not simply throughout California, however nationally and globally.”
Monarez will function strategic well being know-how and funding advisor for the initiative, serving to advance personal sector partnerships to higher combine healthcare knowledge programs and allow quicker illness surveillance.
“I’m deeply excited to carry my expertise in well being know-how and innovation to help PHNIX,” Monarez mentioned in a press release shared by Newsom’s workplace. “California has a rare focus of expertise, know-how, and funding, and this effort is about placing these strengths to work for the general public good — modernizing how public well being operates, accelerating innovation, and constructing a more healthy, extra resilient future for all Californians.”
Houry was named senior regional and international public well being medical advisor for PHNIX. Newsom’s workplace additionally introduced it should work with Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, founder and chief government of Your Native Epidemiologist. Jetelina will advise the California Division of Public Well being on constructing belief in public well being.
Monarez and Houry each described extraordinary turmoil contained in the nation’s well being businesses throughout congressional hearings, telling senators in September that Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and political advisors rebuffed knowledge supporting the security and efficacy of vaccines. Monarez was fired after simply 29 days on the job. She mentioned Kennedy informed her to resign if she didn’t log out on new unsupported vaccine suggestions. Kennedy has described Monarez as admitting to him that she is “untrustworthy,” a declare Monarez has denied by way of her legal professional.
“Dramatic and unfounded adjustments in federal coverage, funding, and scientific observe have created uncertainty and instability in public well being and well being care,” Dr. Erica Pan, CDPH director and state public well being officer, mentioned in a press release. “I’m thrilled to work with these advisors to catalyze our efforts to guide a sustainable future for public well being. California is stepping as much as coordinate and construct the scaffolding we have to navigate this second.”
The salaries of the brand new positions weren’t instantly recognized.
Newsom’s workplace mentioned the California initiative would construct on beforehand introduced public well being partnerships, such because the West Coast Well being Alliance.
