On April 16 of this year, President Donald Trump nominated Dr. Erica Schwartz to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Much of Schwartz’s career has been spent in military service. In 1998, she graduated from Brown University’s eight-year Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME), later earning a Master of Public Health and a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland. She began her career in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, specifically within the Coast Guard unit, where she was involved in addressing health issues resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
On August 17, 2015, she was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral and appointed as the Chief Medical Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard, overseeing 41 clinics and 150 medical aid stations. She was also responsible for the implementation of incident prevention and response programs, as well as initiatives for childcare, food services, the ombudsman program, substance abuse prevention, health promotion, and sexual assault prevention campaigns. In 2019, during the first Trump administration, she served as the Deputy Surgeon General under Jerome Adams.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Schwartz played a key role in organizing and implementing a large-scale federal drive-through testing system. Additionally, she served as a coordinator between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the White House during the presidential transition process. After the Biden administration decided not to retain her in her position, Schwartz resigned, concluding a distinguished 27-year career in military and public service.
Following her departure from the public sector, she continued her career in the private sector, assuming the role of President of Insurance Solutions at UnitedHealthcare. Concurrently, she became a member of the Board of Directors for Aveanna Healthcare and the innovative medical imaging company, Butterfly Network.
Dr. Schwartz is currently awaiting Senate confirmation for her nomination.
