CDC’s deputy director to depart after four months in the role

Less than five months into her tenure as the deputy director and chief medical officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Jennifer Shuford will leave the agency next month, a spokesperson said.

Her exit is the latest example of the leadership churn that has roiled the country’s top health agencies under the Trump administration.

Shuford’s last day will be Nov. 12, the CDC spokesperson said. In a statement provided on Shuford’s behalf, she said she was leaving to spend more time with her family.

“I am so thankful to President Trump and Secretary Kennedy for giving me the opportunity to help lead CDC. It has been an amazing experience and I will be forever grateful for it,” she said.

The spokesperson said Satish Pillai, who leads the agency’s Ebola response, will serve as acting deputy director and chief medical officer while the CDC looks for a permanent successor.

President Donald Trump announced in April that Shuford had been appointed to CDC leadership, and she started her dual roles in June. Previously, she was Texas’ chief state epidemiologist during the Covid pandemic, then was appointed in 2022 to be commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/health