Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/ CDC Chatter en-us http://cdcchatter.net/images/logo.gif http://cdcchatter.net/ feedback@cdcchatter.net http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=806 http://defendingscience.org/newsroom/upload/Scientists_in_Government_Report_030310.pdf Search for "CDC" in this report and you will find a lot of interesting comments and quotes. For example, the report says "CDC’s policy calls for clearance standards that “balance the concerns of quality and timeliness,” and a timeline that should generally not exceed one month (unless the author is asked to make revisions). In practice, scientists report that delays in the clearance process are common. ' “We need supervisors who have the courage to speak up for the science.” – CDC branch chief ' Clearance at CDC over the past years has become a very lengthy and time consuming process in which "too many cooks spoil the broth", and goes beyond scientific issues into the arena of spin. I don't think this is getting any better with the new regime - in fact it may even be getting worse. Apparently Frieden's office tried to interfere at the last minute with some recent CDC papers that were about to be published in a leading medical journal.. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=805 Recently the OIG conducted an audit of contract irregularities, specifically looking at an 8a contract that had an unprecedented award number and amount to one of four contractors on the vehicle. While the OIG found no procurement irregularities (amazingly), they found serious infractions of the FAR and the Civil Service Act. To briefly summarize, contracts that place contract staff on-site at CDC may be providing personal services which violates the FAR and may be replacing inherently government services which violates the Civil Service Act. Here is the link to the report: Review of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Compliance With Appropriations Laws and Acquisition Regulations—Contractor A Sat, 06 Mar 2010 08:00:00 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=804 What is the state of employee morale at CDC? Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:15:57 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=803 The "live" all hands session on PMAP, supervisory training on PMAP and various other actions to try to improve the process have not resolved the issues around this performance system. The union has filed a grievance around inclusion of conduct vs performance measures, review of PDs as part of process, objective criteria, etc. and their dissatisfaction with management efforts to improve the system. They want a review of all member PMAPs since 2006, change of marginally successful ratings and related documentation, and annual upper management review in the future as part of the process. Should PMAP be saved? If not, what elements should be included in a new system? Sun, 21 Feb 2010 12:26:37 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=802 "Staff Appraisal of Management Will Curb Stress" (Nic Paton, Occupational Health magazine) - companies should allow their employees to rate how their managers are managing them. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:18:32 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=801 In the news, children and others are sick with cancer and other conditions in Vieques, where the Navy had used parts of it for 6 decades as a bombing test site. News showed tests results of toxic levels of contamination off the charts. It was reported that a 2003 CDC study found no links in the illnesses with the Navy's activities. The sick Americans are now fighting back with a lawsuit. CDC is now taking another look. Is there another story behind the story? Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:10:45 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=800 Good news: the President's budget includes increases for nearly all areas of science. Bad news: only CDC's budget went down. A simple bar graph says it all--visit WIRED: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/02/obama-science-budget/ Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=799 How long is the stressful reorganizational situation going to last within NCPHI? Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=798 The senior leadership has been asked to consider program areas at CDC that could be reduced or eliminated, according to these criteria: - No or Little Demonstrable Health Impact - No Legislative Mandate - No or Small Stakeholder Support - No or Little Evidence-Based Interventions to Support Which programs do you think fit these criteria and why? Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:09:20 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=797 In an era of budget cuts, and rumors of increased taps from the OD/OD, I suggest that if we could streamline business services, or at least made it that business service were not designed to prevent us doing our jobs, we could reduce the workforce by half and still prevent as many deaths and disability. Heck, if we scale business services to where they serve rather than obstruct, that alone would cut the need by a quarter. Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:58:13 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=796 Performance Evaluation is a JOKE for GAP Country Directors in the Field Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=795 There is good news for NCEH and ATSDR Staff! Dr. Howard Frumkin has been moved out of his role as Director of NCEH/ATSDR as of Friday January 15, 2010. In his place, Dr. Henry Falk will assume the role of Acting Director until a permanent replacement can be found. Dr. Frumkin has been put in a face saving position directly under the CDC Administrator, and will likely be looking for outside employment in the near future. (Dr. Frumkin's email to staff follows) Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=794 How did CDC do during the real test of continuity of operations functions last Friday? Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:00:33 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=793 Looking for some feedback on working with/for multiple senior staff Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:42:26 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=792 British Medical Journal questions the science behind Tamiflu claims of efficacy. SUMMARY from BMJ article "What is already known on this topic: Neuraminidase inhibitors (especially oseltamivir) have become global public health drugs for influenza They prevent symptoms and shorten the duration of illness by about one day if taken within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms. Toxicity and the effects on complications have been debated. What this study adds: Neuraminidase inhibitors reduce the symptoms of influenza modestly Neuraminidase inhibitors reduce the chance of people exposed to influenza developing laboratory confirmed influenza but not influenza-like illness Evidence for or against their benefit for preventing complications of influenza is insufficient Evidence for or against serious adverse events is lacking, although oseltamivir causes nausea" The BMJ article Neuraminidase inhibitors for preventing and treating influenza in healthy adults: systematic review and meta-analysis and the Atlantic article The Truth About Tamiflu Tue, 05 Jan 2010 23:45:18 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=791 Fomer EID fellow who was told I had a job for 8 weeks that was canceled 2 days before I was supposed to start Sun, 03 Jan 2010 19:15:32 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=790 Per latest all hands message, the new organizational structure has been published in the Federal register. In case you missed the email or are having trouble keeping score.... Read the entire Federal Register citation DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority Tue, 29 Dec 2009 01:29:25 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=789 Good luck to Merck! Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=788 We have in our office an employee that chronically reports in late to work, does little work when on site unless prodded to do so (and then it's generally substandard), causes friction with other employees and has filed numerous grievances and EEO complaints through the years -- this has been going on for a long time. In January 09 I became this person's supervisor of record, although I'm monitored daily by my supervisor very closely. Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:04:33 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=787 H1N1 vaccine availability Well CDC has blown it again with the availability of the H1N1 vaccine. They send an email saying the vaccine is now available for all employees and provide a number to schedule an appointment. No one answers the number. Why not schedule open houses for each campus THIS week so that employees will be covered by the holidays. Who wants to be traveling over the holidays and come down with the flu??? Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:21:02 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=786 Is the ASPH fellowship program on the ropes again? Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:55:38 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=785 Change is good, and goodness knows lots at CDC needed changing. Coordinating Centers gone...great! Fixing CDC's poor HR and business support functions...greater! Identifying (and sticking with) priorities...greatest. But change for change sake is a losing proposition. It seems that Dr. Frieden and his chosen few are creating this new structure in a very top-down, outmoded management style...and they're throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Everything Julie started was not bad. Everything good that's happened in the past 5 years isn't because of her or in spite of her. Yet, that seems to be the current rationale guiding this reorganization. So much for making decisions based on the data. All CDC should be concerned about the lack of communication about and participation in decisions regarding the changes being made. These decisions are made in isolation, with token input from current managers, and without any communication in advance of announcing the changes globally. Open and transparent communications? Current CDC leadership has a lot to learn about how to manage people and an organization. A subscription to the Harvard Business Review would shed some light on data-driven management practices and communication. But...what to do...don't whine...you can only voice your concerns, make your congressmen aware, and vote with your feet. It's change and change is constant...even if it's change back to the future. Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:20:48 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=784 "CDC committee includes controversial 'screw the medical experts' lifeguard trainer" by the Dean of Cincinnati, The Cincinnati Beacon, November 18, 2009 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:51:31 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=783 CDC's Need To Be "Bipolar" And Public Expectation Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:16:55 -0500 http://cdcchatter.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=782 The CDC seems to be taking some major hits with its credibility and reputation with the American public. Changes in H1N1 reporting numbers did not help with public perception. See ABC News and their reporting on CDC three-fold increase OVERNIGHT of H1N1 numbers - "Seeming Overnight Surge in H1N1's Death Toll: Number Change Underscores Uncertainty About Virus" ttp://abcnews.go.com/Health/SwineFluNews/h1n1-deaths-triple-overnight/story?id=9057650). An increase in deaths from 1,200 to 4,000 made in one day by the CDC does not look very good. Add to this the fact that the seasonal flu kills 36,000 people by comparison and the CDC looks even worse in reliability of data and analysis -- and possibly hype. The numbers of people who refuse to get the H1N1 vaccine are large and show that the public does not trust what the CDC says – regardless of the possible complications of getting the virus. And then there is the XMRV virus discovery in October by the Whittemore-Peterson Institute in Nevada that put a very hot spotlight on the CDC’s work on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The Internet websites and blogs seemed to explode overnight with vitriolic attacks against the CDC and conspiracy theories abounding. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:32:49 -0500