CHICAGO (CBS)– Former Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady has accepted a new job with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
Arwady, who led the city’s efforts to combat COVID-19 during the pandemic under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, confirmed that she has taken a position with the Atlanta CDC, leading the Center National Injury Prevention and Control, from January 16, 2024.
She will lead the agency’s efforts to prevent injuries from drug overdoses, violence, suicide and other causes, according to a news release.
“I am honored to join the CDC to combat some of the most pressing public health issues facing our communities today,” Arwady said in a statement. “During my years leading the Chicago Department of Public Health, I have seen the power of using local data to drive public health action and I look forward to translating that experience to the national scale. From overdoses to violence, this country is in crisis, and we must confront the crisis with strong public health approaches centered on evidence and equity.
Arwady spent four years leading Chicago’s public health department under Lightfoot and became the face of the city’s fight against COVID-19, hosting weekly public question-and-answer sessions on social media and sometimes providing daily updates on the spread of the virus and efforts being made. to deploy vaccines.
Mayor Brandon Johnson Arwady was abruptly fired from CDPH in August, approximately two months after taking office. He had said during the mayoral campaign that he would replace her at CDPH, but when he forced her out, he did not give her the opportunity to say goodbye to his staff, nor to stay on until to appoint a replacement.
Dick Simpson, former Chicago city councilman and professor emeritus of political science, told CBS 2 in August: Arwady’s firing came after disputes over two key issues. The first was a difference of opinion between Arwady and the Chicago Teachers Union, of which Johnson was a member, over when the city should reopen schools for in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The second question concerned how the city should provide mental health services. Simpson noted that Johnson has advocated for reopening city-run mental health centers, but while Arwady has attempted to increase services, she has not been in favor of reopening the city’s mental health clinics. city.
Johnson has yet to name a permanent successor at CDPH, led by Acting Commissioner Fikirte Wagaw, who was Arwady’s top deputy.
