Management analysis of the Center for Disease and Control

Management Analysis of the Center for Desease and Control

Management ANALYSIS of the CENTERS for DISEASE CONTROL and PREVENTION

Analysis of the CDC

Management of CDC

Leadership

Human Resource Management

System Design

Strategies of CDC

Partnerships

Discussion of CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a governmental institution of the United States of America, belonging to the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The organization is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and has another ten locations in the United States and Puerto Rico (CDC 2005 Annual Report). The organization was opened on the first of July 1946 and it has, ever since, been the leader in Public Health. In its first years, the organization had less than 400 employees and a budget of less than $20 million (Official Website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008).

Commencing their activity with identifying and treating malaria within the United States, the CDC registered international expansion during the Vietnam War, when the America troops were faced with the possibility of contracting malaria and other infectious diseases. "The Vietnam War moved CDC into the international scene. When the deadly falciparum and other forms of malaria threatened American troops in Southeast Asia and Peace Corps workers in Africa, CDC staff members offered their assistance and were soon fighting diseases in many areas of the world. The agency's most successful effort was its major role in the eradication of smallpox on a worldwide scale" (Etheridge, 1994).

Today, CDC is the nation's premiere health promotion, prevention, and preparedness agency and a global leader in public health. It remains at the forefront of public health efforts to prevent and control infectious and chronic diseases, injuries, workplace hazards, disabilities, and environmental health threats. CDC is globally recognized for conducting research and investigations and for its action-oriented approach. CDC applies research and findings to improve people's daily lives and responds to health emergencies -- something that distinguishes CDC from its peer agencies. CDC works with states and other partners to provide a system of health surveillance to monitor and prevent disease outbreaks (including bioterrorism), implement disease prevention strategies, and maintain national health statistics. CDC also guards against international disease transmission, with personnel stationed in more than 25 foreign countries. CDC is now focusing on achieving the four overarching Health Protection Goals to become a more performance-based agency focusing on healthy people, healthy places, preparedness and global health" (Official Website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008).

The mission forwarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is to promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury and disability. CDC's vision for the twenty first century is Healthy People in a Healthy World - Through Prevention (Official Website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008).

The governmental organization has set four major health protection goals as follows:

Healthy People in Every Stage of Life

Healthy People in Healthy Places

People Prepared for Emerging Health Threats

Healthy People in a Healthy World" (CDC 2006 Annual Report)

In order to reach these goals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is developing and implementing six sets of strategies:

Health Impact Focus

Customer Centricity

Public Health Research

Leadership

Global Health Impact and Accountability (CDC 2006 Annual Report)

But in order to ensure they correctly develop and implement these strategies to the benefit of the population, the organization belonging to the United States Department of Health and Human Services must ensure they have the best leaders, who know how to motivate and coordinate their employees.

2. Analysis of the CDC

2.1 Management of CDC

The primary leaders of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, coordinated by the CDC Director, are the chief operating officer, the chief science officer, chief of public health practice and the chief of staff.

Source: CDC Organizational Chart, 2007

2.1.1. Leadership

The leaders at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are committed to managing a successful organization which aids the general population in leading a healthier life.

The governmental organization is lead by director Julie Louise Gerberding, M.D., M.P.H. She states: "Each day at CDC, we try to imagine a safer, healthier world. A world where infants are born healthy and cared for - so, as children, they can arrive at school safe, well-nourished, and ready to learn. A world in which teenagers have the information, motivation, and hope they need to make healthy choices about their lifestyles and behaviours. A world in which adults enjoy active and productive lives in safe communities where they can remain independent and engaged with family and friends throughout their senior years. [...] CDC is an exciting place to work, multi-faceted, constantly in motion. And it makes a real difference in the world, again and again" (Official Website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

The CDC's Executive Leadership Board is formed from the following:

William Gimson, MBA - Chief Operating Officer

Lynn Austin, PhD - Chief of Staff

Stephanie B. Coursey Bailey, M.D., M.S. - Chief Officer of Public Health Practice

Richard Besser, M.D. - Director, Coordinating Office of Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response

Stephen Blount, M.D., M.P.H. - Director, Coordinating Office of Global Health

Mitchell Cohen, M.D. - Director, Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases

Henry Falk, MD, MPH - Director, Coordinating Center for Environmental Health and Injury Prevention

Donna Garland, BS - Director, Office of Enterprise Communication

Bradley Perkins, MD, MBA - Acting Director, Office of Strategy and Innovation

Tanja Popovic, MD, PhD, F (AAM), AM (AAFS) - Chief Science Officer

Donald Shriber, JD, MPH - Director, CDC Washington Office

Steve Solomon, MD -Director, Coordinating Center for Health Information and Services

Stephen Thacker, MD, MSc - Director, Office of Workforce and Career Development

Kathleen E. Toomey, MD, MPH - Director, Coordinating Center for Health Promotion (Official Website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008)

In order to increase the positive impact of their strategies upon the health of the American population, the management board at CDC has "reallocated more than 600 positions from administrative functions to direct research and program activity positions - such as epidemiologists, medical officers, and laboratorians. CDC reduced administrative costs by more than $83 million and made these resources available for frontline projects that directly benefit health. CDC will save $35 million over 7 years and improve its customer service by consolidating 40 separate information hotlines into a single contact center." (Official Website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008)

2.1.2 Human Resource Management major part of the managerial activity is represented by the capability to properly coordinate, stimulate and remunerate the personnel. The Human Resource Department at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has presented the following human resource highlights, adherent to fiscal year 2005:

CDC is among Georgia's top 15 employers, with nearly 15,000 employees (including 6,000 contractors) in 170 occupations

In FY 2005, CDC hired 592 new employees

Nearly 200 employees are assigned overseas to address HIV / AIDS, emerging infections, malaria, vaccine-preventable diseases and other global threats

Nearly 40% of employees have a Master's degree, 25% have a PhD and 10% have a medical degree

Women account for nearly 60% of CDC's workforce

More than one third of CDC's employees are members of a racial or ethnic minority group" (CDC 2005 Annual Report).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recruit and employ the best qualified candidates on the labour force through both traditional and modern strategies.

Motivation

The employment advertisement of CDC's states: "You may not know our faces, but you hear from us and about us in the news when an outbreak occurs and when a quick response is needed. Whether we are protecting the American people from public health threats, researching emerging diseases, partnering with national and international organizations to develop health systems, or helping to immunize children in a small town village, we rely on CDC employees to make a real difference in the health and well-being of people here and around the world" (Official Website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008).

The governmental organization motivates their employees through a series of financial and non-financial incentives, including:

Incentives and awards

Vacation, paid holidays, personal and sick time

Flexible work schedules

Comprehensive medical benefits

Child care

Employee assistance and referral programs

Flexible spending accounts

Retirement benefits and pension plans

Life insurance

Long-term care insurance

Commuter subsidies

Telework / Telecommute

Family Friendly Leave Policies

Continuing education and professional development

Wellness, fitness and other benefits" (Official Website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008).

Any complaints from the employees are resolved within the Office of Dispute Resolution and Equal Employment Opportunity, lead by Gilberto Camacho. "Our focus is to help this organization increase its effectiveness in utilizing our human capital." (Gilberto Camacho, CDC Official Website, 2007)

2.2 System Design

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are organized into four types of national centers:

Environmental Health and Injury Prevention: The National Center for Environmental Health / Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

Health Information Services: The National Center for Health Marketing; the National Center for Health Statistics; the National Center for Public Health Informative

Health Promotion: The National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities; the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; the National Office of Public Health Genomics

Infectious Diseases: The National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; the National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne and Enteric Diseases; the National Center for HIV / AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention and the National Center for Preparedness, Detection and Control of Infectious Diseases (Official Website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008)

2.3 Strategies of CDC

As mentioned in the introduction, the Centers for Disease Control and prevention has developed and implemented six sets of strategies as follows:

Health Impact Focus - the alignment of CDC's employees, objectives, strategies, investments and performances in order to maximize the CDC's beneficial effects upon public health

Customer Centricity - Like any other corporation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is focused on offering those products and services required and needed by the population in order to improve and preserve their health

Public Health Research - the CDC funds and conducts numerous researches aimed at identifying new treatments and any other issues which would positively affect the public health

Leadership - the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention possesses the best skilled and qualified employees, guided by the most committed managers and supported by strategic partners, all to improve the health system within the United States and across its borders

Global Health Impact - the CDC is opened to international knowledge transfer as they wish to not only improve the America health system, but also the international health systems

Accountability - the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention increase the population's trust in the health organization by making efficient and effective investments (CDC 2006 Annual Report)

The competitive advantage of the CDC is given by their long time valuable expertise in the field of health solutions, combined with their skilled and dedicated staff.

2.3.1 Partnerships

Another sustainable advantage is given by the old and new partnerships signed with national organizations. "Throughout its history, CDC has placed a premium value on developing and nurturing partnerships with various public and private entities. These partnerships improve and expand the scope and depth of public health services for the American people. One key focus of CDC's Futures Initiative was to bolster the agency's ability to engage and support its partners. The new Coordinating Center for Health Information and Service (CoCHIS) was created to improve public health through increased efficiencies, foster stronger collaboration, and integrate similar programs and messages" (Official Website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008).