Biden set to select North Carolina health secretary to lead CDC

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President Joe Biden is reportedly planning to choose North Carolina Health Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen as the next leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Washington Post reported the expected pick, citing three individuals with direct knowledge of the announcement.

Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, speaks during a briefing on the coronavirus pandemic at the Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh, N.C., May 26, 2020. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images, File)

Cohen was appointed to her role in North Carolina in January 2017 by Gov. Roy Cooper, and will look to replace current CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, who announced last month she is stepping down and will depart the agency June 30.

CDC DIRECTOR ROCHELLE WALENSKY STEPPING DOWN

According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services website, Cohen and her team have been focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, building up an efficient Medicaid program, childhood health, safety and education, and combating the opioid crisis.

Her background is in internal medicine, the site notes, and she has experience leading complex health organizations.

Prior to taking her role as the health secretary in North Carolina, Cohen served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

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She is a graduate of Cornell University, earned her medical degree from Yale School of Medicine and a master’s in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Reuters contributed to this report.