When the news first made its way online late Sunday, public health officials and epidemiologists rushed to Twitter to celebrate President-elect Joe Biden's appointment of Rochelle Walensky as the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The news particularly excited Boston's public health community, where Walensky has played a crucial role as the chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital. Joining the Twitter conversation were several Boston University clinicians and public health experts:
This is the happiest a bunch of stressed out, overworked and tired infectious diseases providers and epidemiologists have been in nearly 12 months. @IDSAInfo @HIVMA @RWalensky https://t.co/1f5zqhu2gN via @politico
- Josh Barocas, MD (@jabarocas) December 7, 2020
A huge huge congrats to @RWalensky. Excellent choice! https://t.co/Ma4g4Mj5V1
- Dr. Nahid Bhadelia (@BhadeliaMD) December 7, 2020
Wow, so exciting and am so sure you will be amazing in this role. So thrilled to see how you lead us all! @RWalensky @id_bmc @cdcgov https://t.co/eUKtxdO8S8
- Karen Jacobson (@kar_jacobson) December 7, 2020
A great move to restore a proud agency laid low by incompetent "leadership"
Biden picks MGH infectious diseases chief Rochelle Walensky to oversee CDC https://t.co/2gIxnhEFBj via @BostonGlobe
- jerrymberger (@jerrymberger) December 7, 2020
Congratulations, @RWalensky! The American public is so fortunate to have your outstanding leadership at the #CDC during this critical time. #WomenLead #COVID19
- Rhoda M. Alani, M.D. (@BUDermatology) December 7, 2020
To find out more details about why Walensky's peers are so thrilled about her CDC appointment and the impact they believe Walensky's leadership will have on the coronavirus pandemic, The Brink reached out to Tamar Barlam, Boston University School of Medicine professor of medicine and chief of infectious diseases at Boston Medical Center, BU's teaching hospital. Since the start of the pandemic, Barlam has been coordinating with Walensky and other local infectious diseases experts to discuss the impact on Boston's hospitals and the community.
