Newsom recruits ‘dream team’ of ex-CDC leaders critical of Trump

The officials will head a state-led initiative to ‘modernize public health infrastructure.’

- By MELODY GUTIERREZ

DR. SUSAN Monarez formerly led the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(KEVIN DIETSCH Getty Images)

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday announced a new California-led public health initiative, tapping what he called a “dream team” of former U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials who publicly clashed with the Trump administration.

Newsom said the initiative will be led by Dr. Susan Monarez, the former CDC director, and Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC’s former chief medical officer. The pair will lead the Public Health Network Innovation Exchange, or Phnix. which the governor's office said will “modernize public health infrastructure and maintain trust in science-driven decision-making.”

The initiative was created to improve the systems that detect and investigate public health trends and build a modern public-health backbone that connects data, technology and funding across states.