Dr. Allison Arwady, former Chicago public health chief, takes new job at CDC
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Former Chicago Department of Public Health commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady has taken a new job with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
Arwady, who led the city's efforts to fight COVID-19 during the pandemic under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, confirmed she has taken a position with the CDC in Atlanta, leading the National Center for Injury Prevention & Control, starting Jan. 16, 2024.
She will lead the agency's efforts to prevent injuries from drug overdoses, violence, suicide, and other causes, according to a press release.
"I am honored to join the CDC in tackling some of the most pressing public health issues that face our communities today," Arwady said in a statement. "During my time leading Chicago's Department of Public Health, I saw the power of using local data to drive public health action and I look forward to translating this experience to a national scale. From overdose to violence, this country is in crisis, and we must meet the crisis with strong public health approaches that center evidence and equity."
Arwady spent four years running the Chicago Department of Public Health under Lightfoot, and became the face of the city's fight against COVID-19, holding weekly public Q&A sessions on social media, and at times providing daily updates on the spread of the virus and efforts to roll out vaccines.
Mayor Brandon Johnson abruptly fired Arwady from CDPH in August, about two months after he took 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 her staff, or to stay on until he named a replacement.
Dick Simpson, a former Chicago alderman and political science professor emeritus, told CBS 2 in August that Arwady's firing came about after disputes over two key issues. The first was a difference of opinion between Arwady and the Chicago Teachers Union, which Johnson was a member of, over when the city should reopen schools for in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The second issue was over how the city should deliver mental health services. Simpson noted that Johnson has advocated for reopening shuttered city-run mental health centers, but while Arwady has been trying to increase services, she hasn't been in favor of reopening the city's mental health clinics.
Johnson has yet to appoint a permanent successor at CDPH, which is being led by acting commissioner Fikirte Wagaw, who was Arwady's top deputy.