Congress widens scrutiny of CDC affairs

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Congress widens scrutiny of CDC affairs

House committee asks for briefing from Gerberding

By ALISON YOUNG

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 10/24/06

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2006/10/24/1024meshcdc

congress.html

A controversial reorganization of the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention is coming under increased scrutiny by Congress,

according to a letter released Tuesday.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has oversight

authority over CDC, has asked CDC Director Gerberding for a

briefing on the reorganization, as well as for information about the

agency's financial management office and their handling of human

tissue samples and laboratory equipment.

The CDC's activities already were under scrutiny by the Senate

Finance Committee, and by U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, the ranking

Democrat on the House Government Reform Committee.

In a letter Monday to Gerberding, officials from the House Energy

and Commerce Committee asked for a variety of information about the

agency. The letter was signed by U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, the

committee's chairman, and U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-Ky., chairman of

its Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.

Current and former CDC officials have complained that the

reorganization taking place of the CDC's divisions is making the

agency more cumbersome. Gerberding has said the reorganization has

made the agency stronger than ever.

CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said the agency has just received the

letter from the Energy and Commerce Committee and will cooperate

fully to provide appropriate information.

" Congress has been very supportive of the reorganization and in fact

approved the overall reorganization plan last year, " Skinner said.

Skinner said the letter's questions about human tissue samples

appear to be routine questions that stem from the committee's

oversight of the National Institutes of Health.

Earlier this year the committee identified problems with tracking of

samples at NIH, committee officials said.

Here is the text of the committee's letter to Gerberding:

October 23, 2006

Dr. Gerberding

Director

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1600 Clifton Road

Atlanta, GA 30333

Dear Dr. Gerberding:

As part of its public health oversight responsibilities, the

Committee on Energy and Commerce monitors the management of HHS

agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC). The Committee's oversight interest is to ensure that the CDC

effectively manages its financial resources and its reorganization.

We note that since June 2003 the CDC has been undergoing a major

restructuring as part of the agency's Futures Initiative to

modernize the agency's operating structure for the first time since

1980. One of the changes involves creating a layer of " coordinating

centers " to foster collaboration across CDC and consolidate services

to save money. Some CDC employees have raised concerns that these

changes will make CDC more cumbersome and bureaucratic, taking time

and resources away from scientific programs directly benefiting the

public. More specifically, we understand that an outside consulting

firm in a draft report dated July 2006 found that the CDC's finance

office is plagued with inefficiency and ineffective leadership.

In addition to the concerns about reorganization and financial

management, we are also interested in learning how CDC manages its

scientific resources such as human tissue samples and laboratory

equipment. We would like to learn more about how the CDC maintains

effective control and management of the inventory of human tissue

samples and other types of CDC property, including microscopes,

scales, computers, and other laboratory equipment.

Given the Committee's interest in CDC management issues and pursuant

to Rules X and XI of the U.S. House of Representatives, we request

that the CDC provide the following by November 6, 2006:

1. A briefing about the status of the CDC's reorganization plan with

Committee staff.

2. A copy of the draft internal assessment of the Financial

Management Office dated July 2006 prepared by Deloitte Consulting,

and copies of any subsequent drafts or final versions. Please

include attachments.

3. Certain information about the CDC's control, management, and

inventory of human tissue samples: (1) The current total number of

human tissue samples maintained at CDC, with a breakdown for each

center and the types of samples (e.g., blood, brain tissue, spinal

fluid, e.g.); (2) The current total number of laboratories at CDC

that maintain human tissue samples and the current total number of

laboratories that have a tracking system accounting in place for the

human tissue samples; (3) For CDC and each center, if applicable,

copies of any direction, instruction, guideline, or policy relating

to the handling of human tissue samples; and (4) A detailed

description of the recordkeeping systems used to track human tissue

samples at CDC.

4. Certain information about the rules and regulations of the CDC

concerning property management and accounting of laboratory

equipment: (1) How many missing property reports have been filed

within the past three years? Were any of these reports resolved? (2)

How many investigations have been conducted into the theft or

disappearance of CDC property in the past three years? What were the

results of the investigations? (3) The name(s) and title(s) of the

official(s) responsible for maintaining the property inventories for

the CDC; (4) current listing of unaccounted CDC property.

Sincerely,

Joe Barton, Chairman

Ed Whitfield, Chairman, Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations