California: Governor Newsom announces top former CDC officials to lead public health innovation, collaboration
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Dec 15, 2025

Governor Newsom announces top former CDC officials to lead public health innovation, collaboration

Former CDC Director and Chief Medical Officer hired to consult, join California for launch of Public Health Network Innovation Exchange

What you need to know: California is bringing on former CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez and recent CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry to launch the Public Health Network Innovation Exchange (PHNIX). PHNIX will work to move California and the nation forward despite the CDC's retreat from science under the Trump administration and strengthen public health innovation, collaboration, and communication at the state, national, and global level.

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the launch of the Public Health Network Innovation Exchange (PHNIX), a new California-led initiative to modernize public health infrastructure and maintain trust in science-driven decision-making. To lead this work, the state is engaging some of the nation's most respected public health voices to consult on this initiative, including Dr. Susan Monarez, former Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Dr. Debra Houry, former CDC Chief Medical Officer; and Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, founder and CEO of Your Local Epidemiologist.

These national leaders will work alongside the Governor and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to drive public health innovation, strengthen collaboration across states and institutions, and improve how critical health information is communicated — filling the vacuum left by the Trump administration's systematic retreat from science and evidence-based public health. PHNX will serve as a hub for advancing modern tools, best-in-class science, and coordinated responses to emerging health threats.

"The Public Health Network Innovation Exchange is expected to bring together the best science, the best tools, and the best minds to advance public health. By bringing on expert scientific leaders to partner in this launch, we're strengthening collaboration and laying the groundwork for a modern public health infrastructure that will offer trust and stability in scientific data not just across California, but nationally and globally."

Governor Gavin Newsom

"Dramatic and unfounded changes in federal policy, funding, and scientific practice have created uncertainty and instability in public health and health care," said Dr. Erica Pan, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer. "I am thrilled to work with these advisors to catalyze our efforts to lead a sustainable future for public health. California is stepping up to coordinate and build the scaffolding we need to navigate this moment."

Public Health Network Innovation Exchange

California remains committed to science-driven decision-making, nurturing healthy communities, and protecting individuals' freedom to make evidence-based health choices. PHNIX is a direct response to the federal dismantling of national disease prevention, protection, and tracking programs, the termination of life-saving health programs and erosion of evidence and science-based policies, and the withdrawal from the global public health community.

With PHNIX, California is taking action to build coalitions across the nation that will work to lead in innovation, collaboration, and communication in public health.

National expertise and support

Dr. Monarez, a globally recognized leader in health innovation, biomedical technology, and global health security, is the most recent CDC Director — appointed by President Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate — and will serve as a Strategic Health Technology and Funding Advisor for PHNIX. In that role, she will lead the development of relationships and collaborations with private sector, technology, and academic partners. These partnerships will advance technological innovations that can be explored in California and potentially scaled nationally to improve public health data integration within the health care system, allowing for more timely and efficient disease monitoring and response. Innovation in technology and funding will promote sustainability of public health amidst the changing landscape for federal support and systems.

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Dr. Houry, a physician, public health executive, and recent CDC Chief Medical Officer under the Trump administration, will serve as a Senior Regional and Global Public Health Medical Advisor for PHNIX. Dr. Houry will engage existing public health alliances and organizations to develop a larger and more sustainable public health network across the local to global spectrum. This collaboration is critical at a time when our public health community needs to coordinate our response to evolving gaps in federal leadership.

Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, an epidemiologist and one of the nation's leading scientific communicators, will advise CDPH on the critical need to maintain public confidence in the institutions that keep Californians safe. CDPH is the launch partner for "Project Stethoscope," a program of Your Local Epidemiologist led by Dr. Jetelina that helps rebuild connections between communities and public health institutions by leveraging expert informed social media monitoring, community-driven insights, and targeted research to understand the health questions and needs of Californians.

"I am deeply excited to bring my experience in health technology and innovation to support PHNIX," said Dr. Susan Monarez. "California has an extraordinary concentration of talent, technology, and investment, and this effort is about putting those strengths to work for the public good—modernizing how public health operates, accelerating innovation, and building a healthier, more resilient future for all Californians."

"I am excited to bring my experience in regional, national, and global public-health partnerships and programs to support this work," said Dr. Debra Houry. "California will advance practical, scalable solutions that strengthen public health within the state and across states—showing how states can modernize data, share capacity, and work together more efficiently, while remaining focused on protecting people and communities."

"We're living in a chaotic health information environment, and too often people are left to sort it out on their own," said Dr. Katelyn Jetelina. "It's time to step up and transform systems to put people first, starting with California. This means listening to questions and confusion on the ground, partnering with voices communities already trust, and empowering people with the information they need to make evidence-informed decisions for themselves and their families."

Additional information on PHNIX

PHNIX will focus on innovation, developing advanced technology, and funding frameworks to secure a sustainable future for public health preparedness and response.
  • Information infrastructure: Improve systems to detect trends, investigate issues, and protect privacy.
  • Technology development: Focus on artificial intelligence, information infrastructure, and design for multi-state and global health partnerships with private and academic sectors
  • Funding frameworks: Propose design for multi-state and global health partnerships with private and academic sectors to secure sustainable funding and tools for public health

California will continue to build on its collaboration and leadership in evolving regional and global partnerships to develop this larger consortium, including:
  • The West Coast Health Alliance, a group of state and public health officials from California, Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii.
  • The Governors Public Health Alliance, a 15-state nonpartisan alliance to coordinate and sustain global situational awareness.
  • California was the first state in the United States to join the World Health Organization Global Outbreak Alert Response Network.
  • Other existing or evolving public health organizations and partners across the nation.

California will work with partners to improve communication reach and effectiveness to empower communities to make healthy choices:
  • CDPH is the launch partner for "Project Stethoscope" with Your Local Epidemiologist led by Dr. Jetelina, a program to re-think how public health departments can communicate and engage directly with communities and stakeholders to empower people to make healthy decisions. Project Stethoscope will use social media monitoring, community-driven insights, and targeted research to better inform the department on the health concerns and needs of Californians.

In partnership with Covered California and UC San Francisco's California Collaborative for Public Health Research (CPR3), CDPH has launched the Public Health for All Californians Together (PHACT) Coalition, a network of public health and medical professionals, health system leaders, researchers, and community health advocates, working to build trust and strengthen community well-being by sharing timely, evidence-based guidelines and culturally appropriate health messaging to promote a Healthy California for All.

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