Howard returns to CDC post

By Shelia M. Poole

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Dr. John Howard has been named director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a position he held previously.

Howard will serve dual roles — director of NIOSH as well as coordinator of World Trade Center health programs for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Howard knows both jobs well. Previously, he served as director of NIOSH from July 2002 through July 2008. From 2006 to 2008, he served as coordinator of World Trade Center health programs. Howard played a key role in getting funds for treatment and working with the medical and scientific community to formulate a plan to help those who became ill from the World Trade Center attacks.

“Dr. Howard brings a wealth of administrative experience from his service in both state and federal governments and a long history of personal dedication and professional achievements to the field of occupational health and safety,” HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement announcing the appointment.

NIOSH, which is based in Washington, D.C., is the CDC’s worker safety division. It conducts research and makes recommendations to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses and deaths.

Howard said he was looking forward to returning to NIOSH.

“The changing nature of work, the emergence of new work hazards and the persistence of old hazards make for a challenging time, but I believe it is a time filled with many opportunities, also,” he said. “Our job will be to seize every opportunity to make work safer, healthier and more secure for all who labor.”

The news was met with approval from unions, organizations that work on workplace safety issues and business groups. Former Dr. Julie Gerberding was widely criticized when she was the CDC’s director for not reappointing Howard to another term.

“Dr. Howard has always seen the big picture in safety and health,” said Chris Patton, president of the American Society of Safety Engineers. “Opening the doors of NIOSH and allowing a collaborative approach to both the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) and the research conducted by his staff has allowed the safety and health community to interact with NIOSH in ways that helped advance both the quality of the research and the implementation of those ideas in workplaces.”