Change.org Petition To Demand Dr. Frieden's Resignation: What Do ATS Members Think?

I've been considering for weeks starting a Change.org petition demanding Dr. Frieden's resignation as head of the CDC.

Today, after learning of his mind-boggling and incomprehensible incompetence in regard to the current Ebola outbreak in Dallas, I feel a need to engage in some kind of social activism. Posting here about it just doesn't seem like enough.

I work in the health care field. That he was not personally supervising what was going on in Dallas, and that he believes Biolevel 2 protective gear is sufficient, goes against established protocol from more competent organizations like CIDRIP, which published a commentary addressing this, here:
www.cidrap.umn.edu...

In light of all of this, I have come to the conclusion that Dr Frieden is dangerously unprepared. I realize I can not post such a petition here, if I do go ahead and do one, but am curious as to what you all might think. All POVs are welcome.

This is the article that really got my blood boiling:

mobile.nytimes.com...

a reply to: bludragin

Changing the figurehead rarely gives the problem.

a reply to: bludragin

Who evers in charge of an ebola outbreak is going to suck. Fingers crosse lets not develope anymore cases

Not sure if you can share that here, according to rules against asking for petitioners, would ask a mod. IMO should stay as I believe it's a valid question/convo in wondering if anyone would support it. In fact, am shocked that there's not already one out there! And I agree with the above, about changing the figurehead. If it's a corruption dept.(possibly funded on intent-or as one may share Merk's association), how much will it matter? Though, he comes off as really incompetent.

a reply to: tavi45

That is true sometimes. But not all the time. This man is clearly not up to the task. There are far more knowledgeable Medical professionals out there. The CIDRIP, for example, has the means to perhaps source a more qualified head of the CDC during this crisis. Appreciate your reply. Just disagree.

a reply to: bludragin

I don't know why we have to dump him. Ebola would love that. Give the guy a break. He is caught between actually working for a living and having to make stupid "calm down" assertions for the government.

So the first round goes to Ebola. He's not directly responsible because his departments memos weren't read and heeded to the letter by every heath facility in the country.

You can bet they are now. Everyone is learning with each event how better to handle things. What they have to get over most is their policies about helping people the same regardless of their skin color, whether they have insurance or citizenship.

Ebola does't make such distinctions. Red blood is all it requires.

a reply to: dreamingawake

Good catch, thanks. I removed that section about ATS member involvement with such a hypothetical petition.

Besides, who here even uses their legal name?

a reply to: intrptr

I felt / thought pretty much the same as you...until I read the article included in my OP, above. I work in the health care field. That he was not personally supervising what was going on in Dallas, and that he believes Biolevel 2 protective gear is sufficient, goes against established protocol from more competent organizations like CIDRIP.

He is dangerously unprepared, in my opinion.

www.cidrap.umn.edu...

a reply to: bludragin

Kind of hard for him to be everywhere directly supervising, I think. Thats not really his job. Ebola is just one bug on his plate. A good manager delegates, when he's not being bothered by the press or censors, anyway.

I'm not sure hospitals saw the need for biosafety readiness above the kind they normally rely on in operating theaters
Until now anyway. If he is saying well at east that much all the time then thats all they can do, for now.

Ever see the original Andromeda Strain? Kind of cool for its day. These places that deal with hot agents are built from the ground up. They would never double as wards for patients.

a reply to: intrptr

I know you are making sense. Perhaps I am feeling somewhat helpless in the face of this and want to do more. One thing about petitions: They do in some cases reach and educate people who may have no idea what is going on. So, I guess you are saying Frieden is playing "catch up" - and he's learned his lessons and will be on top of it now. I do hope that is the case. I still think that he could have more closely supervised all that was going on in Dallas once a "Patient Zero" came on the scene. He should have been all over it like white on rice. He wasn't. The tragi/comic (lack of) procedures carried out relating to the quarantining of the apartment, the unpreparedness of the receiving hospital - All avoidable, in my opinion. With international flights to infected countries not being banned (still), he and the CDC must have known a case would arrive in the US sooner or later...And we should have been prepared better as a nation, and as a health care system, to deal with the appearance of this most deadly virus more effectively. On the other hand, I do appreciate that he has owned his mistakes and apologized. But for me, that's a bit too little, too late, and doesn't solve the problem at hand: He is not equipped to handle this possible pandemic / epic humanitarian disaster. I sail. And I never go on a boat with a captain whose experience and knowledge I don't trust. We are all on his / CDC's boat now.

a reply to: intrptr

Mods, my reply was mysteriously duplicated. Please delete this one here. Thx

The truth is Bagdad Frieden gets his orders from the White House.

The real problem is there.

a reply to: bludragin

All I can say is that I feel he is unprepared and needs to be gotten rid of. But I also think it should come out of the CDC's hand totally now and hand it over to USAMRIID. They have the containment facilities,the training,and the know how on how to handle this and keep it from spreading.

originally posted by: Dimithae
a reply to: bludragin

All I can say is that I feel he is unprepared and needs to be gotten rid of. But I also think it should come out of the CDC's hand totally now and hand it over to USAMRIID. They have the containment facilities,the training,and the know how on how to handle this and keep it from spreading.

Now that's an interesting thought. One I hadn't heard before. Thanks, I'll look into that angle as well. If you have more to say on what you wrote, above, I'd like to hear.

originally posted by: loam
The truth is Bagdad Frieden gets his orders from the White House.

The real problem is there.

There's a real problem there, all right, but Frieden is supposed to be the expert advising our administration. Obama is no expert in infectious diseases. CDC' s funding has been majorly cut as well prior to this domestic Ebola threat. That hasn't helped either. You get what you pay for.

a reply to: Dimithae

But I also think it should come out of the CDC's hand totally now and hand it over to USAMRIID.

The last thing we want is to hand this over to the military. The bio weapons division of the military.

The CDC is civilian and where this matter belongs.

For now, anyway.

a reply to: bludragin

So, I guess you are saying Frieden is playing "catch up" - and he's learned his lessons and will be on top of it now. I do hope that is the case.

Me too. I don't know if he can "handle it" either. I think that beheading the CDC in mid crisis will only make things worse.A new director or agency will have to start all over.

Response teams take time to form. They aren't' waiting at the CDC like firemen in the engine house for alarm bells to ring. They are called away from current tasks, assembled, briefed, geared up and head out to the scene (like in Dallas). I think they arrived there in two days once it broke, right? Thats par. These guys are doctors and usually involved with different aspects of other assignments and not always in the "home office".

Have you ever read The Hot Zone? You should. Explains it in there how the CDC works and responds. They aren't as big as everyone thinks. They analyze results of tests of sample and make recommendations, as an accredited lab.

Like a metals assay lab. Their real function is to diagnose and advise. Thats a full time job as organizations and countries the world over are all requesting sample analysis and advise about their problems, too. Especially overseas. The US just doesn't have that many problems up till now.

Now it seems Americans are looking to them to save them from Ebola and thats not really their job. Diagnose and advise. Big expectations are on their head to do more than is really their function in times like this.

The real boots on the ground are the ones in the health facilities where patients go.

a reply to: bludragin

I will clarify for you since you asked. The CDC has on multiple occasions now 'found' lost vials of active virus which is more than just worrisome. This is the agency that is tasked with seeing to the citizens health and well being,yet they have lost vials of Small Pox as well as others. Not very comforting.

USAMRIID is the army's rendition of the CDC. They take a much tougher stance on infectious diseases than the CDC. People would probably not like the way they work,but they WILL make sure it spreads no further. They put people in Bio containment 'pods' and transport them to the 'slammer'. It is a hospital for them where they put people to get supportive care until they heal up or die. They wear full bio safety level 4 suits with air hoses,not level 2. Pretty much like you saw in the TV movie The Stand,by Stephen King. Where the guy from Texas is isolated in the slammer and being tested as he was the only one that survived from his town.

I am sure that no one wants to be that person that gets locked in there. I know I wouldn't. But you know what I would hate even worse? Knowing that because I decided to be irresponsible I caused the deaths of multiple people because I didn't want to be locked away. That isn't an acceptable trade off for me. I don't want to take others with me if I contract something.

a reply to: intrptr

Its pretty much already out of the CDC'S hands now. They dropped the ball and its rolling whether we like it or not. I don't like the idea of the army taking this over either,but it won't matter if something drastic isn't done soon here. We here in the US have never seen an epidemic like they have over in Africa since the swine flu. People will change their minds when they see someone in a store seizuring and spraying blood around with it. Not in all cases do they seizure with this I know,but yes in some cases they do. That would drive people to panic pretty quickly I believe.