The Senate voted 51-44 on Wednesday to confirm Schwartz, ending nearly a year without a Senate-confirmed CDC director. She assumes leadership as the agency confronts disease outbreaks, declining public confidence in public health institutions and significant workforce reductions. Schwartz’s experience and dedication to public health make her uniquely qualified to lead CDC during this critical time,” Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said after the vote. “We congratulate her on her confirmation and stand ready to work with her to strengthen the nation’s public health infrastructure and improve the health of all people.” A retired rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, she also directed health, safety and work-life programs for the Coast Guard, overseeing medical readiness, health care delivery and emergency preparedness for service members and their families.