Four CDC Officials To Receive Cash Awards
CDC Director Julie Gerberding on Monday announced that four agency officials will receive Presidential Rank Awards, which include cash awards valued at 20% to 35% of their annual salaries, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Recipients of Presidential Rank Awards require nomination by CDC and HHS.
A national panel of citizens makes the final selections, which are approved by the president.
According to the Journal-Constitution, the "issue of who gets cash awards and bonuses at the CDC has been the subject of controversy within the agency in recent months and has drawn scrutiny by members of Congress" (Young, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/24).
Last month, CDC formed a committee to consider the equitability of the agency cash awards process in response to analyses that found nonscience employees in recent years have received most of the awards (California Healthline, 9/19).
Two of the four CDC officials who received Presidential Rank Awards this year lead scientific centers. According to a CDC statement, the four agency officials who received Presidential Rank Awards are:
- James Seligman, CDC chief information officer, who will receive a "distinguished" cash award valued at 35% of his annual base salary for "extraordinary accomplishments in improving management and operations";
- Janet Collins, director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at CDC, will receive a distinguished cash award valued 35% of her annual base salary for "extraordinary accomplishments" in adolescent health, disease prevention and agency management;
- Edward Hunter, deputy director of the CDC office in Washington, D.C., will receive a "meritorious" cash award valued at 20% of his annual base salary for "outstanding dedication, extraordinary judgment and superb knowledge of program administration"; and
- Ronald Valdiserri -- currently with the Veterans Health Administration and former deputy director of National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention at CDC -- will receive a meritorious cash award valued at 20% of his annual base salary during his tenure at the agency for "an amazing range of scientific and programmatic accomplishments."
Senior CDC officials have annual salaries of between $109,808 and $165,200. Based on that salary range, the distinguished awards likely would total between $38,000 and $58,000, and the meritorious awards likely would total between $22,000 and $33,000.
Seligman has received more than $100,000 in cash awards since 2000, and Valdiserri has received more than $67,000. Collins and Hunter have both received more than $46,000 in cash awards since 2004.
Gerberding in a statement said, "The number of recent awards presented to CDC employees speak very highly of the agency and the caliber of employees that we are fortunate to have working at CDC" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/24). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.