Dr. Erica Schwartz has stepped down from her position as a board member of Aveanna Healthcare Holdings following her confirmation as the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Securities and Exchange Commission records indicate that Schwartz notified the pediatric and adult in-home care provider of her departure on Wednesday, aligning with her transition into federal public health leadership.
The United States Senate confirmed Schwartz to lead the CDC on Wednesday by a 51-to-44 vote, according to reporting by Associated Press.
Before her resignation, Schwartz served as an independent director for Atlanta-based Aveanna and chaired the company’s clinical quality committee, a role she held since 2021. Aveanna operates home health and hospice services across 39 states. Alongside her departure from the home health provider, Schwartz also resigned from her position as president of insurance solutions at United Healthcare, the services arm of UnitedHealth Group, according to federal filings.
Ethics Disclosures and Corporate Financial Agreements
Federal ethics agreements and financial disclosures submitted ahead of her confirmation outline the specific steps Schwartz took to resolve potential conflicts of interest before taking the helm at the CDC. In her signed ethics document, Schwartz detailed her intended exit from the healthcare sector.
“Upon confirmation, I will resign from all of my positions with Aveanna Healthcare Holdings, Inc,” the disclosure document read. “Pursuant to my agreement with the company, I am paid annually in May, my total fees for services. On May 28, 2026, I received my annual fees for services to be provided during the period of June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027.”
Financial disclosures also showed that Schwartz held stock and unvested restricted stock units in Aveanna. To comply with federal ethics standards, the company agreed to accelerate the vesting of her unvested restricted stock units, or alternatively, subject them to forfeiture.
Public Health Background and Prior Federal Service
Schwartz brings prior federal health administration experience to her new role at the CDC. From March 2019 to April 2021, she served as the deputy surgeon general for the U.S.
As she assumes leadership of the CDC, Schwartz steps into a complex landscape of federal disease prevention, immunization policy, and state-level health coordination. The agency continues to navigate ongoing public health challenges ranging from chronic disease management to infectious disease surveillance across domestic and international networks.
Next Steps in Federal Transition
With her confirmation finalized and corporate board seats relinquished, Schwartz will focus on guiding the agency’s internal priorities and coordinating with state and local health departments. Official updates regarding executive appointments and agency policy directives will be published through the U.S.
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