ATLANTA — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week it will prioritize its public health response in a revamp of its structure after months of criticism over its handling of the COVID-19 and monkeypox pandemics.

A briefing document provided by the agency on Wednesday said an external report into its response found public guidance had caused confusion, while important information were sometimes released too late to inform federal decisions.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in response the agency was making a series of changes designed to make it more nimble at responding, quicker at providing data and less focused on publishing fully vetted scientific papers.

“For 75 years, CDC and public health have been preparing for COVID-19, and in our big moment, our performance did not reliably meet expectations,” Walensky said.

“I want us all to do better and it starts with CDC leading the way,” she said, adding that the focus will be on creating an “action-oriented” culture that emphasizes accountability, collaboration, communication and timeliness.

Mary Wakefield was named senior counselor to implement the changes. Wakefield headed the Health Resources and Services Administration during the Obama administration and also served as the No. 2 administrator at HHS.