Monday, March 29, 2010

Donald Berwick nominated for CMS head

Donald Berwick, an MD researcher who has focused on quality improvement has been nominated by President Obama to head the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) services. This is a key role in implementing the changes recently passed, and particularly in getting straight the Independent Medicare Advisory Community. He is very much a policy/researcher insider, as opposed to a politician. Here is the web site of the organization he now directs, Institute for Health Improvement. However, I am sure his confirmation hearing will be bumpy in the Senate.

While the public will pay less and less attention to health policy (a truly tragic turn of events), the hard work of implementation and making the system work better is just starting.

1 comment:

  1. Good Lord, I hope they don't pay less attention. I'm sure when their premiums start to rise 10% faster, and large companies begin to cut benefits to their employees they will be paying attention.

    Dr. Berwick has his job cut out for him certainly. Perhaps we need another committee to evaluate his job performance eh?

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