It is imperative that we lobby Congress to schedule confirmation hearings for Dr. Donald Berwick

[cbayer]

Dr. Berwick is currently the administrator of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under HHS.

He has already developed institued programs that improve quality, access, efficiency and savings to the Medicare program that have had no negative impact on patient's access or costs for care.

He has been a pioneer in this field and has been the country's leading advocate and activist in areas of patient safety, provider accountability and team based approaches that result in improved quality and value in healthcare systems.

Dr. Berwick is our best hope for the badly needed reforms in the Medicare system that will lead to it becoming THE system to provide single payer, universal healthcare in this country.

Please do what you can to get Congress to schedule hearings and confirm Dr. Berwick before the end of the year.


http://www.boston.com/Boston/whitecoatnotes/2011/09/don-berwick-medicare-best-job-ever-had/maKDZpJymeXqJBQz1fM8xN/index.html

Don Berwick on Medicare: Best job I’ve ever had

By Liz Kowalczyk and Chelsea Conaboy, Globe Staff
09/23/2011 4:29 PM

Dr. Donald Berwick doesn’t know what he’ll be doing after Dec. 31 .

The Harvard pediatrician who runs the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services needs Senate approval by the end of the year, or he’s out of a job. No confirmation hearings have been scheduled.

-snip-

During his visit to the Globe, Berwick repeatedly hit on the theme of improving care and saving money by “making care coordinated, seamless, and scientifically-based.’’ He spoke of curing the American health care system of its “addiction to volume’’ rather than to quality. At stake is “a lot’’ of money, he said, estimating that perhaps 20 percent of medical spending could be saved by eliminating unnecessary, poor care.


-snip-

Berwick was appointed by President Obama during a July 2010 recess, angering Republicans who have painted him as an overly-liberal supporter of British-style government-run health care. He said today that the Obama administration’s focus on better care, better health, and lower costs “is not dependent on any one person.”

But at a meeting this week of the Lucien Leape Institute, part of the National Patient Safety Foundation, former Treasury secretary and institute member Paul O’Neill called it “unconscionable” that confirmation hearings haven’t been scheduled for Berwick.

more at link

[COLGATE4]

1. He's just another of them 'educated fools' Obama likes to surround

himself with. No confirmation for him. :sarcasm:

[pinto]

2. Kick

:kick:

[yardwork]

3. Will do. Thank you for posting.

[Honeycombe8]

4. You forgot to say what you want him confirmed for. nt

[cbayer]

5. Administrator of CMS - he was an interim appointment and needs to be confirmed

by Congress to continue past December.

No action means he will basically be removed.