/ en Sun, 27 Apr 2025 03:34:30 -0500 Thu, 03 Apr 25 16:11:12 -0500 /news/headline/2025-04-03-senate-confirms-mehmet-oz-new-cms-administrator <p>The Senate April 3 by a vote of 53-45 <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/votes_new.htm">confirmed</a> Mehmet Oz as the new administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. </p> Thu, 03 Apr 2025 16:11:12 -0500 Government Appointments /news/headline/2025-03-26-senate-confirms-new-fda-nih-leaders <p>The Senate March 25 confirmed Marty Makary as the new commissioner of the <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00142.htm" title="FDA vote">Food and Drug Administration</a> and Jay Bhattacharya as the new director of the <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00141.htm" title="NIH vote">National Institutes of Health</a>. Makary was confirmed by a 56-44 vote, while Bhattacharya was confirmed by a 53-47 vote.</p><p>In addition, the Trump administration announced Thomas March Bell as the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/nomination/119th-congress/55/7?s=1&r=44" title="HHS nominee">nominee</a> to lead the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General. </p> Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:40:53 -0500 Government Appointments /news/headline/2025-02-12-tom-engels-lead-hrsa <p>Tom Engels is the new administrator for the Health Resources and Services Administration, according to its <a href="https://www.hrsa.gov/about/organization/key-staff">website</a>. Engels previously held the same position in the first Trump administration from 2019 to 2021.</p> Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:04:41 -0600 Government Appointments /news/headline/2024-01-08-hhs-names-chief-competition-officer-health-care <p>Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra Jan. 8 <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2024/01/08/secretary-becerra-names-chief-competition-officer-to-help-identify-areas-to-promote-competition-in-health-care.html">appointed</a> as chief competition officer Stacy Sanders, who currently oversees the department's implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, long-term care initiatives, policies to promote health care competition and other Medicare work. In this new role, <a href="/news/headline/2023-12-07-administration-actions-target-health-care-competition-lower-drug-costs">announced</a> by the Biden Administration last month, Sanders will work with the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice to address concentration in health care markets through data-sharing, reciprocal training programs and other policy initiatives.</p> Mon, 08 Jan 2024 15:40:39 -0600 Government Appointments /news/headline/2023-06-16-biden-appoint-former-nc-health-secretary-next-cdc-director <p>President Biden intends to <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/06/16/president-biden-announces-intent-to-appoint-dr-mandy-cohen-as-director-of-the-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention/">appoint</a> as the next Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Mandy Cohen, M.D., who served as secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services during the COVID-19 pandemic and previously as chief operating officer and chief of staff for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. She currently serves as CEO of Aledade Care Solutions. <br />  <br /> CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, M.D., who last month announced plans to step down June 30, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/s0616-cohen.html">said</a> Cohen’s “unique experience and accomplished tenure in North Carolina — along with her other career contributions — make her perfectly suited to lead CDC as it moves forward by building on the lessons learned from COVID-19 to create an organization poised to meet public health challenges of the future.”</p> Fri, 16 Jun 2023 14:45:38 -0500 Government Appointments /news/headline/2022-06-01-medpac-announces-new-appointments-0 <p class="paragraph">The Government Accountability Office May 26 announced the appointment of five new members to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, along with two reappointed members. The following were newly appointed: Robert A. Cherry, M.D., Chief Medical and Quality Officer at UCLA Health in Los Angeles; Kenny Kan, Vice President and Chief Actuary of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in Newark, N.J.; Gregory P. Poulsen, Senior Vice President at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City; and Scott Sarran, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at MoreCare in Cook County, Ill. Cheryl L. Damberg, Ph.D, Director of the RAND Center of Excellence on Health System Performance, was appointed to fill out the remaining term vacated by Jonathan Perlin, M.D., Ph.D. Lawrence Casalino, M.D., Ph.D, Professor of Public Health and Population Health Sciences at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, and Amol Navathe, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Co-Director of the Healthcare Transformation Institute, and Associate Director of the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia, were reappointed to new terms.</p> Wed, 01 Jun 2022 23:59:32 -0500 Government Appointments /lettercomment/2021-04-09-aha-voices-support-biden-nominee-andrea-palm-hhs-deputy-secretary <p>AHA is pleased to support the nomination and confirmation of Andrea Palm to serve as deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. View the entire letter under Key Resources. </p> Fri, 09 Apr 2021 15:15:16 -0500 Government Appointments /news/news/2021-02-18-aha-expresses-support-becerra-be-next-hhs-secretary <p>The AHA today sent <a href="/lettercomment/2021-02-18-aha-expresses-support-becerra-be-next-hhs-secretary">letters</a> to leaders of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the Senate Committee on Finance expressing the association’s support for Xavier Becerra to be the next Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.<br />  <br /> “As California Attorney General, Becerra has led the effort to protect the Affordable Care Act and its important protections and coverage for patients,” AHA wrote. “The AHA has worked with Becerra throughout his long career as a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, including as a member of the Ways and Means Committee’s health subcommittee. He has been a champion for health care coverage and affordable health care, which the AHA has long supported. Throughout his time in public service, it is clear that Becerra has consistently made people across America and their health a priority.”<br />  <br /> The Senate HELP Committee and the Senate Committee on Finance will hold confirmation hearings next week on Becerra’s nomination.<br />  </p> Thu, 18 Feb 2021 16:36:58 -0600 Government Appointments /news/headline/2020-01-07-new-cms-innovation-center-director-announced <p>Brad Smith, former chief operating officer for Anthem’s Diversified Business Group, will serve as director of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation and senior advisor to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar for value-based transformation, Azar and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/01/06/hhs-cms-announce-brad-smith-cmmi-director-senior-advisor-value-based-transformation.html">announced</a> yesterday. Before Anthem, Smith was co-founder and CEO of Aspire Health, a company that provides home-based palliative care services. President Trump in July <a href="/news/headline/2019-07-11-president-nominate-cmmis-boehler-new-administration-post">nominated</a> former CMMI Director Adam Boehler to serve as CEO of the United States International Development Finance Corporation.</p> Tue, 07 Jan 2020 13:44:44 -0600 Government Appointments /news/headline/2019-12-12-senate-confirms-hahn-fda-commissioner <p>The Senate today voted 72-18 to confirm Stephen Hahn, M.D., as Food and Drug Administration commissioner. Hahn currently serves as chief medical executive and professor of radiation oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He previously chaired the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania and before that was a senior investigator at the National Cancer Institute.</p> <p>Commenting on the <a href="/news/headline/2019-11-01-president-nominate-houston-physician-leader-fda-commissioner">nomination</a> Nov. 1, AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack said Hahn’s “more than 20 years of experience on the front lines of delivering patient care, overseeing clinical research and operations, and quality and safety initiatives makes him a uniquely qualified nominee to lead the FDA.”</p> Thu, 12 Dec 2019 14:43:50 -0600 Government Appointments