New Leaders and Structure at CMS
On April 19, 2010, President Obama nominated Donald Berwick, MD, to be administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS). Dr. Berwick teaches pediatrics and health care policy at Harvard’s Medical School and School of Public Health, and has been a leader in the area of healthcare quality improvement, as president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. As a pediatrician, he works with Boston Children’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.
President Obama noted that “Dr. Berwick has dedicated his career to improving outcomes for patients and providing care at lower cost . . . one of the core missions facing our next CMS Administrator.” Dr. Berwick has been an elected member of the Institute of Medicine, and formerly chaired the National Advisory Council of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
The nomination is subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate, and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, of Montana, plans to schedule a hearing on the nomination “expeditiously.” While there is widespread support for Dr. Berwick, several Republican senators believe he has promoted “rationing” of health care, and the nomination could become a rehashing of the healthcare reform debate. Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa said the “Finance Committee vetting will need to explore the nominee’s preparedness for the enormous challenges that face the agency.”
RN Marilyn Tavenner has been named CMS Principal Deputy Administrator, a newly created position. Ms. Tavenner was Secretary of Health and Human Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2006 to 2010, and rose from staff nurse to leadership positions at the Hospital Corporation of America, becoming CEO of both Johnston-Willis and Chippenham hospitals. She was formerly chair of the Virginia Hospital Association and on the board of the American Hospital Association. She has recently been named Acting Administrator of CMS, replacing Charlene Frizzera, until confirmation of Dr. Berwick. CMS has been without a permanent administrator since the departure of Mark McClellan in 2006.
CMS has also undergone a realignment under the new Administration, with the bulk of work falling within these five centers:
1) Center for Medicare, led by Jon Blum;
2) Center for Medicaid, CHIP and Survey & Certification, led by Cindy Mann;
3) Center for Strategic Planning, led by Anthony Rodgers;
4) Center for Program Integrity, led by Dr. Peter Budetti; and
5) Operations, led by Michelle Snyder. Dr. Barry Straube continues to direct the Office of Clinical Standards and Quality.
Four other CMS offices handle external & governmental affairs, equal opportunity and civil rights. There is also a Medicare Ombudsman Group and Office of the Actuary. This is CMS’ first major reorganization in ten years.
Eileen Shannon Carlson, RN, JD
Tags: AHRQ, April 2010, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, CMS, Donald Berwick, Marilyn Tavenner, MD, National Advisory Council of the Agency for Healthcare Research
