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Sebelius: No talks with Obama about health post

admin — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 06:24:55 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius says she has had no conversations with President Barack Obama about possibly joining his Cabinet as health secretary.
Sebelius (seh-BEEL’-yuhs) was in Washington on Sunday for the winter meetings of the National Governors Association.
Administration officials have said she is near the top of the list of people being considered to run the Health and Human Service Department. But Sebelius tells The Associated Press that “there’s really nothing to tell” about the prospects of her getting the job.
The two-term Democratic governor also is deflecting questions about whether she’ll run for the Senate next year.

Wyden stays busy amid health post rumors

admin — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:50:05 +0000

Sen. Ron Wyden hasn’t had time to consider whether he, as some in Washington, D.C., are speculating, would make a good Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The Oregon Democrat is busy finalizing a bill that would regulate bonuses received by executives whose companies accepted Troubled Assets Recovery Program funds. He’s also set to roll out a new version of the Healthy Americans Act, which would guarantee private health coverage for all Americans.
Jennifer Hoelzer, Wyden’s spokeswoman, said she’s not heard if President Barack Obama has called to inquire whether the state’s senior senator might be interested in the health job. The position became open when former Senator Tom Daschle withdrew from consideration after tax problems came to light.
Hoelzer also said no meetings are planned between Wyden and Obama.
“We’re just focused on the economic recovery package” and the TARP and health bills, Hoelzer said. “It’s really up to the president whether he wants to consider (Wyden) for the position.”
Wyden and Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) are introducing measures that would force financial institutions receiving federal bailout money to, if they pay executives more than $100,000 in bonuses, either return the bonuses or pay a 35 percent excise tax on the amount that’s not immediately returned to the treasury.
“It’s not enough to say these bonuses are wrong — they must be paid back,” said Wyden in a statement. “To get our economy moving again, the American people must regain confidence in their financial institutions. Protecting taxpayers with this amendment is a strong start.”
Financial interests that earned some $274 billion through the TARP program last year paid out $18.4 billion in employee bonuses, according to Wyden’s office.
The Wyden and Snowe proposal should hit the Senate floor this afternoon, Hoelzer said.
Tomorrow, Wyden will re-introduce the Healthy Americans Act with a bevy of new co-sponsors, including Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). The measure stalled in committee toward the end of the last Congressional session.
The bill would provide Americans with the same health benefits given to members of Congress, put greater emphases on prevention and wellness programs and, according to Wyden, save $1.48 trillion over 10 years.
The measure would also require that health coverage be portable, allowing individuals to keep their coverage as they move from job to job.

Anti-Smoking Advocate Is Named to Health Post

admin — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:48:23 +0000

said Tuesday that he had chosen the head of a leading anti-tobacco organization to be the No. 2 official at the
.
The prospective nominee, William V. Corr, is executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a nonprofit group that seeks to reduce tobacco use among children and adults.
, Mr. Corr has led efforts to review and evaluate the work of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Mr. Obama has selected
, a former Senate Democratic leader, to be secretary of health and human services. If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Corr would be the deputy secretary. From 1998 to 2000, Mr. Corr worked as chief counsel and policy director for Mr. Daschle, when Mr. Daschle was minority leader.
The new Congress is expected to move aggressively against the tobacco industry, by increasing federal regulation of cigarettes, raising taxes on tobacco products and approving an international tobacco control treaty.
As a senator, Mr. Obama, an intermittent smoker, was a co-sponsor of a bill that would have given the
broad authority to regulate “the manufacture, marketing, and distribution” of tobacco products, including cigarettes.
On its Web site, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids says its goals are “to prevent kids from smoking, help smokers quit and protect everyone from secondhand smoke.”
In reports filed with Congress, the campaign has listed Mr. Corr as a lobbyist and said it lobbied not only Congress, but also federal agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, the
and the Federal Trade Commission.
The anti-tobacco group reported lobbying expenses that totaled $2.4 million from 2003 to 2008, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a watchdog group that tracks the influence of money on politics and government policy.
As a presidential candidate, Mr. Obama often criticized the influence of lobbyists in Washington. But some of his strongest allies here have worked as lobbyists for consumer groups, labor unions, environmental groups and civil rights organizations.
In the Clinton administration, Mr. Corr was chief of staff at the Department of Health and Human Services, where he worked for Secretary
.
Before joining Mr. Daschle’s staff, Mr. Corr worked for two liberal Democrats known as tenacious investigators and consumer advocates: Senator Howard M. Metzenbaum of Ohio, who was chairman of the antitrust subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee, and Representative
of California, who was chairman of the health subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Mr. Waxman was the chief sponsor of a bill passed overwhelmingly by the House last year that would have empowered the F.D.A. to regulate tobacco products. The Senate did not act on the measure.
As chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee in the new Congress, Mr. Waxman will play a major role in efforts to provide coverage to the 46 million people who have no health insurance.
Before coming to Washington, Mr. Corr worked at several community-run primary health care centers in Appalachia. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the
.
“Reforming our health care system will be a top priority of my administration and key to putting our economy back on track,” Mr. Obama said Tuesday. “Under the leadership of Tom Daschle and Bill Corr, I am confident that my Department of Health and Human Services will bring people together to reach consensus on how to move forward with health care reform.”

Official: Sebelius near top for health post

admin — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 06:16:35 +0000

Associated Press – February 7, 2009 10:13 PM ET
WASHINGTON (AP) – A senior Obama administration official says Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is very near the top of the list of possible nominees to be health secretary.
The White House says no decision has been made and the official says no announcement is imminent.
The president’s first nominee for the job, former Sen. Tom Daschle, abruptly withdrew his name in a tax scandal, leaving the administration scrambling for a new health chief.
Sebelius was an early Obama supporter and was a top campaign surrogate to women’s groups.
In Kansas, she became a favorite of consumer advocates for her watchdog role during eight years as state insurance commissioner prior to becoming governor.
After the November election, Sebelius’ name had been floated for several Cabinet posts but she removed herself from consideration citing Kansas budget problems that needed her attention.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

UW Health to post signs on doctors' outside work

admin — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:13:56 +0000

MADISON, Wis. – Signs will be posted in UW Health clinics
next month telling patients that drug companies may be paying their
doctors for research or consulting work.
officials say they will post the
signs as part of an ongoing effort to strengthen
conflict-of-interest policies.
The dean of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health says
patients also will be able to request details on their doctors’
activities.
Faculty in all fields must report outside income and say whether
pay from each company exceeds $5,000, $10,000 or $20,000.

Fit finds The Denver Post

admin — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:37:55 +0000

The economy may be in the toilet, but that doesn’t mean a gal can’t dream of a beach and a bikini and a fitness program that joins the two — if only for a week. At
, an eco-resort in Tulum, Mexico, about two hours south of Cancun, participants (men and women welcome) in the six- night Bikini Boot Camp get posh lodging, sumptuous but healthy food, and a workout schedule that includes yoga, hiking, kayaking, snorkling, dance and cycling, packed in around massage, swimming, sightseeing, spa treatments and just plain chilling. About $2,200, not including airfare. Info:
Famed TV shrink Dr. Phil’s right-hand gal, his
wife, Robin, dishes up some very practical advice for women looking to make smarter health and wellness choices in her new book,
“What’s Age Got to Do With It?”
(Thomas Nelson, $25). You get Robin McGraw’s take on how women can do a better job of putting themselves first, supplemented with expert advice from a huge panel of specialists including nutritionists, doctors, aestheticians and beauty experts.
Hello, Aurora!
in the U.S. According to Metrogrades rankings that appear in the January/February editions of the magazines, on newsstands now, Aurora is the fifth-healthiest place for men and the 10th-healthiest city for women. Denver doesn’t appear in the top 10 for men’s health characteristics but is No. 5 on the women’s health list. The complete lists, compiled by using data from sources such as the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Census Bureau, FBI and U.S. Department of Labor, are online at womenshealthmag
.

FDA chief to leave post when Obama takes office

admin — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:41:11 +0000

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach has told staff he will leave the agency on January 20, the day Barack Obama becomes president.
In a memo sent on Monday, von Eschenbach said he would return home to Texas to spend time with his family after leaving the FDA.
“Until my final farewell on January 20, I will be working together with you to prepare the FDA for the change of political leadership at the agency,” von Eschenbach said in a memo to agency staff.
Von Eschenbach, a cancer surgeon, was appointed as acting commissioner by Republican George W. Bush in September 2005 and was confirmed by the Senate as permanent commissioner in December 2006.
Democrat Obama has not announced a replacement for von Eschenbach. Janet Woodcock, head of the FDA’s drug center, is often mentioned as a candidate for the top job on a temporary or permanent basis. Other names mentioned as possibilities include Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Steve Nissen and Joshua Sharfstein, head of Baltimore’s health department.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; editing by Gerald E. McCormick, Dave Zimmerman)

Sebelius: No talks with Obama about health post

admin — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:59:37 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, mentioned as a top candidate for health secretary, said Sunday she has not talked with President Barack Obama about joining his Cabinet.
“There really isn’t anything to tell. I haven’t had any meetings about the position,” Sebelius, 60, said in an interview with The Associated Press during the winter meeting of the National Governors Association.
Pressed on whether she had spoken to Obama about heading the Health and Human Services Department, Sebelius said, “I have not.”
Sebelius’s name surfaced when former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, Obama’s first choice for health secretary, withdrew after disclosing he had failed to pay $140,000 in taxes and interest.
Sebelius was an early Obama backer during the Democratic primary contest and a frequent surrogate to women’s groups. She was a finalist for Obama’s running mate and was mentioned as a Cabinet possibility after the election but withdrew from consideration in December, citing Kansas’ budget problems.
Administration aides say no decision has been made about filling the health post and they continue to review candidates. Sebelius remains near the top of the administration’s list, but aides are using extreme caution to avoid yet another embarrassing mistake.
Sebelius served as state insurance commissioner before being elected governor in 2002. Under her leadership the state has expanded cancer screenings, allowed more residents to keep their health insurance up to 18 months after leaving their jobs and granted income tax deductions to help some lower their insurance costs.
Still, many of her health care reform efforts have been thwarted by the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature. In the interview, the Democratic governor defended her record and said that despite some setbacks, she had been able to make several improvements to the state’s health care system.
“I think we’ve made a lot of heath care progress across the board,” she said, citing advances in health information technology, childhood obesity reduction and care for older people.
But, she acknowledged, “We haven’t gone as far as I would like in expanded coverage. I’d like to move farther to cover more Kansans.”
Sebelius has been mentioned as a top Senate prospect in 2010, when Republican Sam Brownback steps down. She deflected a question about the Senate race, saying she loves being governor.
“You know, everybody has lots of plans for me,” Sebelius said, laughing.
Associated Press writers Philip Elliott in Washington and John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas contributed to this report.

Mental health post gets support

admin — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:19:17 +0000

Complaints about Georgia’s mental health system may soon draw independent state investigations, as the launch of an ombudsman office has suddenly gained momentum.
Gov. Sonny Perdue this week announced a panel that would nominate candidates for mental health ombudsman, a post established by last year’s General Assembly but left unfilled amid the state’s budget crunch.
State officials for months had given no indication that the new ombudsman program would get off the ground. The $250,000 funding for the mini-agency appeared to disappear, with Georgia officials saying the state’s fiscal troubles jeopardized all new state programs.
Bert Brantley, a spokesman for Perdue, said this week that funding for the ombudsman is in place. Brantley said Perdue viewed the ombudsman as a new program that ”should be pressed forward.”
The office, which would investigate complaints about Georgia’s mental health system, would be attached to the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs. It would operate separately from the Department of Human Resources, which oversees public mental health services, including the state psychiatric hospitals.
Problems in the mental hospitals have drawn federal scrutiny since 2007, when The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that scores of hospital patients died under suspicious circumstances from 2002 through late 2007 amid poor medical care, low staffing levels and underfunding.
Under last year’s legislation, the ombudsman would investigate complaints about hospitals and community mental health services, collect data on problems, and would appoint a medical group to review deaths of people under state care. The office also would investigate problems with services for people with developmental disabilities and addictions.
Brantley linked the ombudsman move with newly introduced legislation to restructure DHR and create a separate state agency overseeing mental health services. “There’s a lot going on in this area,” he said.
Consumer advocates said Friday that they were pleasantly surprised by the new ombudsman momentum. “I had no indication it would happen,” said Nora Haynes, president of the Georgia chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “We’ve got to have someone to make sure people are safe,” said Haynes, a member of the ombudsman nominating committee. “I feel like the governor will make the commitment to do the right thing.”
The appointment of the ombudsman panel comes two weeks after Georgia officials reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to correct major deficiencies in the seven state psychiatric hospitals. That settlement, however, sparked criticism because it set up DHR to monitor its own compliance with the agreement’s provisions.
An ombudsman, though, could supply needed outside review of services, advocates say. “It’ll help if there’s some independent oversight,” said Ellyn Jeager of Mental Health America of Georgia.
Many families of mental hospital patients have found that their only outlet for complaints is the hospitals themselves or the state agency that runs them. The hospitals currently receive little outside oversight.
Funding has been a recurring hurdle for the mental health ombudsman post. In 2000, the General Assembly established an ombudsman office but never approved a budget for it. The position was never filled.
The seven-member panel, which will nominate three candidates for ombudsman, includes the state’s chief financial officer, Tommy Hills; GBI Director Vernon Keenan; Haynes and another consumer advocate; two mental health professionals; and the current director of the state’s mental health division, Gwen Skinner.
ON AJC.COM
> Go to www.ajc.com/hiddenshame to read the “Hidden Shame” series and more on the state mental health system.

FDA chief to leave post when Obama takes office

admin — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:29:09 +0000