The Honorable Kathleen G. Sebelius, has been a leader in health care, family, and seniors issues for more than 20 years. Today, as the country’s highest-ranking health official, Secretary Sebelius is guiding the implementation of the historic Affordable Care Act. She is also at the forefront of the Obama administration’s efforts to build a 21st-century health care system, from putting a new focus on prevention, to promoting electronic health records, to expanding the primary care workforce. Under her leadership, the Department of Health and Human Services has also played a leading role in meeting some of the country’s biggest challenges of the last 2 years, providing critical support to families during the economic downturn and coordinating the U.S. government response to the H1N1 flu virus.
Donald M. Berwick, M.D., is the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). As Administrator, Berwick oversees the Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Together, these programs provide care to nearly one in three Americans. Before assuming leadership of CMS, Berwick was President and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Health Care Policy at the Harvard Medical School, and Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard School of Public Health. He also served as a consultant in pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital and adjunct staff in the Department of Medicine at Boston’s Children’s Hospital.
Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D., is the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Prior to her appointment, Clancy was Director of AHRQ’s Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research. Clancy, a general internist and health services researcher, is a graduate of Boston College and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Following clinical training in internal medicine, Clancy was a Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. Clancy holds an academic appointment at the George Washington University School of Medicine and serves as Senior Associate Editor for the journal Health Services Research.
Brent C. James, M.D., M.Stat., is the Chief Quality Officer at Intermountain Healthcare. He is known internationally for his work in clinical quality improvement, patient safety, and the infrastructure that underlies successful improvement efforts. Through the Intermountain Advanced Training Program in Clinical Practice Improvement, he has trained more than 3,500 senior physician, nursing, and administrative executives in clinical management methods, with proven improvement results (and more than 30 “daughter” training programs in six countries). Before coming to Intermountain, he was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biostatistics at the Harvard School of Public Health, providing statistical support for the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, and staffed the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer.
Paul H. O’Neill, was the 72nd Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, serving from 2001 to 2002. O’Neill was Chairman and CEO of Alcoa from 1987 to 1999 and retired as Chairman at the end of 2000. Prior to joining Alcoa, O’Neill was President of the International Paper Company from 1985 to 1987, where he was Vice President from 1977 to 1985. He worked as a computer systems analyst with the U.S. Veterans Administration from 1961 to 1966 and served on the staff of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from 1967 to 1977. He was Deputy Director of OMB from 1974 to 1977.