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For Immediate Release
July 7, 2010, 11:30
AM | |
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For more information,
contact:
Andrea Irwin
Policy Advocate and Coalition
Coordinator
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Consumer
Group Supports President Obama's Appointment of Don
Berwick, MD, to Lead CMS
Berwick is Right Choice to
Improve Health Care
Quality and Lower
Costs |
(Augusta) Consumers for Affordable Health
Care (CAHC), lead organization of the Maine Campaign for Better Care,
supports President Obama's appointment of Don Berwick,
M.D., to be the Administrator for the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Dr. Berwick
is a leading authority on health care quality and
improvement and has consistently prioritized patients'
needs. He has the support of doctors, businesses,
consumers, and hospitals.
CAHC
joined with 90 advocacy organizations, providers and
businesses in a
letter urging action on Dr. Berwick's confirmation.
The letter, organized by the National Campaign for Better Care,
rejected the distortions of his record and highlighted
his many accomplishments and his dedication to
patient-centered, quality care. He is also known
for initiatives that improve quality while lowering
costs, and he has been endorsed by former directors of
CMS - from both sides of the aisle.
"Securing strong leadership of CMS is
critical for the successful implementation of health
care reform. Later this month marks the 45th anniversary
of the day Lyndon B. Johnson signed the historic
legislation creating Medicaid and Medicare to provide
health care to our most vulnerable populations.
Don Berwick is the right person to improve efficiency
and quality as CMS moves toward greater innovation and
efficiency as part of health reform. It's time to
support Dr. Berwick's appointment so the hard work of
fixing our health care system can continue," says CAHC
Executive Director, Joe
Ditré. |
The Maine Campaign for Better Care, is
led by Consumers for Affordable Health Care, who is
joined by a dozen partner organizations and businesses
including the Alzheimer's Association - Maine
Chapter, American Heart Association- Founders
Affiliate, City of Portland Minority Health
Program, Direct Care Alliance- Maine Chapter, Eastern
Area Agency on Aging, Law Office of Alice E. Knapp,
Maine Council of Senior Citizens - Alliance for Retired
Americans, Maine Equal Justice Partners, Maine Parent
Federation, Maine People's Resource Center, and Maine
Women's Lobby. Nationally, the CBC has a Steering
Committee comprised of leaders of some of the nation's
most powerful groups, and a diverse Consumer Coalition
with more than 100 national, state and local
organizations that are coming together for the first
time ever to work on this set of issues.
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For more information or to
schedule interviews contact:
Andrea Irwin, Policy
Advocate and Coalition Coordinator
Consumers for Affordable
Health Care * P.O. Box 2490 *
Augusta, ME *
04330-2490 | |
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