CHT Monthly Newsletter

October 2009

CHT Hosts Fifth Annual Medicaid Summit

 

On September 17 the Center for Health Transformation (CHT) hosted its Fifth Annual Medicaid Summit: "Solutions for Government Healthcare Reform" at the Four Seasons in Washington, DC. The day included a welcome address from CHT Founder Newt Gingrich, a keynote address by President and CEO of the Polling Company Kellyanne Conway, and various panel discussions.

During his welcoming remarks, Gingrich gave attendees an update on health reform from Capitol Hill, while panel discussions focused on such topics as the need for payment reform; eliminating fraud in Medicare and Medicaid; investing in innovation; and healthy living and healthy aging. Kellyanne Conway gave the keynote luncheon address and discussed current public opinion around health reform and the contentious issue of a government-run public plan option.

 

CHT also hosted the official book launch and signing for Stop Paying the Crooks: Solutions to End the Fraud That Threatens Your Healthcare, a book that takes an in-depth look at fraud in America’s healthcare system while providing key strategies to bring these schemes to an end. Stop Paying the Crooks was edited by CHT Vice President and Director of State Policy Jim Frogue and contains a foreword by CHT Founder Newt Gingrich. The book has contributions from 17 authors with backgrounds in the healthcare, credit card and health IT industries.

For more information on Stop Paying the Crooks and CHT’s Fifth Annual Medicaid Summit, please visit our website.

CHT Welcomes von Eschenbach  

"I am energized about the role CHT can play in catalyzing major change not just in the United States, but also globally,” said von Eschenbach. “There is a real opportunity to reduce risk and cost to the industry in exchange for a more rational pricing schedule for drugs coming into the market.”

Von Eschenbach, who previously served as Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will also be actively involved in CHT’s Eliminating Cancer as a Cause of Death and Suffering Project and the Alzheimer’s Solutions Project.

CHT Launches Payment Reform Working Group
Gingrich and Daschle to Participate

On September 18, CHT announced the launch of a payment reform work group whose goal is to identify effective models that will realign payment and delivery of care incentives to achieve better health outcomes and higher quality, appropriate care. CHT Founder Newt Gingrich and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle will participate in the working group which will create a set of specific recommendations to deliver this fall to the commercial market as well as national and state policy leaders.

“This is one of the most critical components to successful health reform efforts,” said CHT VP Julie Eckstein who will be leading CHT’s payment reform efforts. “We must find a way to achieve better health at a lower cost. Both can be achieved with appropriate alignment of incentives in our payment process.”

The payment reform group held its first meeting on September 18 at the Four Seasons in Washington, D.C. A follow up meeting is scheduled for October 27 with a location to be determined.

To learn more about this exciting new project and to receive updates, please visit our website. 

CHT in the News

 

CHT was busy leading the national dialogue on health reform in September. In fact, CHT published a total of 13 op-eds and participated in 22 public speaking engagements last month.

Highlights include the September 10 piece, “More Government Health Care Would Hurt Doctors”  written by CHT founder Newt Gingrich and CHT President and CEO Nancy Desmond, which ran in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; “Reassembling Humpty Dumpty” written by Newt Gingrich and CHT VP, Director of National Health Policy David Merritt which ran in POLITICO; “States' Results Prove the Benefits of Malpractice Reform” written by Newt Gingrich and CHT VP Wayne Oliver which ran in the Kansas City Star; and, “Forget Alzheimer's Funding, Forget Everything” by Newt Gingrich and Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Solutions Project Michelle Stein, which was written in honor of World Alzheimer’s Day. The piece ran in 13 publications including USA Today, Dallas Morning News and the Boston Herald.

CHT staff also participated in various speaking engagements, including radio interviews and TV appearances. On September 12, David Merritt participated in a healthcare town hall meeting with RNC Chairman Michael Steele in Orlando, FL, and on September 13 Newt Gingrich discussed health reform on "Meet the Press." On September 17, Jim Frogue also discussed Stop Paying the Crooks on “On the Record with Greta Van Susteran.”

To view a complete list of CHT's op-eds and speaking engagements, please visit our website.

Congratulations to Oliver, Eckstein and Ross!

Congratulations to CHT staff members Wayne Oliver, Julie Eckstein and Rynnie Ross on their recent promotions.

Wayne Oliver who currently leads CHT's 21st Century Pharmacy Project, Health Justice Project, and Right to Know Project, has been promoted to Vice President. Through his new role, Mr. Oliver will work closely with Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach on the 21st Century FDA Modernization Project.

Julie Eckstein leads CHT's efforts in St. Louis and runs the Missouri Project. Through her new role as Vice President, Ms. Eckstein will also lead CHT’s Payment Reform Working Group.

Rynnie Ross who began with CHT in 2008 will be expanding her role as she assumes the position of Project Manager. In this capacity, Ms. Ross will help manage and track ongoing and newly initiated CHT projects. She will also serve as the key liaison for CHT’s Senior Advisor Dr. Andy von Eschenbach.