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About the Center

Our Founder

Newt Gingrich Since retiring from Congress, Newt Gingrich has worked extensively on the issues of health and healthcare, devoting the majority of his time to advocating a transformation of the entire system. In 2003, he founded the Center for Health Transformation (CHT), a collaboration of public and private sector leaders dedicated to the creation of a 21st Century Intelligent Health System that saves lives and saves money.

Honored most recently for the seventh year in a row by Modern Healthcare’s annual poll of the “100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare,” Gingrich is widely recognized as a transformational leader, unparalleled in his ability to create and lead successful large-scale change. As the architect of the Contract with America, he led the Republican Party to victory in 1994, capturing the majority in the U.S. House for the first time in forty years. Under his leadership, Congress passed transformational legislation including welfare reform, the first balanced budget in a generation, funding to strengthen our defense capabilities, and the first tax cuts in sixteen years.

During his twenty years in Congress, Speaker Gingrich was committed to improving America’s healthcare system, co-chairing the Republican Task Force on Health for four years prior to becoming Speaker. Under his leadership as Speaker, Medicare was improved, investment in medical research was dramatically increased, and FDA reform was enacted to allow for quicker approval and access to new medicines for those with terminal and degenerative illnesses.

The Washington Times called him “The Indispensable Leader” and Time magazine, in naming him “Man of the Year” for 1995, said, “Leaders make things possible. Exceptional leaders make them inevitable. Newt Gingrich belongs in the category of the exceptional.” He regularly participates as a healthcare expert in both the National Journal’s Healthcare Expert Blog, The Washington Post’s Health Reform Blog, “Health Care Rx” and as a commentator on Fox News.

Mr. Gingrich is currently a member of the Advisory Board for the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research and sits on the Board of Regents at the National Library of Medicine. In addition, he co-chairs the National Commission for Quality Long Term Care. He has received numerous health and healthcare honors and awards, including:

2011 Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare (No. 6)
2010 Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare (No. 17)
2009 Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare (No. 24)
2008 Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare (No. 10)

“Indispensible Person of the Year Award” by Alliance on Aging
2007 Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare (No. 25)
2006 Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare (No. 5)

National Hispanic Youth Initiative Award for Leadership
2005 Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare (No. 12)

NCQA Health Quality Award (National Committee for Quality Assurance)

National Minority Health Month Foundation Award for outstanding contributions to elimination of diabetes

Louis Sullivan Award for his leadership and advocacy for the rapid adoption of health information technology (WEDI, the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange)

HIMSS Advocacy Award for his leadership advancing information and management systems for the betterment of human health
2004 Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare (No. 11)
2003 Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare (No. 19)
2001 Science Coalition’s Science Pioneer Award
1998 American Association of Endocrinologists Patients Advocate of the Year

American Diabetes Association Charles Best Medal (highest non-medical award)

National Association of Community Health Centers Diabetes Healthcare Advocate of the Year
1997 Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Advocate of the Year
1996 Georgia Breast Cancer Coalition Honoree

Mental Health Association Advocacy Award
1995 March of Dimes Georgian of the Year

Speaker Gingrich has authored numerous health publications, columns and books, including Saving Lives and Saving Money, which describes the vision and principles of the Center for Health Transformation. His book Winning the Future includes key chapters on health and healthcare, based on his work at CHT. Speaker Gingrich and Center for Health Transformation CEO and President Nancy Desmond published The Art of Transformation in 2007, and in 2008, Real Change, which devotes a chapter to the necessary changes in today’s healthcare system.

Download Short Bio (PDF) 

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Short Bio  - Newt Gingrich, Founder

Since retiring from Congress, Newt Gingrich has worked extensively on the issues of health and healthcare, devoting the majority of his time to advocating a transformation of the entire system. In 2003, he founded the Center for Health Transformation (CHT), a collaboration of public and private sector leaders dedicated to the creation of a 21st Century Intelligent Health System that saves lives and saves money.

Newt Gingrich is widely recognized as a transformational leader, unparalleled in his ability to create and lead successful large-scale change. During his twenty years in Congress, Speaker Gingrich was committed to improving America’s healthcare system. Under his leadership as Speaker, Medicare was improved, investment in medical research was dramatically increased, and FDA reform was enacted to allow for quicker approval and access to new medicines for those with terminal and degenerative illnesses.

The Washington Times called him “The Indispensable Leader” and Time magazine, in naming him “Man of the Year” for 1995, said, “Leaders make things possible. Exceptional leaders make them inevitable. Newt Gingrich belongs in the category of the exceptional.” He is routinely in Modern Healthcare’s Top 10 of Healthcare’s Most Powerful People in Healthcare, was named “Indispensible Person of the Year Award” by Alliance on Aging in 2008 and regularly participates as a healthcare expert in the National Journal’s “Healthcare Expert Blog,” the Washington Post’s health reform blog, “Health Care Rx,” and as a commentator on Fox News.

Speaker Gingrich and CHT President and CEO Nancy Desmond published The Art of Transformation, and 2008’s Real Change, which devotes a chapter to the necessary changes in today’s healthcare system.

Mr. Gingrich resides in Virginia with his wife, Callista. The Gingrich family includes two daughters, two sons in-law, and two grandchildren.

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