The Berwick Appointment

We’re not going to comment in this space on the political wisdom of President Obama’s decision use a recess appointment to install Dr. Donald Berwick as head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, thus bypassing the Senate confirmation process.  What was certain to be a contentious confirmation debate will now be a contentious debacle on cable talk shows over the merits of using recess appointments for controversial nominees.

We’ll elect not to engage in that particular crossfire.  Instead, we want to offer Dr. Berwick not only best wishes in his new position but, more importantly, the advice, counsel and support of leaders from all sectors of American healthcare. 

Dr. Berwick has a big job in front of him.  Not only has CMS been without a permanent head for far too long, since 2006, but Dr. Berwick will find himself as a point person in the implementation of health reform.  CMS will be in the center of one of the most essential components of reform, achieving progress in changing our healthcare delivery and payment systems to focus on quality and value.  Fortunately, as HLC members know from our meetings with him, this is a topic on which Dr. Berwick has profound expertise and unbridled enthusiasm.

Making headway on healthcare delivery reform will depend, in large part, on building upon the successes that private sector health providers have already achieved.  We stand ready to share these examples with Dr. Berwick and his CMS team and to collaborate with him in moving toward an innovative, consumer-centered, results oriented healthcare system.