Secretary Sebelius Announces HHS Office of Health Reform Personnel

WASHINGTON–On May 11, Secretary of Health and Human Services
Kathleen Sebelius announced the establishment of the Department of
Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Health Reform.
This office will spearhead the department’s efforts to pass
urgently needed health reform this year and coordinate closely with
the White House Office of Health Reform. Both offices were created
by an April 8 Executive Order to help deliver on one of President
Obama’s top priorities.
 
“The skyrocketing cost of health care is crushing families
and businesses and we must enact health reform this year,”
said Secretary Sebelius. “The HHS Office of Health Reform and
the White House Office of Health Reform will work in tandem to
advance legislation and take immediate actions to cut costs, assure
quality and affordable health care for all Americans, and guarantee
Americans can choose their doctor and their health
plan.”
 
The following key staff members have been appointed to the HHS
Office of Health Reform:
 
Jeanne Lambrew, Ph.D., Director of the HHS Office of Health Reform:
Jeanne Lambrew will lead the health reform effort in the Office,
helping the Secretary to marshal the experience and assets of the
department. Dr. Lambrew was previously an associate professor at
the LBJ School of Public Affairs, senior fellow at the Center for
American Progress, and worked on health policy in the Clinton
administration.
 
Michael Hash, Senior Advisor: Michael Hash will serve as a senior
advisor, running the inter-agency process for developing specific
aspects of health reform legislation consistent with the
President’s priorities. He will be an assignee at the White House
Office of Health Reform and assist in the preparation of
Administration positions and in communication with the Congress.
Prior to his appointment, Hash held senior positions at the Health
Care Financing Administration (now CMS) and on the staffs of the
House Energy and Commerce Committee as well as a private health
policy consulting firm.
 
Neera Tanden, Senior Advisor: Neera Tanden will work on developing
health care policies for HHS and the Administration. She is the
former domestic policy director for the Obama-Biden campaign and
policy director for the Hillary Clinton campaign, and oversaw
health care work on both campaigns. She has worked in think tanks,
in the Senate and in the Clinton administration.
 
Linda Douglass, Director of Communications: Linda Douglass will
serve as the director of communications in the Office of Health
Reform, working as an assignee at the White House Office of Reform,
coordinating communications. Before joining the administration,
Douglass was a traveling spokesperson for President Obama’s 2008
campaign and was chief spokesperson for the Presidential Inaugural
Committee 2009. She spent most of her career as a journalist, most
recently as a managing editor for National Journal and prior to
that as Chief Capitol Hill Correspondent for ABC News.
 
Meena Seshamani, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Policy Analysis: Meena
Seshamani will coordinate the quantitative and qualitative analyses
on health reform conducted throughout HHS. Before joining the
Administration, Dr. Seshamani was a resident physician in
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Johns Hopkins University.
She is a health economist who has published widely on issues of
health expenditures, health care financing, and their impact on
health outcomes.
 
Caya B. Lewis, M.P.H., Director of Outreach and Public Health
Policy: Caya Lewis will coordinate HHS outreach and interaction
with stakeholders on health reform. She will also advise the Office
on prevention and public health policy. Before joining the
Administration Lewis was the Deputy Staff Director for Health for
the Senate HELP committee under the chairmanship of Senator Edward
M. Kennedy. She advised Senator Kennedy on a range of issues
including public health and prevention, community health centers,
health professions training and health disparities. Lewis will
begin work in the Office of Health Reform on May 25.
 
Jennifer Cannistra, Policy Analyst and Director of Special
Projects: Jennifer Cannistra will work as an assignee at the White
House and will lead special projects undertaken by the HHS Office
of Health Reform that require close coordination with the White
House. Previously, Cannistra served as the Pennsylvania State
Policy Director for the Obama campaign.  Prior to joining
Obama for America in September 2007, Cannistra served as a law
clerk to the Honorable Faith S. Hochberg, D.N.J. and as an attorney
in Washington, D.C.
 
Karen Richardson, Outreach Coordinator: Karen Richardson will be
responsible for conducting outreach to stakeholders on behalf of
HHS, as an assignee at the White House Office, as it relates to
advancing the President’s agenda for health reform. She was
previously the policy director at the Democratic National Committee
(DNC). She was policy director for Obama for America in Iowa and
several states throughout the Presidential primary.
 Richardson began working for President Obama at his Senate
office in August 2005, beginning as an intern and then serving as
deputy to the policy director.
 
Michael Halle, Special Assistant: Michael Halle will be responsible
for coordinating office projects and activities as well as
providing research assistance. Halle worked for the Presidential
Inaugural Committee and Obama for America, contributing to field
operations in Iowa and North Carolina. Prior to joining the Obama
campaign he was an intern at the Center for American Progress with
the health policy team.