Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland has named Carol L. Brosgart, MD, as the hospital's new CMO/senior vice president. Brosgart is a widely regarded public health physician with expertise in the areas of HIV/AIDS, chronic viral hepatitis B and C, seasonal and pandemic influenza, and healthcare policy. She joins Children's Hospital Oakland after retiring from biotech pioneer Gilead Sciences in July 2009.
Alfred Gilchrist, the former CEO of the Colorado Medical Society, is returning there as the new CEO. Gilchrist left CMS on Nov. 13 to lead the California Medical Association, but said he had a change of heart. "It took an out-of-state move for me to realize that Colorado has become my adopted home," Gilchrist said in a media release.
Russ Danielson, Providence Health & Services CEO/senior vice president for the Oregon region, will retire at the end of 2010. He's been with Providence for 25 years, the last nine as its Oregon leader. With more than 17,000 Oregon employees, Providence is the state's largest health system. Its operations include eight hospitals, Providence Health Plans, home health, hospice, long-term care, and physician clinics. Providence will search both internally and externally for a replacement. Recruitment could take six to nine months and Danielson, 55, will remain in his position through that transition.
West Penn Allegheny Health System announced that Gregory Burfitt has been appointed president/CEO for Allegheny General Hospital and The Western Pennsylvania Hospital. Burfitt joins West Penn Allegheny from BDC Advisors, LLC, a healthcare consulting firm. Prior to working for BDC Advisors, Burfitt served as the president/CEO of Centura Health, the largest integrated healthcare delivery system in Colorado.
The White House has zeroed in on several elements it hoped would survive healthcare reform, including measures to extend the life of Medicare, lower prescription drug costs for seniors, and cap consumers' out-of-pocket medical expenses. As Democrats regroup on plans to overhaul the healthcare system after a Republican win in last week's Massachusetts Senate election, comments indicated that any revamped legislation would likely focus on the least-controversial elements of earlier proposals, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Senator John McCain advised President Obama that the way to get meaningful changes passed is to "start from the beginning" by meeting with Republicans. McCain, a Republican from Arizona, said on the CBS news program "Face the Nation" that President Obama should sit down with Republican leaders and begin adopting some of their ideas for improving the nation's healthcare system such as overhauling medical malpractice lawsuits, allowing residents of one state to buy health insurance from a company in another state, and granting tax credits for people who purchase health insurance on their own.