President Signs Order Creating White House Office of Health Reform
On Wednesday, President Obama signed an executive order establishing the White House Office of Health Reform, the Washington Post's "44" reports (Connolly, "44," Washington Post, 4/8).
In signing the order, Obama said that health care overhaul is one of the biggest priorities for the first year of his presidency. The office will be headed by former Clinton administration health official Nancy-Ann DeParle (Fox, Reuters/Boston Globe, 4/8).
The office will be responsible for working with executive branch agencies, state and local officials, and Congress to enact health reform legislation, as well as overseeing implementation of policy changes ("44," Washington Post, 4/8).
According to the order, the office will "provide leadership to the executive branch in establishing policies, priorities, and objectives for the federal government's comprehensive effort to improve access to health care, the quality of such care, and the sustainability of the health care system" (Williams, "Political Intelligence," Boston Globe, 4/8).
In addition, the order calls for the creation of an HHS Office of Health Reform that will work with the White House Office of Health Reform (Reuters/Boston Globe, 4/8).
The two offices will coordinate and shape Obama's health care policies ("Political Intelligence," Boston Globe, 4/8). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.