In addition to his Day job as the Secretary of HHS, Senator Tom Daschle has been named by President Elect Obama to head up the new White House Office of Health Reform.
According to President Elect Obama It's hard to overstate the urgency of this work…. The time has come this year in this new administration to modernize our health care system .. to reduce costs for families and businesses, and to finally provide affordable, accessible health care for every single American. … If we want to overcome our economic challenges, we must also finally address your health care challenge.
Senator Daschle is hoping to implement health-care reform from the "grass roots up" if he is confirmed as secretary of Health and Human Services.
Jeanne Lambrew has also been named to serve as deputy director of the Office of Health Policy serving under Senator Daschle, she is currently associate professor of public affairs at University of Texas and has written several books on the topic of healthcare reform including: Critical What We Can Do about the Health Care Crisis with Senator Daschle.
Ms. Lambrew is considered one of Mr. Daschle's most trusted advisers on health issues. She will oversee planning efforts.
This creation of this White House office by President Obama means that the healthcare reform effort will be lead from the White House which gives the effort significantly more traction than if were lead from within an agency such as HHS. The effort to reform health care will be taking an immediate action once the president is inaugurated.
Wall Street Journal: Daschle will Oversee Health Reform Office
Boston Globe: Obama Won’t Delay Health Care Reform
NY Times: Transcript of Press Conference