He may not be a household name, but in healthcare reform circles, he is known as Zeke, Ezekiel Emanuel, M.D., brother of Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff. He recently took at job as Special Advisor to Peter R. Orszag, Director of the Office of Budget and Management (OMB), to run the healthcare reform effort.
Dr. Emanuel most recent post was Director of Bio Ethics at the National Institutes of Health. Last year, Dr. Emanuel gave a presentation at the Institute of Medicine Committee on Conflict of Interest in Medical Education, Research and Practice. He was very practical and outlined that not all perceived conflicts are conflicts, and patients, by and large, are not concerned.
Of all the healthcare reform plans, his makes the most sense. With this move, the center of power moves from the White House Office of Health Reform, and Health and Human Services to the OMB and Senate Finance Committee chaired by Max Baucus. So look out for the skinny doctor in the cubbyhole office – he may be at the center of the healthcare reform debate going forward.
New York Times: A Hard Charging Doctor on Obama’s Team
Policy and Medicine: Healthcare Reform – the Emanuel Way