On Wednesday the Obama Administration announced that Donald Berwick was leaving as head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and would be replaced by his deputy, Marilyn Tavenner.
Berwick was a recess appointment whose candidacy was blocked by Senate Republicans who opposed him because of his alleged belief in socialized medicine. His appointment by executive order was only supposed to run through this summer, and he was undergoing what promised to be an unsuccessful re-nomination when his replacement was named.
Tavenner started as a nurse at the Hospital Association of America and rose to become its President of Outpatient Services. She was Virginia State Secretary of Health and Human Resources during Governor Tim Kaine's administration before joining CMS as Berwick's #2.
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