Berwick sets sights on Mass. governorship
Former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator, Donald Berwick, MD, MPP, has set his sights of the position of governor of Massachusetts.
Berwick, 66, also co-founded the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). He resigned from his CMS post in November 2011 and was followed by Marilyn Tavenner, who was confirmed as his successor in May.
Berwick made the announcement on both his campaign website and a separate Twitter account for his campaign. In his statement, he said he'd been mulling the run for months. Democrat Deval Patrick has held the governor's seat since 2007 and already has announced he will not seek re-election.
“As a doctor, an educator, an innovator and someone who has dedicated his professional career to making things work better and to helping people—I am ready to lead,” Berwick's statement read.The announcement referred to Massachusetts' healthcare system, which could serve as a model for the rest of country while “reaching out to its most vulnerable citizens.”
Berwick's ties to Massachusetts include earning his undergraduate and medical degrees at Harvard University, where he trained to be a pediatrician. He also spent 20 years at the Cambridge, Mass.-based IHI for 20 years prior to joining CMS in July 2010. His CMS tenure ended when Democrats refused to schedule a confirmation hearing when Republicans pledged to block Berwick's nomination.
He currently serves as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning Washington-based think tank.
The election will take place on Nov. 4.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.