Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC)

Thoughts on the Biden Administration's release of "negotiated" drug prices from our President and CEO Maria Ghazal:

HLC member Leidos recently hosted Rep. Mark Takano at its Leidos QTC Management, Inc. Health Services clinic in Riverside, CA. During his visit, the congressman had the opportunity to meet with frontline caregivers, as well as Leidos QTC Health Services’ CEO Larry Schaefer. Rep. Takano also toured a mobile health unit that travels the area, bringing care to veterans who might not get treatment otherwise. To date, Leidos’ mobile units have helped more than 130,000 people nationwide. We are grateful to Rep. Takano for taking the time to see firsthand the impact HLC members, like Leidos, have in the communities they serve. A big thank you to the team at Leidos QTC Health Services for your unwavering commitment to care for our nation’s veterans!

Exciting to see HLC member Epic take the lead in providing patients with better access to their own health data.  Leveraging the increased interoperability brought by TEFCA , this new individual access services (IAS) capability can provide patients access to their electronic medical records with information about their health history including conditions, treatments and test results. Plus, they can more easily transfer data in health and wellness apps of their choosing. According to Fierce Healthcare story by Heather Landi, “This can help patients keep track of their health information across multiple hospitals, clinics and electronic health record systems, and share it with healthcare providers when needed, such as for second medical opinions.” Read more about this innovation in Jackie Gerhart's post below: 

What a well-deserve honor! #ICYMI - Leaders from 8 HLC members or their affiliates were recently included on Modern Healthcare’s 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives list. The magazine highlighted leaders who use their critical insight and expertise to serve the needs of patients and support care team colleagues on the front lines. They also help shape short- and long-term strategies to promote the health and well-being of their communities. HLC members recognized on the list include (in alphabetical order): Shantanu Agrawal - Elevance Health, Chief health officer Dr. Andrew Diamond - Amazon's One Medical, Chief medical officer Mary Beth Kingston, Advocate Health, Executive vice president and chief nursing officer Beth Oliver - Mount Sinai Health System – Chief nurse executive and senior vice president of cardiac services Patricia Robinson - AdventHealth, Scientific director, nursing, whole person, and academic research Dr. Farah Shafi, MD, MBA - Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Executive vice president and chief medical officer Dr. Tunde Sotunde - Blue Cross NC, President and CEO Dr. Margaret-Mary Wilson MD, MBA, MRCP, FNMCP - UnitedHealth Group, Executive vice president and chief medical officer HLC congratulates each of these awardees for their outstanding healthcare leadership. You can learn more about honorees and the 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives program below.

HLC and our members believe in ensuring patients access to innovative life-changing therapies. In a letter responding to a request for information from Reps. Diana DeGette and Larry Bucshon, M.D., HLC President and CEO Maria Ghazal expressed a strong desire to build on the foundation established by both the 21st Century Cures Act and Cures 2.0. The letter, which can be found below, outlines support for proposed legislation that makes fixes to the IRA, expands #Medicare coverage for specific pandemic-era pharmaceutical services, helps #pandemic preparedness, and permanently extends the #telehealth waivers.

Groundbreaking news from HLC member Guardant Health - FDA approved its Shield™ blood test for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Now doctors have another tool to help detect this deadly cancer – especially in those hesitant to get a colonoscopy. Proud to represent companies who are working every day to save lives and improve care for patients.

"Clear and Consolidated" - HLC's President and CEO Maria Ghazal applauded the reorganization of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) tech responsibilities. Read her complete statement below.

What can 9 former U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretaries from Republican and Democratic administrations agree on? 1) Cyber-attacks are one of the biggest threats facing the patients and everyone working across the care continuum. 2) The best way to fight back is through public/private partnerships.   In this U.S. News & World Report op-ed, they write, “the American health care system continues to battle ongoing organized efforts to penetrate our databases and access sensitive personal and medical data. Applying advanced technologies already in use by other industries, such as the financial sector, along with proactively implementing defensive measures for health and medical data must become a national priority.”    HLC and our membership share these beliefs and appreciate thoughtful leadership on this issue by: Alex Azar, Michael Leavitt, Jim Nicholson, Dr. Tom Price, Anthony Principi, Kathleen Sebelius, Donna E. Shalala, David Shulkin and Dr. Louis Sullivan.   Check article the article below:

A big shout out to our amazing interns, Trisha Dandamaraju and Rajeev Rai, for their incredible work at HLC this summer. It was inspiring to see both of you dive into unfamiliar territory - learning about the health policy landscape here in DC and how health sectors interact to improve patient care. We appreciate all the contributions you made to our projects and the positive energy you brought to our team. Wishing you both the best in your future endeavors!

We're thrilled to announce that AstraZeneca has joined as the newest member of the Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC). As a leading global biopharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca brings invaluable expertise and insights to our membership. Their addition strengthens our collective efforts to advance shared healthcare policy goals and improve patient outcomes. We look forward to collaborating with AstraZeneca to address critical healthcare challenges and drive innovation in the sector.