NORWALK NAMED ACTING CMS ADMINISTRATOR

Leslie Norwalk will serve as acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) effective Oct. 15, outgoing Administrator Mark McClellan announced in a Sept. 25 email to staff.

Norwalk was chosen based on her experience at the agency and her ability to move its agenda forward, McClellan said. Her "vast knowledge of the Medicare Modernization Act and our programs, her ability to move forward without missing a beat and her enthusiasm for the priorities laid out in the Strategic Action Plan will enable the CMS to continue and build upon the agency's key initiatives," he said.

The Strategic Action Plan is a three-year agency revitalization initiative. The CMS is planning to overhaul the way it uses its resources and improve healthcare coverage, McClellan said in an internal Aug. 14 email announcing the plan. "In every component of our agency, we are developing and implementing new, evidence-based ideas for delivering healthcare benefits more effectively and for driving higher-quality care."

Norwalk's top priority is moving the Strategic Action Plan forward, and she will meet with staff Sept. 29 to discuss the next steps the agency will take to do so, she said in a Sept. 25 message to staff. She also named Herb Kuhn as her deputy administrator. Kuhn, who served as the director of the Center for Medicare Management, was responsible for developing the reimbursement policies and regulations for the Medicare program, Norwalk said.

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt agreed that Norwalk's experience would help ensure a smooth transition following McClellan's departure Oct. 14. Norwalk's "experience and expertise will allow for a seamless transition at the agency and provide the stability and strong leadership [the] CMS needs as it moves forward with its many initiatives, including the November 15th start of the next enrollment period for the prescription drug benefit," he said.