The Last Shall be First? The Federal Coordinating Committee for Comparative Effectiveness Research

The Department of Health & Human Services announced the 15 member coordinating committee to oversee the $1.1 billion in new spending on comparative effectiveness research included in the stimulus bill. Here are the members, as presented by HHS in its official announcement March 19. There's no way to know for sure who will have the most impact, but it's a safe bet that you can start at the bottom in this case. Ezekiel Emanuel has emerged as a key health policy advisor in the Obama White House-and his brother is the chief of staff.