People In Brief

Daschle, Lambrew lead health reform office: President-elect Barack Obama formally announces his nomination Dec. 11 of former Senator Tom Daschle to head both the Department of Health and Human Services and the White House Office of Health Reform. Obama also nominates as deputy director of the White House office Jeanne Lambrew, the Office of Management and Budget's former health program associate director and co-author of Daschle's book on health care reform, "Critical." (1"The Tan Sheet" Nov. 24, 2008, p. 7). In his dual role, Daschle, who represented South Dakota in the Senate between 1987 and 2005, is expected to "be responsible, not just for implementing our health care plan, he will also be the lead architect of that plan," Obama says at a press conference. "Whether it's administering Medicare and Medicaid, keeping our food and pharmaceuticals safe, researching the cures of tomorrow, or investing in prevention and wellness, a well-functioning [HHS] can play a strong role in tackling the many health care challenges our country faces," Daschle says in accepting the nomination. Obama also praises Lambrew's health care policy and budget expertise, calling her "a leading thinker" on the issue of health reform. Lambew is currently a professor at the University of Texas' LBJ School of Public Affairs and a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress