Dr. Berwick is the former president and CEO of the non-profit Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Broadly speaking, IHI is about changing health care systems to improve delivery, patient outcome, and patient safety. Read more about their work here. I’m really excited about this—IHI is one of the few organizations out there looking for (and applying) systematic solutions to improve the process of health care delivery. Dr. Berwick will be a great influence on CMS (the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services).

But surprise, surprise, some Republican senators have doubts about him because he has talked honestly about health care rationing. It’s galling to me that politics can cast doubt on someone who for many years has been at the forefront of improving health care quality and patient safety. When our health care system is clearly in need of a fix, and we have at our disposable people who can take steps to fix it, let’s take advantage of them. The health care reform law expanded insurance coverage but will not fix the problems that remain: quality gaps, inefficiencies, harmful and unnecessary care, bad incentives, and the list goes on. CMS can be a huge force for change in our health care system because of its sheer size. It is great news for us all that Dr. Berwick will be in charge of the agency.