The King of Pop and the Czar of Healthcare

By: Heather Pitre, WHF Health Reform Project Coordinator

It’s the end of an era.  The King of Pop is gone.  It’s a sad day in the world of entertainment.  Many of us grew up listening to Michael Jackson, looking at that Farrah Fawcett poster, and watching Ed McMahon announce Johnny Carson every night.  All will be missed.  But the beat goes on:  it’s the dawn of a new day, and health reform is at hand.  And we at the Healthiest State Campaign are working to reform the system, and to keep you informed on what’s going on at the national level. 

The Health Czar is Nancy Anne DeParle.  She was appointed by President Obama in March 2009.  And she has a tough job ahead of her.  She stays behind the scenes, but she’s got great credentials:  Harvard Law, Rhodes Scholar, named in 1994 by TIME as one of "America's 50 Most Promising Leaders Under 40." She ran health services in her home state of Tennessee, worked in the Clinton White House on health policy in the early 1990s and oversaw the Medicare and Medicaid programs at that decade's end.

We will learn more about Michael Jackson’s death as time goes on.  What caused his heart attack at the young age of 50?  What role could prevention have played in his health?  What lessons can we learn from all of this? 

Rock on Nancy.  So long Michael.  Let’s keep working together to reform health

Comments

[Zev Aronson]

I am a huge MJ fan and also a strong advocate of health reform. I like the way you brought these two issues together in this piece. Well done.