Marilyn Tavenner Nominated as CMS Administrator, Berwick to Leave on Dec. 2 - November 29, 2011

On Nov. 23, President Barak Obama announced his intention to nominate the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Principal Deputy Administrator Marilyn Tavenner to the position of CMS administrator. Tavenner will replace Donald M. Berwick, M.D., M.P.P., who will step down from the position on Dec. 2. Berwick was nominated to the position in April 2010 but failed to receive Senate approval, prompting President Obama to give Berwick a recess appointment as CMS administrator in July 2010. Berwick’s appointment, without Senate confirmation, is set to expire at the end of this year. Tavenner will serve as the administrator on an acting basis during the confirmation process, though the current political climate may see her nomination stall as well. Tavenner previously served as Virginia’s secretary of health and human resources, and she spent more than 35 years working with health care providers in roles ranging from staff nurse to hospital administrator to executive at the Hospital Corporation of America.