Posted on September 26, 2017
NEHI to Honor Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, Dr. Patrick Conway and Dr. Jessie Gaeta at
Innovators in Health Awards
Baker to be presented with first award named in honor of late biotechnology leader and NEHI founder Henri A. Termeer
September 26, 2017, BOSTON—At its 10th annual Innovators in Health Awards on Thursday, September 28, NEHI (The Network for Excellence in Health Innovation) will honor forward-thinking leaders who have innovated to advance health and health care throughout their careers.
Recipients of this year’s Innovators in Health award are as follows:
- Charlie Baker, Governor of Massachusetts: For his leadership in Massachusetts to tackle the opioid crisis, establish the Digital Healthcare Council, secure the protections of the Affordable Care Act, and address health costs in the state. Gov. Baker will receive the first Henri A. Termeer Innovator in Health award. Termeer, the former CEO of Genzyme and founder of NEHI, was instrumental in championing medical progress and advancing novel therapies, particularly for people with rare diseases. His vision and compassion for patients helped forge a path to unprecedented innovation and develop Massachusetts as a hub for biotechnology and drug development.
- Patrick Conway, MD, MSc, Former Deputy Administrator for Innovation and Quality, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Incoming President and CEO, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. Conway will receive the Innovator in Health award in recognition of his distinguished service to all Americans under three different U.S. administrations, and particularly for his leadership in transforming health care payment and delivery.
- Jessie Gaeta, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, will also receive an Innovator in Health award for her leadership in devising an innovative approach to outreach and treatment for members of the Boston homeless population and others who are fighting substance use disorders.
The evening will include a special tribute to Termeer, with addresses by Victor J. Dzau, MD, President of the National Academy of Medicine; and Joan Reede, MD, MPH, MS, MBA, Professor of Medicine, Dean for Diversity and Community Partnership at Harvard Medical School, and President and Chair of the Biomedical Science Careers Program.
“We are honored to celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of leaders who are dedicated to serving the unmet health needs of their communities and shaping the future of health care,” said Susan Dentzer, NEHI’s President and CEO. “This year’s honorees echo the bold spirit, vision, and compassion of Henri Termeer, who among all his other achievements always put patients, and people, first.”
Past Innovators in Health awardees include Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, former U.S. Surgeon General; Edward J. Benz Jr., MD, former President and CEO, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Don Berwick, MD, MPP, FRCP, former CMS Administrator; Karen DeSalvo, former Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S Department of Health and Human Services; Dr. Harvey Fineberg, MD, PhD, former IOM President; Atul Gawande, MD, MPH, surgeon and author; Margaret Hamburg, MD, former FDA Commissioner; Diane Rehm, former Host of The Diane Rehm Show; and Janet Woodcock, MD, Director, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
For more information about the Innovators in Health Awards, visit http://www.nehi.net/events/98-innovators-in-health-awards-2017/view.
###
About NEHI (The Network for Excellence in Health Innovation):
NEHI is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization composed of stakeholders from across all key sectors of health and health care. Its mission is to advance innovations that improve health, enhance the quality of health care, and achieve greater value for the money spent. NEHI consults with its broad membership, and conducts independent, objective research and convenings, to accelerate these innovations and bring about changes within health care and in public policy.
For inquiries or interview requests, contact:
Tim Tassa, Director of Communications
ttassa@nehi.net
571-722-2534
