SHM Sends Letter of Support for the Nomination of Scott Gottlieb, MD to FDA

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The Honorable Lamar Alexander
Chairman
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
428 Senate Dirksen Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Patty Murray
Ranking Member
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
428 Senate Dirksen Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Murray,

On behalf of more than 50,000 practicing hospitalist physicians nationwide, the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) strongly supports the nomination of Scott Gottlieb, M.D., as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Practitioners of hospital medicine include physicians (“hospitalists”) and non-physician providers who engage in clinical care, teaching, research, or leadership in the field of general hospital medicine. In addition to their core expertise managing the clinical problems of acutely ill, hospitalized patients, hospital medicine practitioners work to enhance the performance of hospitals and healthcare systems.

As a hospitalist and active member of SHM, Dr. Gottlieb has served on SHM’s Public Policy Committee since 2011. In this period, Dr. Gottlieb has been an invaluable asset to SHM in understanding and addressing the most pressing healthcare issues of the day. During his time with SHM, Scott has been very involved with our efforts around empowering hospitalists and the overall healthcare system to push forward in delivering quality, patient centered care at lower cost. His expertise has been helpful to both hospitalists and the patients we care for.

Throughout his service to SHM, Dr. Gottlieb has shown his deep understanding of the many public health issues, delivery system reforms, and quality of care issues that are important to hospitalists and our patients. And he has been an invaluable resource and partner in developing solutions to these issues. His public service to the government in various healthcare related roles, including his tenure at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as Senior Policy Adviser to the Administrator, Senior Adviser for Medical Technology, Director of Medical Policy Development, and Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs at the FDA will provide him with the deep and diverse experience that the role of FDA Commissioner demands. His insight into both the CMS and the FDA make him a rare and invaluable asset linking approval of much needed treatments with access to such care.

As a practicing hospitalist, and in his work with SHM, Dr. Gottlieb has shown an unwavering respect for physician autonomy and is a champion for the preservation of the patient-physician relationship. He is committed to putting the patient first in the delivery of high quality care.

Dr. Gottlieb has a track record of leadership and dedication to building a patient-centered, quality-focused and efficient health care system. As FDA Commissioner, Dr. Gottlieb will bring a demonstrated commitment to public service coupled with the quality-driven, results-oriented mindset of a hospitalist physician.

We urge you to vote in favor of his nomination.

Sincerely,

Brian Harte, MD, SFHM
President, Society of Hospital Medicine
Cc: Members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee