Washington Times on Donald Berwick’s Non-Disclosures
This morning the Washington Times features a front-page story about Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Donald Berwick’s failure to disclose donors to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), which he lead for over a decade prior to his appointment. As previously noted, Dr. Berwick in his letter claimed that he could not release IHI’s privately-held records, as he has severed ties to the organization. However, Dr. Berwick had the power to disclose this information for more than a month prior to his appointment – when he was still working as IHI’s chief executive – but chose not to do so.
Dr. Berwick’s lack of transparency regarding his financial dealings is consistent with the Administration’s public relations strategy of not making Dr. Berwick available for interviews. But it’s yet another broken promise from an Administration that pledged “an unmatched level of transparency, participation, and accountability.” And the fact that Dr. Berwick chose not to disclose IHI’s financial information when he had the power to do so – and has not so much as taken a single question in public from Members of Congress or members of the press – speaks to the controversial nature of both his appointment and the health care law he will implement.