Will the lack of a visible name in leadership at the Department of Health and Human Services mean delays in relative progress to move the industry forward?

The optimism of a recent appointment announced was exceeded by the balloon bursting with a sudden withdrawal. Out of this comes another prolonged period of uncertainty for the direction of our industry sector. Legislation, regulation, funding allocations between the federal government and individual states, and a host of other implications all hang in the balance of a new appointment and their confirmation process.  Healthcare is a business, and like all other businesses, we are hurting. No longer viewed as  ”recession proof”, we have seen the tip of the ice berg with layoffs, cost of living adjustment deferrals, collective bargaining concession, and even receiverships or bankruptcy filings. The Obama Administration knows the importance of health to the local economy and must match the rhetoric with a replacement that “gets it” and then gets on with it as soon as possible.