Top 10 most influential people in health care

There are really 100 leaders–not just 10–on this year’s Modern Healthcare list of the most influential people in health care, a list that is now in its 12th year, but let’s focus on the top 10 for purposes of this post.  Here they are, and these are in rank order, according to Modern Healthcare:

1. Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services
2. John Kitzhaber, MD, the governor of Oregon
3. Barack Obama
4. Stephen Hemsley, UnitedHealth Group
5. Marilyn Tavenner, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
6. Mark Bertolini, Aetna
7. Richard Bracken, HCA
8. Joseph Swedish, WellPoint
9. George Halvorson, Kaiser Permanente
10. Sister Carol Keehan, Catholic Health Association

Looking at them according to the “bully pulpit” that they have to be influential from, that is 40% government, a number of insurers, a provider or two, and one association.  (It is a bit challenging to fit some of these large organizations into one neat descriptive category.) 

Source: Robeznieks, A.  100 most influential people in healthcare.  Modern Healthcare;43(34):6-7, 18-19, 24-26, 28-29, 32, 34, Aug. 26, 2013.  Click here for full text: http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130824/INFO/130829987  Posted by AHA Resource Center (312) 422-2003, rc@aha.org