HHS Secretary McClellan?
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Tommy Thompson will step down from the HHS secretary spot Feb. 4 or when a successor is named, he announces Dec. 3. CMS Administrator Mark McClellan, MD/PhD, and HHS Deputy Secretary Claude Allen, JD, are considered leading contenders to replace him. Thompson also mentioned CDC Director Julie Gerberding, MD/MPH; NIH Director Elias Zerhouni, MD; and National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases DirectorAnthony Fauci, MD, as possible successors. The search has moved outside the department, with some state governors reportedly interviewed; former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich also has voiced interest. Although not discounting a future role in public service, Thompson said that after 38 years he is ready to enter the private sector. He lauded HHS' work on the Medicare Modernization Act, while conceding he "would like to have had the opportunity to negotiate" its details...