What's New
Announcement
Posted on 10.03.05
New Members Join CERTs Steering Committee on October 1
The CERTs steering committee works to support the CERTs mission to conduct research and provide education in order to advance the optimal use of drugs, medical devices and biological products. Its role is to provide leadership and direction for the CERTs program, consistent with the legislative mandate and AHRQ grant awards.
Steering committee members represent the nation's top leaders in the world of therapeutics and are selected based on their unique perspectives and the contributions they can make to the CERTs program. Members represent the CERTs centers, federal government agencies, and the private sector, providing both public and private perspectives.
At-large members are elected by majority vote of the steering committee, and serve on the steering committee for 2 years. Each at-large member has a designated alternate. The alternate assumes the member's role in that member's absence, and by tradition, is elected to replace the member upon that member's resignation or term ending.
For this year's elections, member changes affect two seats on the steering committee as of October 1.
"I'm excited about the terrific potential and energy these newest members will bring to the committee's efforts," said Hugh H. Tilson, MD, DrPH, steering committee chair. "At the same time, I'd like to express our appreciation and heartfelt thanks to retirees Barbara Blakeney and James Kotsanos for their many past contributions to the CERTs. Their participation will be missed."
Without further ado, Dr. Tilson announced that Dr. Marc Berger, who was an alternate for Dr. James Kotsanos, will assume the regular seat and serve another term. Dr. Janice Bush will serve as his new alternate. Dr. Georges Benjamin, an alternate for Ms. Barbara Blakeney, will assume the regular seat with Dr. Enriqueta Bond serving as his alternate. In addition, Dr. Scott R. Smith recently joined the steering committee as a second AHRQ member.
"On behalf of the steering committee, we would like to welcome our newly elected members and alternates," said Dr. Tilson. "We look forward to another productive year, filled with stimulating discussions as well as new and useful ideas."
Marc L. Berger, MD, is the Vice President of Outcomes Research and Management at Merck and Company. Prior to joining Merck, Dr. Berger was on the faculty of the University of Cincinnati, School of Medicine. While at Merck, Dr. Berger held various positions of responsibility for Phase II to Phase IV clinical trials, outcomes research studies, and disease management programs. Dr. Berger has co-authored numerous articles in outcomes research and health economics. He serves as a member of the editorial advisory boards of Value in Health and Managed Healthcare, and as a member of the advisory board of the Program on the Economic Evaluation of Medical Technology (PEEMT) at the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis. Dr. Berger holds appointments as an adjunct senior fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania and adjunct professor in the Department of Health Policy and Administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Public Health.
Newly named alternate member to Dr. Berger is Janice Bush, MD. She serves as the Vice President of Quality, Education, and Business Support in the Benefit Risk Management Department of Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development. Previously, Dr. Bush was VP of Global Regulatory Affairs at Janssen Research Foundation, where she was responsible for managing all the international and domestic regulatory activities for Janssen as well as the global regulatory strategy for project team activities. She currently co-chairs the J&J Pharma Safety Council and has also been a member of the J&J Pharma First in Human Committee since 2000. Dr. Bush is past chair of the PhRMA, Pharmacovigilance and Epidemiology Technical Group and is currently vice-chair of the Clinical Leadership Committee. While a member of the Regulatory Affairs Coordinating Committee, she coordinated industry meetings and dialogue sessions. Dr. Bush has been a faculty member and presenter for PERI courses since 1993, and has served on the Board of Directors of PERI since 2000.
Returning this year as a regular member is Georges Benjamin, MD, FACP. Dr. Benjamin is a nationally renowned leader in public health and has served as Executive Director of The American Public Health Association (APHA) since December 2002. [The APHA is the largest and oldest public health association in the world, with over 50,000 members.] Dr. Benjamin is a former Secretary of Health for the State of Maryland, Chief of Emergency Medicine at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and Commissioner for Public Health for the District of Columbia. He is a seasoned professional, with a proven record in administrative medicine, health policy development, and clinical care at the local, state and national level. An expert in emergency medicine, Dr. Benjamin is an active participant in the national debate on how best to protect the American people against the risks of bioterrorism. A graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Dr. Benjamin is board certified in internal medicine and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. He is a past president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), and has served on several national advisory groups. His most recent appointment is to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Advisory Committee on Public Health Preparedness.
Enriqueta C. Bond, PhD, serving as an alternate for Georges Benjamin, is President of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. She is a member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society for Microbiology, and the American Public Health Association. Dr. Bond serves as vice-chair of the Council of the IOM; she chairs the Board of Scientific Counselors for the National Center for Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and chairs the IOM's Clinical Research Roundtable. She also serves on the board and executive committee of the Research Triangle Park Foundation and on the board of the Medicines for Malaria Venture. Prior to being named president of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund in 1994, Dr. Bond served on the staff of the IOM beginning in 1979, becoming the Institute's executive officer in 1989.
Retiring members Barbara A. Blakeney, MS, APRN, BC, ANP and James Kotsanos, MD, MS, FACPM brought their own unique perspectives and experiences to the steering committee during their terms.
Ms. Blakeney is president of the American Nurses Association and an expert in public health practice and policy and leadership development. She was honored by Boston Women's Magazine as one of the 100 women whose work has contributed to the betterment of Boston, is listed in Who's Who in American Nursing and was named multiple times to Modern Healthcare Magazine's list of the 100 Most Powerful People in Health Care.
Dr. Kotsanos, a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine, is Director of the Global Product Safety Division/Endocrine and Cardiovascular Therapeutic Areas in Indianapolis at Eli Lilly and Company. He holds the position as Vice-Chair of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Clinical Leadership Committee.
For a complete list of steering committee members, visit the steering committee section.