Newswise — As the debate over healthcare insurance reform continues, faculty members of The George Washington University Medical Center are available to comment on topics regarding health insurance reform, including: general policy/political analysis, Medicare, Medicaid, compliance, community health centers, state health reform, affordability, finance and health technology information.

GW Department of Health Policy Experts Sara Rosenbaum, JDRosenbaum is chair of the GW Department of Health Policy. She can speak about health insurance, health reform, healthcare disparities, health law, public health insurance (SCHIP, Medicare, HIT), and community health centers. She is one of the nation’s 500 most influential health policy makers by McGraw-Hill and was a member of the White House Domestic Policy Council under President Clinton, she directed the drafting of the Health Security Act.

Leighton Ku, MPHKu is a professor at the GW Department of Health Policy. He can speak about access/affordability of healthcare and health insurance, immigrant health, Medicaid, national and state health reform, research methods and statistics and finance issues.

Jane Thorpe, JDThorpe is an associate research professor at the GW Department of Health Policy. She can speak about Medicare, Medicaid, legal and policy matters related to health care delivery systems and financing, health information technology and the privacy and security of health information, performance measurement and improvement, medical innovation, fraud and abuse, and corporate compliance. Prior to joining GW in February 2009, Thorpe served as the Deputy Director of the Office of Policy for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) within the Department of Health and Human Services.

Brian Biles, MD, MPHBiles is available to speak about Medicare and Medicare Advantage He spent seven years as staff director of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, and helped to guide debate on Medicare and health financing legislation. Later, as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services in the Clinton Administration, he led policy development on health reform and public health issues. Dr. Biles also served as Deputy Secretary for Maryland's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where he was responsible for state programs in public health, Medicaid, health regulation and more.

Fitzhugh Mullan, MDMullan is available to speak about health workforce policy, medical education, the migration of and health workers. Prior to joining the School of Public Health’s faculty in 1996, Dr. Mullan directed the Bureau of Health Professions in the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, earning the rank of Assistant Surgeon General.

Bruce Siegel, MD, MPHSiegel is available to speak about the quality of healthcare, health centers, care for minorities. Prior to joining the School's faculty in 2002, Dr. Siegel was chief executive officer of Tampa General Healthcare, West Florida's only regional referral center and a teaching affiliate of the University of South Florida College of Medicine. He has served as president of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, which oversees the city's vast municipal hospital system, and as the New Jersey Commissioner of Health.