Nationally Renowned Experts and Health Policy Leaders Join National Patient Advocate Foundation's Executive Board of Directors

Five new members bring public and private sector expertise to group's nationwide legislative and regulatory reform activities

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A former chief medical officer of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), pharmaceutical executive, and insurance industry legal counsel are among the five new members elected to the National Patient Advocacy Foundation (NPAF) Executive Board of Directors for 2013.

Members of the executive board – comprised of a network of research and community oncologists, attorneys, legislators, healthcare industry representatives, and advocates – lend their knowledge and expertise to NPAF's goal of providing the patient voice in improving access to, and reimbursement for, high-quality healthcare through regulatory and legislative reform.

"We are so pleased and excited to welcome this group of renowned experts to NPAF's Executive Board, and look forward to working with them in order to improve the lives of the countless Americans who depend on us to advocate for their healthcare," said Nancy Davenport-Ennis, NPAF's Chair and Chief Executive Officer. "Our board members are invaluable to ensuring the voices of patients served in the Patient Advocate Foundation, the companion organization to NPAF, are represented in the policy positions presented by NPAF in Washington, DC and in the fifty states. We appreciate their leadership and willingness to lend their time and talents to such an important endeavor."

Joining the 12 existing members of NPAF's board are:

• Barry M. Straube, MD, Director at the Marwood Group, is an expert in federal regulatory issues being addressed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  Dr. Straube provides health care advisory and financial services to institutional investors, corporations and trade associations. Prior to joining the Marwood Group in 2011, he was Chief Medical Officer for CMS, as well as the Director of the CMS Office of Clinical Standards & Quality (OCSQ). Serving in those roles from 2005-2011, his office led Medicare coverage decision-making; quality standards oversight for U.S. healthcare facilities; quality measurement and health assessment tools; information technology systems for clinical quality data; quality improvement/innovation plus value-based purchasing initiatives; and many other activities in the Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP programs, not the least of which included implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. Dr. Straube also serves on multiple scientific and public policy Advisory Boards.
• John Caldwell, CPA, MST, CGMA, Managing Partner, Malvin, Riggins & Company, PC, is an expert in accounting and financial services management.   As a certified public accountant, Mr. Caldwell provides professional accounting, tax and small business advisory services to individual and business clients through his national consulting agencies in eight states.
• John Harrington is the recently retired Chief Commercial Officer for Sanofi-Aventis Oncology after nearly forty years of service.  Mr. Harrington was responsible for the Global Marketing and Sales responsibilities for the Sanofi-Aventis Oncology Portfolio. In addition to his extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry, he is active in the cancer community, including serving as a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Mr. Harrington is widely regarded as an expert in health in pharma-bio technology development and marketing issues, as well as the role of advocacy relationships with industry.
• Diane Mauk, Founder of Software Architects, LLC: Mrs. Mauk provides strategic project management and solutions architecture for large-scale identity management and health IT systems through her company Software Architects, LLC. Since 2010, Mrs. Mauk has served on the Board of BrainWaves, an organization focused on raising funds in support of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Mrs. Mauk is regarded as an expert in software development and nonprofit fundraising.
• Otis Maynard, Associate General Counsel for United Health Group: With United Health Group, Mr. Maynard provides legal support to Benefit Operations in the Employer and Individual business segment. He serves on the Community Relations Committee for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center, is engaged with various mentoring activities for minority students in his community and is an active mentor with the Law School Mentoring Program sponsored by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.  Mr. Maynard is regarded as an expert in health insurance issues nationally with personal diversity with nonprofit services of board of directors at Connecticut's Children's Medical Center.

SOURCE National Patient Advocate Foundation