Governor’s Health Care Cabinet
WHEREAS, Vermont’s landmark health reform legislation has set a standard for the nation; and
WHEREAS, successful transformation of Vermont’s health care system is essential to the state’s economic well-being and quality of care provided to Vermonters; and
WHEREAS, Vermont is ideally positioned to take maximum advantage of recent and anticipated federal health reform initiatives; and
WHEREAS, State government must provide clear leadership and accountability to ensure successful implementation of health reform initiatives and oversight of state health care programs generally; and
WHEREAS, Vermont’s health reform initiatives and anticipated federal health reform initiatives cut across traditional lines of agency and department responsibility.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, James H. Douglas, by virtue of the power vested in me as Governor of the State of Vermont, do hereby establish the Governor’s Health Care Cabinet.
The Health Care Cabinet shall consist of ex-officio representatives from State agencies and departments to include: the Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs; the Secretary of the Agency of Human Services; the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners of the Department of Health; the Commissioners of the Departments of Mental Health, Children and Families, Disabilities, Aging & Independent Living, Labor and Human Resources; the Commissioner of the Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration and the Deputy Commissioner of Health Care Administration; the Director of the Office of Vermont Health Access; the Director and Deputy Director of Health Care Reform; and the Director of the Vermont Blueprint for Health. The Governor shall appoint Co-Chairs.
The Health Care Cabinet may, at its discretion, establish inter-agency work groups to support its mission, drawing membership from any agency or department of state government.
Administrative support to the Cabinet shall be provided by the Agency of Human Services.
The Health Care Cabinet shall be advisory to the Governor and shall meet at the call of the Chair. The Cabinet shall have the following functions and duties:
1. To provide leadership and accountability for the advancement of health care reform in Vermont.
2. To identify ways to work more collaboratively to provide assessment, coordination, functional integration, and strategic implementation of Vermont health policy, and to remove impediments to integration of health care policy and programs across state government.
3. To open dialogue and establish strategic partnerships across government and key stakeholder organizations to achieve the goal of greater health system integration.
4. To maintain an ongoing review of the state’s health care environment and the State’s role in enhancing and improving that environment.
5. To identify and remove barriers to, and develop incentives for, critical health care infrastructure and workforce investment and innovation in the State that is conducive to enhanced health care system coordination, connectivity, efficiency, efficacy, and quality of care.
6. To recommend a coordinated and strategic response by the State to legislative health reform initiatives at the state and federal levels.
7. To report to the Governor periodically on its findings, recommendations and initiatives for effective health care integration in Vermont.
This Executive Order shall take effect upon execution and shall sunset on June 30, 2011.
Witness my name hereunto subscribed and the Great Seal of the State of Vermont hereunto affixed at Montpelier this 14th day of October, A.D. 2009.
James H. Douglas, Governor
By the Governor:
Heidi M. Tringe, Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 08-09