Leslie V. Norwalk, Strategic Counsel at Epstein Becker Green and EBG Advisors, Inc., in the firm’s Washington, DC, office, was quoted in FierceHealthcare, in “Former CMS Officials’ Advice to Administrator Seema Verma: Get Out of the Office and Talk to People,” by Tina Reed.
Following is an excerpt:
Former Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services officials had some hard-won advice this week for current Administrator Seema Verma when it comes to handling the challenges of the job.
Get out of the office and talk to people.
“The outside world clamors to better appreciate what is that black box of CMS. And the more you interact with people — whether it’s associations, whether it’s individuals, however it is that you listen — I think you’ll make better policy because you’ll better appreciate the very fast-changing nature of what is the healthcare space,” said Leslie Norwalk, strategic counsel to Epstein Becker & Green, P.C., who served as CMS’ Acting Administrator under the George W. Bush administration.
Norwalk spoke alongside four former CMS officials sharing the stage at that the American Hospital Association meeting in Washington, D.C., this week, when they were asked to share their best bits of wisdom from their stints in the role.
She said it’s helpful, for example, that Verma took the time to speak at AHA on Monday, but that she could have done more.
“It’s great that she gave a half-hour speech. It’d be good if she’d taken some questions because I think can learn a lot from what people ask you,” Norwalk said.
