You Ask It: Past Experts

Mr. McWhorter has over 50 years of experience as a leader in the healthcare industry, giving him a unique perspective on the system and its future. He currently serves as the Chairman of the private equity firm, Clayton Associates, located in Nashville, Tennessee and in the past has held top executive positions for multiple successful nationwide healthcare companies including, Hospital Corporation of America and HealthTrust Inc. Most recently, Mr. McWhorter lent his vision, resources and a blank whiteboard to a handful of young individuals and tasked them with creating an organization that would educate and energize the future of America on the need for healthcare reform. His understanding of the profound problems facing healthcare and his commitment to empowering young Americans have guided the founding of this organization and are at the heart of SHOUTAmerica’s mission.

Recently named by the Nashville Business Journal as one of four top healthcare innovators in Middle Tennessee, Christopher Parks serves today as CEO of change:healthcare, the company he established in 2006. His career spans more than seventeen years in healthcare, supply chain and technology sales, operations and consulting. His first position was a Program Manager for disease management firm Healthways, where he led the start-up and management of two inpatient/outpatient hospital-based chronic disease clinics. Following a successful four years there, he became a senior consultant at HealthCare Microsystems, responsible for the company's business with HCA. Later, as Regional Director of Operations for National Seating & Mobility, he increased same store sales and total market revenues and oversaw the Kaiser southern California seating & positioning capitated agreement. His most recent position was with Global Healthcare Exchange (previously Neoforma), a billion dollar healthcare technology and services organization, where he held a series of national services and sales positions.

Stephanie Kennan is a senior policy advisor in the Health Care Group, where she assists clients in developing, designing and implementing their legislative and regulatory strategy. Prior to joining Alston & Bird, Ms. Kennan was the senior health policy advisor to U.S. Senator Ron Wyden. In this capacity she worked on the Senate Finance, Budget and Aging Committees and helped develop legislation focusing on end-of-life care, Medicare physician payment, Medicare Part D, drug research and payment, and health insurance matters. Ms. Kennan’s professional accomplishments also include the introduction of the first bipartisan prescription drug bill, the development and passage of bipartisan budget amendments funding prescription drugs and uninsured initiatives and collaboration with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) on reimbursement issues related to medical devices and drugs. Before joining Senator Wyden’s office, Ms. Kennan served in senior jobs for a number of high-profile associations and for a member of Congress. She earned her M.A. from Johns Hopkins University in 1997 and her B.A. in American government and foreign affairs from The University of Virginia in 1980.

Tom Scully is Senior Counsel in Alston & Bird’s Washington, D.C. office with his practice focusing on health care regulatory and legislative matters, as well as on advising clients on health policy and strategies for healthcare delivery. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Scully was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), where he served from 2001 to 2004. Formerly known as the Health Care Financing Administration, CMS is responsible for the management of Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, and other national healthcare initiatives. CMS controls more spending than any other federal agency—over $800 Billion for fiscal year 2004. At CMS Mr. Scully was noted for his instrumental role in passing Medicare reform and Medicare Rx legislation, as well as for changing the agency’s culture and making the vast agency more open and accountable to the public. Mr. Scully initiated the first public reporting and disclosure for comparative quality among hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies and dialysis centers. Tom also initiated a broad public education campaign to improve seniors’ awareness and utilization of their Medicare benefits. Before joining CMS, Tom served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federation of American Hospitals from January 1995 to May 2001. The Federation represents over 1700 privately owned and managed hospitals. Tom is also a former partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm of Patton Boggs, LLP, where his practice focused on regulatory and legislative work in health care. Before joining the law firm, Tom worked at the White House in the first Bush Administration as Deputy Assistant to the President and Counselor to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from 1992-93; and as Associate Director of OMB for Human Resources, Veterans and Labor from 1989-92. In 1988, Tom worked on the Bush for President campaign. He was an attorney with Akin Gump from 1985-1988 and he worked for U.S. Senator Slade Gorton from 1980-1985. Tom Scully holds a Juris Doctor degree from Catholic University and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia. In addition, he also serves on the Advisory Board of the George Bush Presidential Library, Executive Council of the Harvard School of Public Health, and he is a General Partner with Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, in New York City.