Mayo Alumni Magazine 2011 Fall - MC4409-0811 - Mayo Clinic

kathleen harrington
new division chair for
Government relations
Kathleen Harrington has
joined Mayo Clinic as chair for
the Division of Government
Relations. She oversees a team
that develops health policy
recommendations, monitors
congressional and legislative
activity, and seeks to influence
stakeholder groups at state and
national levels.
Prior to joining Mayo Clinic,
Harrington spent 25 years in
Washington, D.C., working on
health policy issues in various
roles, including serving as chief
of staff for Congresswoman
Nancy L. Johnson, vice president
of federal government relations
at Aetna, and director of the
office of external affairs for
the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services. Most recently,
Harrington was director of
government relations and public
affairs for Carol Corp, a strategy
and solutions company that
empowers health systems to
transition to accountable care.
what challenges do health care organizations
face in the government environment?
At the state and federal levels, we face
serious issues with how health care is
funded and insured, and how care is
delivered to be high quality, accessible
and affordable.
Now that the health reform law has
passed, it’s time to work on the interpretation
and what we know will be
substantial revisions in the years ahead.
We have to be prepared for change and
to provide informed, valued input.
who do you look to for support in this role?
I’m helped by my colleagues throughout
Mayo, including those who work in
government relations. I still have a lot
to learn, and I am grateful for their
support. We’re doing this as a team in
true Mayo style.
I rely on fellow leaders at Mayo
Clinic for their ideas, skills and
involvement. I admire Mayo leaders
who have championed taking on a
more public role with issues that are so
important. Drs. [Denis] Cortese [former
president and CEO] and [John]
Noseworthy [president and CEO] have
regarded this activity as important for
Mayo to engage in. That says a lot
about their sense of social responsibility
and commitment to our patients
and mission. Following their lead,
Mayo has done this with dignity and
style. Those of us who have trained
here, work here and who are patients
can be proud.
Other organizations and individuals
who share our values also are
valuable resources. And the public is a
tremendous ally for Mayo Clinic. In our
engagement with national health
policy, we’ve tried very hard to provide
the public with a voice and a forum.
I look forward to a new set of
interactions with Mayo leadership and
external leaders in federal and state
government.
has anything surprised you so far in this role?
I was surprised at how engaged Mayo
Clinic is with government and active in
health policy and how much my
colleagues know. But I shouldn’t have
been. Mayo Clinic has always been
engaged, dating back to the Mayo
brothers. It’s part of our tradition to
share what we know.
It’s gratifying when a patient knows
about Mayo’s or my activities in this area
and expresses thanks. Patients have
said, “I’m so glad you’re trying to do
something — so glad Mayo is speaking
up.” Patients, alumni and people around
the state and country care deeply about
health care in the United States and the
future of Mayo Clinic.
how will you measure success in this role?
We’ll succeed when health care in the
United States grows in value and Mayo
Clinic thrives.
We would like everyone to advocate
for continued federal funding for
research, particularly for National
Institutes of Health (NIH) funding.
We believe that Mayo Clinic is
the best health care model in the
United States, and we have a moral
obligation and responsibility to try to
influence national and state policy.
What’s good for Mayo Clinic is good
for our patients and people everywhere.
It’s wonderful to think you can
improve health care for people and
have the institution you love succeed.
One goal serves the other.
16 Mayo Alumni