The American Nurses Association (ANA) commends the White House for its recent decision to nominate Marilyn Tavenner, MHA, BSN, RN, to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Tavenner, a former ICU nurse, was an executive at the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) and was Virginia’s secretary of Health and Human Resources under then-Gov. Tim Kaine. Most recently, she worked as CMS’s principal deputy administrator.

“Marilyn Tavenner will make an excellent CMS administrator,” said ANA President Karen Daley, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN. “As a nurse, her focus is on improving care for the patient. ANA looks forward to working with Tavenner to implement the provisions of the Affordable Care Act so that Americans can benefit from a system that is more responsive to their need for accessible and high quality care.”

If approved through Senate confirmation, Tavenner will replace Don Berwick, MD, who was appointed by President Obama in July 2010. ANA commends Berwick for his work at CMS, most significantly as an innovator and catalyst for quality improvement.