FORMER WISCONSIN GOVERNOR TOMMY G. THOMPSON
BECOMES NEW SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Tommy G. Thompson, who stepped down yesterday as longest-serving governor in Wisconsin history and longest-serving U.S. governor in office, was sworn in this morning to serve as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. He is the 19th person to hold the Cabinet-level office heading the Department of Health and Human Services (prior to 1980, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare).

Joined by his wife Sue Ann, Secretary Thompson was formally sworn in by the White House Executive Clerk at a private ceremony in the HHS headquarters building. Following a meeting with senior career staff of the Department, Secretary Thompson's first act in office was to address a gathering of headquarters HHS staff in the Great Hall of the Hubert H. Humphrey Building, where he was introduced by Surgeon General David Satcher, M.D. Dr. Satcher served as acting Secretary between Inauguration Day Jan. 20 and Secretary Thompson's swearing-in.

"I took this job because there is no other job in America where you have a greater opportunity to help people -- to actually make a difference in people's lives and improve the quality of life they lead," Thompson said to about 1,000 employees crowded in the Great Hall.

(Photos of the welcome are at http://www.hhs.gov/news/photos/.)

Thompson emphasized that he plans to bring an innovative spirit to HHS and its more than 300 programs. "I'm here to persuade you to do things just a little differently on the national level. I believe so passionately that the issues faced by this Department are among the most important facing us as a nation. And I believe that we need to find innovative, creative ways to face these challenges," Thompson said. "We need to reach out to states and local governments. We need to look at successful models and best practices from all over this country. Because there are no "one-size-fits-all" solutions to the challenges we face."

Following his remarks, Thompson took questions from employees.

(Copy of remarks at http://www.hhs.gov/news/speech/2001/010202.html.)

Secretary Thompson told employees that his plans include an "aggressive agenda," including: modernizing Medicare; enacting a Patient's Bill of Rights; acting to provide access to affordable health insurance for the more than 43 million Americans who are uninsured; continuing welfare reform to help those who go to work to "have the opportunity to continue to move up the ladder of economic success;" taking action on President Bush's directive to establish an office of Faith-Based and community initiatives; improving the foster care and adoption programs around the country; taking a leadership role in women's health; supporting biomedical research; and continuing vigilant protection of the safety of the nation's food and drug supply.

He also announced that he would move in the first 100 days of his tenure to "launch a national campaign to raise awareness of organ donation in this country."

Secretary Thompson has dedicated his professional life to public service, most recently serving as governor of Wisconsin since 1987. He made state history when he was re-elected to office for a third term in 1994 and a fourth term in 1998. During his 14 years as governor, Secretary Thompson focused on revitalizing Wisconsin's economy. He also gained national attention for his leadership on welfare reform, expanded access to health care for low-income people, and education.

(The Secretary's biography is at http://www.hhs.gov/about/bios/dhhssec.html.)

Secretary Thompson takes over at one of the federal government's largest Departments. At $429 billion, HHS has the largest budget among Cabinet-level Departments, representing 23 percent of all federal outlays. The Department has 63,000 employees. It includes:

• Medicare, the nation's largest health insurer, serving 40 million elderly and disabled Americans
• Medicaid, the joint federal-state program providing health care for low-income Americans
• National Institutes of Health, the world's premier biomedical research institution
• Food and Drug Administration, which has responsibility for safety of products representing 25 cents out of every dollar in U.S. consumer spending
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, maintaining a nationwide and global public health network
  
  
• Administration for Children and Families, working with states to provide services especially to low-income families
• and six other primary agencies providing services to Americans.

(Summary of HHS activities is at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2002pres/profile.html.)

The Department traces its roots to the 1798 establishment of the first Marine Hospital, a forerunner of today's Public Health Service, to care for seafarers. In 1887, the federal government opened a one-room laboratory on Staten Island for research on disease, planting the seed that was to grow into the National Institutes of Health.

(Historic highlights of HHS are at http://www.hhs.gov/about/hhshist.html.)

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.