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| Doug O'Brien |
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| Vice President |
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Doug has broad experience at all levels of government and the private sector, giving him a unique perspective on clients’ challenges and potential solutions. In 2005, Doug was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt to lead the department’s operations in six Midwest states as Regional Director. In this role, he was one of the most prominent figures in healthcare policy in the region. He played significant roles in the roll out of the Medicare Part D drug benefit, developing a national preparedness plan for a possible pandemic outbreak, promoting the use of health information technology, and the development of a national initiative for value-driven healthcare purchasing. He also worked extensively on Medicare and Medicaid policy issues. In 2007 Doug was elected Chairman of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce Health Care Council. The Council is an arm of the largest business organization in the state and examines and promotes policy initiatives to improve the quality, access and affordability of health care across the state. Doug also serves on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. Prior to his appointment at HHS, Doug served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Representative Mark Kirk of Illinois, providing strategic and administrative leadership for the Congressman’s efforts, focusing on healthcare, transportation, armed services and environmental issues. He worked on numerous local issues including Chicago area transit funding, the consolidation of the North Chicago Veterans’ hospital with the Great Lakes Navy hospital, as well as dozens of federal funding projects as well as other national issues. Before joining Congressman Kirk, Doug served as Director of Public Relations for IMC Global, an Illinois-based, international agrichemical company. At IMC, he worked on issues relating to federal Superfund remediation, environmental justice and class action claims, crisis communications, environmental regulation and facility permitting. He also served as the company’s principal spokesman on non-investor issues. Doug also spent time on the Public Affairs teams at both Hill & Knowlton and Kemper Lesnik Communications where he represented a diverse group of clients with particular focus on gaming and environmental issues. He had previously served as the Director of Policy at the Illinois Gaming Board where he conducted extensive research into the impacts of the casino gaming industry. While at the Gaming Board, Doug provided testimony to government panels and made numerous presentations to trade and public policy groups based on his expertise in the economics of gaming. Doug started his career in the public sector in state government, serving as a Policy Analyst in the Office of the Minority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives and as a staff member of the Illinois Department of Central Management Services. In addition, Doug has extensive experience managing and consulting on political campaigns at the local state and federal level. In 1994, he served as Political Director on Illinois Governor Jim Edgar’s successful re-election campaign. He has also been elected twice to represent Illinois as an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention. He also served two terms on the Kane County, Illinois Board of (tax) Review. Doug received his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Notre Dame.
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