Press Release - Readout of Xavier Becerra and Rochelle Walensky's Meeting with Health Care Provider Groups on COVID-19

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary-designate Xavier Becerra and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director-designate Dr. Rochelle Walensky today joined leaders from more than a dozen major health care provider groups and public health organizations for a virtual conversation on COVID-19 and supporting those on the frontlines of the pandemic.

Becerra and Walensky expressed deep gratitude for the sacrifices that the providers these leaders represent have made over the last year and committed that the Biden-Harris Administration will fight to get them the help they need upon taking office. They emphasized President-elect Biden's promise to push for additional aid for health centers and hospitals and support for doctors, nurses and other health care providers on the frontlines, including through ramped up production and distribution of personal protective equipment, testing and increasing the availability of vaccines. Both Becerra and Walensky affirmed that their agencies, and the rest of the Biden-Harris Administration, will provide clear, science-driven guidance and deliver facts with honesty and integrity as we continue to fight this virus, and to work together with them on vaccine distribution and meeting Americans' long-term health needs beyond COVID-19.

The provider groups emphasized their commitment to work with the administration to promote vaccine safety and confidence, as well as confront inequities and disparities in health care including in the coronavirus response. Additionally, they expressed a shared belief in the importance of restoring public faith in science and public health as well as for stronger and more coordinated federal partnership, both of which Becerra and Walensky agreed are top priorities for the Biden-Harris administration.

Participants in the meeting included:

• Dr. Susan Bailey, President, American Medical Association

• Georges Benjamin, Executive Director, American Public Health Association

• Mark Del Monte, CEO & Executive Vice President, American Academy of Pediatrics

• Dr. Ernest Grant, President, American Nurses Association

• Sr. Mary Haddad, President & Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Health Association (CHA)

• Chip Kahn, President and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals

• Shawn Martin, Executive Vice President & Chief Executive Officer at American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)

• Rick Pollack, President & CEO, American Hospital Association

• Elena Rios, MD, MSPH, FACP, President & CEO, National Hispanic Medical Association

• Bruce Siegel, President and CEO of America's Essential Hospitals

• David Skorton, President and CEO of the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges)

• Mark Wietecha, CEO, Children's Hospital Association

• Dr. Ron Yee, Chief Medical Officer, National Association of Community Health Centers