Today, the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest the public policy home of drugwonks.com) is proud to announce the appointment of former Congressman Mike Ferguson as a Senior Fellow and Director of its new Odyssey Initiative for Biomedical Innovation and Human Health.
Ferguson is chairman and CEO of Ferguson Strategies LLC, a government affairs and business consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. Ferguson served in the House for nearly a decade, representing New Jersey's 7th District.
Peter Pitts, the Center's President and former Associate FDA Commissioner, said Ferguson's appointment demonstrates CMPI's commitment to broaden its scope and influence.
“Congressman Ferguson was a strong advocate in Washington for key health care initiatives during the last decade, and he helped to shape the debate about the future of important reform proposals,” Pitts said. “Congressman Ferguson brings to CMPI his compassion for and commitment to those suffering from illnesses, as well as his wealth of experience on Capitol Hill, and that combines to represent a real value-added for CMPI.”
Robert Goldberg, PhD, will help guide the Center's new initiative, and he said Ferguson will be helpful in advancing the deployment biomedical innovation.
“Under Mike's leadership, the Center will show how medical innovations are the ‘green technologies' that can solve our country's most pressing health care problems and help point out when policies and positions are choking off the entrepreneurship and investment that sustain such progress,” Goldberg said.
Ferguson completed four two-year terms in Congress in January, when he also started Ferguson Strategies.
“I'm looking forward to continuing my efforts to accelerate the translation of medical knowledge into better and more effective ways to prevent and treat disease,” Ferguson said. “Medical innovation is the key to making health care more effective, efficient and affordable. We plan to make this case and develop policies that reward innovation in every part of the health care system.”
In Congress, Ferguson served as vice chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, and he was instrumental in securing passage of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. He also led opposition to efforts that would have allowed drug importation and imposed government-mandated price controls for prescription drugs and rationing of health care services.
Ferguson successfully led the congressional effort to secure House and Senate passage of the Lifespan Respite Care Act – legislation he authored – that authorizes $289 million for states to train volunteers to help an estimated 50 million families caring at home for adults and children with special needs. President Bush signed Congressman Ferguson's bill into law in 2006.
Ferguson was the recipient of the 2006 Legislator of the Year Award from the National Visiting Nurses Association, and the 2007 Congressional Award from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
In addition to the Health Subcommittee, Congressman Ferguson also served on the Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee, and the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.
A graduate of Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey, Ferguson attended the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, where he received a bachelor's degree in government. He earned a master's degree in public policy from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Ferguson is chairman and CEO of Ferguson Strategies LLC, a government affairs and business consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. Ferguson served in the House for nearly a decade, representing New Jersey's 7th District.
Peter Pitts, the Center's President and former Associate FDA Commissioner, said Ferguson's appointment demonstrates CMPI's commitment to broaden its scope and influence.
“Congressman Ferguson was a strong advocate in Washington for key health care initiatives during the last decade, and he helped to shape the debate about the future of important reform proposals,” Pitts said. “Congressman Ferguson brings to CMPI his compassion for and commitment to those suffering from illnesses, as well as his wealth of experience on Capitol Hill, and that combines to represent a real value-added for CMPI.”
Robert Goldberg, PhD, will help guide the Center's new initiative, and he said Ferguson will be helpful in advancing the deployment biomedical innovation.
“Under Mike's leadership, the Center will show how medical innovations are the ‘green technologies' that can solve our country's most pressing health care problems and help point out when policies and positions are choking off the entrepreneurship and investment that sustain such progress,” Goldberg said.
Ferguson completed four two-year terms in Congress in January, when he also started Ferguson Strategies.
“I'm looking forward to continuing my efforts to accelerate the translation of medical knowledge into better and more effective ways to prevent and treat disease,” Ferguson said. “Medical innovation is the key to making health care more effective, efficient and affordable. We plan to make this case and develop policies that reward innovation in every part of the health care system.”
In Congress, Ferguson served as vice chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, and he was instrumental in securing passage of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. He also led opposition to efforts that would have allowed drug importation and imposed government-mandated price controls for prescription drugs and rationing of health care services.
Ferguson successfully led the congressional effort to secure House and Senate passage of the Lifespan Respite Care Act – legislation he authored – that authorizes $289 million for states to train volunteers to help an estimated 50 million families caring at home for adults and children with special needs. President Bush signed Congressman Ferguson's bill into law in 2006.
Ferguson was the recipient of the 2006 Legislator of the Year Award from the National Visiting Nurses Association, and the 2007 Congressional Award from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
In addition to the Health Subcommittee, Congressman Ferguson also served on the Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee, and the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.
A graduate of Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey, Ferguson attended the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, where he received a bachelor's degree in government. He earned a master's degree in public policy from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
