Health Coverage Foundation

Mr. Azar received a bachelor degree summa cum laude with highest honors in government and economics from Dartmouth College in 1988. He earned his law degree at the Yale Law School in 1991.

Marlys Bromberg – Co-Founder and Vice President

Mrs. Bromberg and her husband Michael founded the Health Coverage Foundation in 2007, as a charitable organization to provide and promote private health insurance coverage for the uninsured. Mrs. Bromberg's  exposure to the health care system and support of and participation in her husband's work, prompted her to take a closer look at private initiatives to cover the uninsured.

Mrs. Bromberg began her Washington career in the late 1960s as a staffer for then-Senator George McGovern. During her tenure as a legislative aide, she worked for Reps. Herbert Tenzer (D-NY), Elliot Hagen (D-GA), William Hungate (D-MO), and Joseph Addabbo (D-NY). Mrs. Bromberg also worked on a multi-year river basin project for the U.S. Department of the Interior.

An avid gardener and USTA regional tennis champion, Mrs. Bromberg is also the mother of three daughters (Cherise, Carrie, and Melissa) and the grandmother of three. Mrs. Bromberg received her bachelor's degree from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, SD.

Michael D. Bromberg – Chairman, Capitol Health Group, LLC

Mr. Bromberg is Chairman of Capitol Health Group, LLC, a full service government affairs consultancy focusing exclusively on health care legislation, policy and regulation.  He is also Vice Chairman of the Federation of American Hospitals, where he served 25 years as its Executive Director. In addition, Mr. Bromberg holds membership and a past presidential position with National Health Lawyers Association.

Prior to the organization of CHG, Mr. Bromberg was Counsel to Steelman Health Strategies. He served as Chair of the Health Policy Group for the 1996 Dole for President Campaign, and was a member of the National Advisory Commission on Catastrophic Illness. His experience also includes Campaign Manager and subsequent Legislative and Administrative Assistant to former U.S. Representative Herbert Tenzer (D-NY).  An attorney, Mr. Bromberg previously practiced as New York and Washington Counsel for the New York law firm of Tenzer, Greenblatt, Fallon and Kaplan.

Mr. Bromberg graduated from Columbia College in 1959 and received his LLB from New York University Law School in 1962. He is a member of three Bar Associations: the State of New York, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Honorable Bill Frist, M.D. – Partner, Cressey & Company, LP

Dr. Frist is a partner at Cressey & Company LP, a private investment firm focused on the healthcare industry. He also serves as the 2007-2008 Frederick H. Schultz Class of 1951 Visiting Professor of International Economic Policy at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in health care economics and policy.

With his 1994 election to the U.S. Senate, Frist became the first practicing physician to serve in the body since 1928. He rose to Senate Majority Leader in 2002, having served less time in Congress than anyone ever to hold that position. Two years later he was unanimously re-elected as Majority Leader, a post he held until his retirement in 2007.

Board certified in both general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery and recognized as a pioneer in heart-lung transplantation, Dr. Frist founded and directed the Vanderbilt Multi-Organ Transplant Center prior to his public service.

Dr. Frist currently serves on the following prestigious boards including the National Institute for Health Care Management’s Advisory Board, the Clinton Global Initiative’s Global Health Working Group, the Harvard Medical School Board of Fellows, Save the Children, Africare, and the Harvard Medical School Advisory Council for the Department of Health Care Policy.

Dr. Frist graduated from Princeton University in 1974 and received his M.D. with honors from Harvard Medical School in 1978.

The Honorable Bob Kerrey – President, The New School  

Mr. Kerrey is currently the President of The New School, in New York City.  The New School is a legendary, progressive university comprising eight schools designed to foster intellectual freedom, artistic and academic excellence, and social responsibility among its 9,400 undergraduate and graduate students. Mr. Kerrey has been President since 2001, but is most known for his 18-year political career, which included an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic Presidential Nomination in 1992. He served as Governor of Nebraska from 1983-1987, and as U.S. Senator from Nebraska from 1989-2001. He is also a former member of the elite Navy SEAL Team and is a highly decorated Vietnam veteran who earned the Congressional Medal of Honor—America's highest military honor.

Since leaving the U.S. Senate, Mr. Kerrey served as a member of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (“9/11 Commission”).  He also serves as Co-Chairman of The Concord Coalition and co-chairman of The National Commission for Quality Long-Term Care along with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Prior to starting his political career, Mr. Kerrey built a chain of highly successful restaurants and health clubs in his home state of Nebraska as well as Kansas and Iowa.

Mr. Kerrey is a 1966 graduate of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and holds honorary Doctor of Laws degree from New York Law School.

A. Malachi Mixon, III – Chief Executive Officer, Invacare Corporation

Mr. Mixon has been Chief Executive Officer of Invacare Corporation since 1979. Invacare Corporation is recognized as the leading worldwide manufacturer and distributor of medical products for the home health care market. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes an extensive line of health care products for the non-acute care environment, including the home health care, retail, and extended care markets. Today, Invacare has reached approximately $1.5 billion in net sales and is the leading company in each of the following major, non-acute, medical equipment categories: power and manual wheelchairs, home care bed systems, and home oxygen systems.

In addition to being CEO of Invacare, Mr. Mixon also serves as Chairman of the Board of The Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Chairman of the Cleveland Institute of Music Board of Trustees. He also serves on the boards of Case Western Reserve University, The Sherwin-Williams Corporation (NYSE), The Lamson & Sessions Company (NYSE), and Primus Venture Partners. Mr. Mixon is also a founding investor in MCM Capital Corporation, a Cleveland leveraged buyout company.

Mr. Mixon is a graduate of Harvard College (BA) 1962 and the Harvard Business School (MBA) 1968. He served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, attaining the rank of Captain.

The Honorable Tom Scully – Senior Advisor of Welsh Carson Anderson and Stowe

Tom Scully is a Senior Advisor at Welsh Carson Anderson and Stowe, the largest private equity investor in health care and Senior Counsel in Alston & Bird’s Washington, D.C. office. His practice focuses on health care regulatory and legislative matters, as well as on advising clients on health policy and strategies for healthcare delivery.

Prior to joining Alston & Bird, Mr. Scully was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate as the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), where he served from 2001 through 2003. At CMS, Mr. Scully was noted for his instrumental role in passing Medicare reform and marshaling legislation that established the first prescription drug benefit under Medicare.

From January 1995 to May 2001, Mr. Scully served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federation of American Hospitals. His previous government service includes serving as Deputy Assistant to the President and Counselor to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget from 1992 to 1993 and as Associate Director of the OMB for Human Resources, Veterans and Labor from 1989 to 1992.

Mr. Scully received his Juris Doctor from Catholic University in 1986 and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia in 1979.

James “Denny” Shelton – former Chairman/CEO, Triad Hospitals

Denny Shelton is Chairman of the Board, Legacy Hospital Partners, Inc. Previously he served as Chairman, President and CEO of Triad Hospitals, Inc, until its acquisition by Community Health Systems in July 2007.  A long-time healthcare administrator, Shelton founded Triad in 1999 by acquiring a group of hospitals from his former employer, HCA. Under Shelton, Triad Hospitals Inc. owned and managed 53 hospitals and 13 ambulatory surgery centers in 17 states and Ireland, with approximately 9,855 licensed beds. Through its QHR subsidiary, the company also provided hospital management, consulting and advisory services to more than 170 independent community hospitals and health systems throughout the U.S.

Previously, Mr. Shelton held various executive positions with National Medical Enterprises, including executive vice president, senior vice president and regional vice president. He has also served as a hospital administrator in Louisiana, Iowa, North Carolina, Georgia and Illinois.

Mr. Shelton earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Louisiana State University in 1975. He went on to earn a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Missouri in 1977.

M. Keith Weikel, PhD – Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Manor Care (retired)

Dr. Weikel retired as senior executive vice president and COO of ManorCare, Inc. in Toledo, Ohio at the end of 2006. As chief operating officer since 1986, he was responsible for leading a nationwide health care organization of more than 500 locations with nearly 60,000 employees in 32 states, including 276 skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers, 65 assisted living facilities, 114 hospice and home care agencies, and 91 outpatient rehabilitation clinics.

Prior to joining Manor Care, Dr. Weikel was executive vice president and chief operating officer of Manor Health Care Corporation. From 1978 to 1984, he was group vice president of American Medical International, Inc., and from 1970 to 1977, he served in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as Commissioner of Medical Services Administration. Previously, Dr. Weikel was brand manager and manager of health economics with Roche Laboratories. He serves as a director of Laboratory Corporation of America, Direct Supply, Inc. and director emeritus for Manor Care, Inc.  

Dr. Weikel received a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy in 1960 from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science. In 1962, he received a master’s degree in pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin, and in 1966 received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in marketing and economics from the University of Wisconsin Graduate School of Business.

Board of Directors/Financing
The initial funding target for the Foundation is $5 million by the summer of 2008. The Board of Directors would assist in raising funds and collaborating closely with the Founders on the HCF’s key objectives. Board members would also be responsible for making decisions about eligibility, various selection criteria, role of affiliated organizations, and general expenditures. An Executive Director will handle the day-to-day operations of the Foundation.