ABOUT HART HEALTH STRATEGIES

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The professionals associated with Hart Health Strategies have long-standing experience in strategic planning for legislative initiatives, coalition building, educating key Members of Congress and Administration officials on important health issues, advocating for health related federal funding, and conducting public policy research. These professionals have bipartisan legislative expertise and also have multi-talented backgrounds in health-related fields, including nursing, epidemiology, and health information management.

Vicki Hart has personal relationships with numerous Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. The entire Hart Health Strategies team has longstanding relationships with health committee staff and personal Member office staff of both parties. Our relationships extend to the White House, as well as various federal agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials at many levels. Through extensive working relationships with these staff over the years, we believe that they respect our team's expertise, understanding of the policymaking process, and analytic skills. Beyond key Congressional and agency contacts, Hart Health Strategies also has a pulse on key health advocacy groups. Hart Health Strategies has developed a strong relationship with many medical specialty societies and other key organizations.

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LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

With her decade of service working on health legislation for two Senate Majority Leaders, Vicki Hart has a strong understanding of all of the key processes and considerations of Senate Leadership and floor strategy.

Vicki Hart served as a senior health policy advisor for Senate Majority Leaders Bob Dole (R-KS) and Trent Lott (R-MS). In that role, she was responsible for managing health related issues on the Senate floor agenda, negotiating amendments for consideration by the full Senate, clearing bills advanced by the committees of jurisdiction for passage by unanimous consent, facilitating agreement within the majority party to advance the agenda, drafting legislation and staffing the Majority Leader for committee hearings, floor debates and speeches.

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COMMITTEE EXPERIENCE

Professionals at Hart Health Strategies served as key health staff at the House and Senate committee level. Collectively, they were responsible for negotiating health related legislation before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) over the past two decades, and worked for senior members of the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee.

Given the combined experience of Sue Ramthun and Shana Christrup, Hart Health Strategies understands the specific issues and key challenges with affecting change. Ms. Ramthun and Ms. Christrup served as key health staff at the Senate committee level and over the past twenty years, were responsible for negotiating health related legislation before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, including several reauthorizations of the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and health reform. In addition, Ms. Ramthun staffed the Chairman of the Finance Committee's Subcommittee on Medicare.

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AGENCY EXPERIENCE

Hart Health Strategies has federal health agency experience which is critical to understanding the regulatory process and the implementation of federal law and congressional directives. Individuals at Hart Health Strategies worked at the National Institutes of Health, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Medicare Office of the Actuary.

By working at the National Institutes of Health and participating in the Senate negotiations for the last reauthorization of that agency, Shana Christrup understands the political challenges with trying to gain a toehold in the $40 billion agency. Ms. Christrup also worked at the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. In addition, Russ Mueller served as a Medicare Actuary in the Office of the Actuary and as a Health Services Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service.

Emily Graham has had regular dealings with key federal health care agencies related to a variety of implementation and regulatory issues, including Medicare physician reimbursement, Medicare's quality improvement initiatives and advancements in health information technology (HIT). Specifically, she works closely with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

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BI-CAMERAL EXPERIENCE

We have experience with both bodies of the U.S. Congress. Our staff worked for the United States Senate within leadership, personal offices and at the committee level. In the House of Representatives, staff worked at the committee level and for senior members of all three key health care committees.

The staff at Hart Health Strategies has experience with both bodies of the U.S. Congress: the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. Vicki Hart, Sue Ramthun, Tim Yehl and Shana Christrup worked for the Senate within leadership, personal offices and at the committee level. Sue Ramthun, Tim Yehl and Russ Mueller worked in the House of Representatives for senior members of all three key health care committees: Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor.

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