Washington, D.C. – January 5, 2018 – today, NORD sent the following letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in support of Alex Azar’s candidacy for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):
Dear Senators,
On behalf of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), which represents the 30 million Americans with a rare disease, I am writing to support the candidacy of Alex Azar as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
HHS is critical to the health and social services needs of the rare disease patient community. HHS needs a Secretary who can intelligently and perceptively manage the large and diverse issues facing our healthcare system. Alex Azar has outstanding credentials for this job, based on his extensive management experiences and deep understanding of our healthcare system.
He understands the needs of the patient community and particularly the challenges of the rare disease community and the urgency of orphan drug development.
While we inevitably will discuss and debate policies that affect the rare disease community, what we value most is a Secretary who will listen carefully and decide thoughtfully.
We ask that you expedite his confirmation process so that he can take office quickly and start on the challenges that lay before him.
Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,
Peter L. Saltonstall
President and CEO
Media Contact:
Laura Mullen
(203) 304-7258
lmullen@rarediseases.org