BISA Represents at Patient Consumer and Public Health Coalition Meeting with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
Washington, DC: On May 16, 2023 members of the Patient, Consumer and Public Health Coalition met with members of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to discuss issues related to prescription and medical device approvals, surveillance and oversight, and how CMS is providing information to the public.
In person meeting attendance included Dr. Diana Zuckerman (National Center for Health Research); Dr. Thomas Eagen (National Center for Health Research); Denise Hyater-Lindenmuth (National Women’s Health Network); Christine Petrin (Doctors for America); Sophia Phillips (PCPH Coalition.) Virtual attendance included Alea Sabry (American Medical Student Association UW-Madison); Haleemah Atobiloye (Breast Cancer Action); Maria Gmitro (Breast Implant Safety Alliance); Liz Borkowski (Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health); Suzanne Robotti (MedShadow Foundation); Lisa McGiffert (Patient Safety Action Network); Dr. Tess Schulman (Medical Device Problems); Helen Haskell (Mothers Against Medical Error); Yanling Yu (Washington Advocates for Patient Safety); Kim Witczak (WoodyMatters); Dru West (USA Patient Network).
Members of CMS included Jon Blum, Principal Deputy Administrator (in-person); Dr. Lee Fleisher, Director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality and Chief Medical Officer (virtual); Kristiana Yao, Senior Advisor, Office of the Administrator (in-person).
The Patient Consumer and Public Health Coalition is a collection of professionals with a mission “to ensure access to safe, effective, and affordable drugs and medical devices and safeguards against unsafe exposures from medications, personal care products, and other products in our daily environment. The Coalition is also dedicated to enhancing the ability of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to promote and protect the health of adults and children through enforcement of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act.”
The meeting was a productive, open conversation that the Coalition hopes to continue with Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). BISA is thankful to Dr. Diana Zuckerman and the National Center for Health Research for organizing this meeting.
Breast Implant Safety Alliance (BISA) is a 501(c)3 women-owned nonprofit, patient-centered organization dedicated to improving breast implant safety and awareness—through direct collaboration with consumers, medical professionals, manufacturers, regulators, and advocates. BISA is a 100% volunteer organization not funded by implant manufacturers.
Contact: Maria Gmitro, President | 843.501.6873 | maria@bisanonprofit.org