The West Wing

I've had several opportunities to attend meetings at the Hubert H. Humphrey building in Washington, DC, which is the home of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is a fine, stately building, heavy on bureaucratic chic, and a worthy anchor of our nation's health care system. However, for better or worse, it is also about a mile and a half from the White House. While distance may be, generally, inconsequential in the era of teleconferencing and blackberries, there is still no substitute, in my mind, for physical proximity to power.

I am therefore placing much significance on the fact that President Obama's designated "Health Czar" and nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Daschle, has secured an office in the West Wing of the White House, eliminating the 1.5 miles he otherwise would have needed to trek to come before the most powerful person in the world. To me, this is a clear signal that President Obama is serious about health care reform, sooner rather than later. The time for advocacy and action is now. Anyone interested in eliminating the tax on employee fitness benefits or reducing the cost of physical activity is encouraged to contact IHRSA immediately.

- Tom Richards