Michael Mussallem, CEO and chairman of Edwards Lifesciences, (Irvine, California), has been named chairman of AdvaMed (Washington). He succeeds Edward Ludwing, president/CEO and chairman of BD (Franklin Lakes, New Jersey), who has led the organization for the past two years.

Mussallem has chaired AdvaMed's Board Payment and Health Care Delivery Committee since 2006, and AdvaMed said that he led the industry's advocacy campaign against changes to Medicare's inpatient hospital prospective payment systems that the organization says "would have negatively impacted patient access to advanced medical technologies." Mussallem said that during his tenure he will "be dedicated, first, to doing what's best for patients, while also working to increase awareness of the benefits of innovation in medical technology, enhance industry ethics and strengthen relationships with key stakeholders on a global basis."

AdvaMed said that Ludwig's time in the office was marked an expansion of the organization's advocacy beyond its traditional focus on regulatory, reimbursement and international issues to include legal issues and to impact the broader health care reform debate. "In addition, Ludwig was responsible for raising the profile of the industry through his support of the association's Value of Technology program and the AdvaMed 2007 conference and exhibition."

"AdvaMed has benefited greatly under Ed's Chairmanship," said AdvaMed President and CEO Stephen J. Ubl. "His experience as a member of the board for a major payer organization and hospital, his devotion to philanthropic works, not to mention running an international corporation on the cutting-edge of diagnostics, allowed Ed to bring a unique and valuable perspective to the opportunities and challenges facing the medical technology industry."

Scott T. Garrett, president/CEO of Beckman Coulter, was named vhair of the Board Technology and Regulation Committee; William Hawkinis, president/CEO of Medtronic, began his term as chair of the Board Payment and Health Care Delivery Committee; and James Mazzo, CEO and chairman of Advanced Medical Optics took over the chairmanship of the Board International Committee. Newly elected AdvaMed board members are Alan Herbert, chairman of Hollister; Thomas Hook, president/CEO of Greatbatch; and Lester Knight, founding partner, Roundtable Healthcare Partners.