A Medical Device Daily

David Nexon, a Capitol Hill health policy expert, will join the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed; Washington) as senior executive vice president, effective Feb. 28.

Nexon brings a 20-year-plus background as the Democratic Health Policy Staff Director for the U.S Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and as senior health policy advisor to Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Massachusetts). His legislative accomplishments include work on COBRA extension of health insurance coverage; Kassenbaum-Kennedy health insurance reform; the FDA Modernization Act of 1997 and the Child Health Insurance Program.

Prior to his move to Capitol Hill in 1983, Nexon served as a senior budget examiner in the Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President, where he was responsible for the Health Care Financing Administration (now the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services). He holds a PhD in political science from the University of Chicago.

Pamela Bailey, president of AdvaMed, said that Nexon's long experience in healthcare policy “give[s] him a keen understanding of the importance of advanced medical technologies in improving patient care. With the increasingly rapid rate of medical technology innovation, we welcome the addition of David to our outstanding team.“

AdvaMed's U.S. policy and legislative team, currently headed by Bailey, includes Megan Ivory, Blair Childs, Carol Kelly and Janet Trunzo.

AdvaMed represents manufacturers of medical devices, diagnostics and medical information systems, reporting that its more than 1,300 members and subsidiaries manufacture nearly 90% of the $75 billion in healthcare technology.