Presidential recess appointments include gay HHS nominee Richard Sorian

President Obama today announced four recess appointments to fill key administration posts that have been left vacant for an extended period of time. The appointments include Richard Sorian, an openly gay man, to serve as the assistant secretary for public affairs in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Obama said of the appointments:

At a time when our nation faces so many pressing challenges, I urge members of the Senate to stop playing politics with our highly qualified nominees, and fulfill their responsibilities of advice and consent. Until they do, I reserve the right to act within my authority to do what is best for the American people.

Laurie Young, Task Force interim director of Public Policy & Government Affairs, responded to the Sorian appointment:

We commend the appointment of Richard Sorian to assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Health & Human Services. The Task Force looks forward to working with him and HHS in continuing to address the health needs and disparities affecting LGBT people and our families. It’s vital to have qualified people in such positions who can speak to the needs of our community.

More details on Sorian from a White House press release:

Richard Sorian is currently a Senior Adviser to the Secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services. Previously, he was Vice President for Public Policy and External Relations for the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), where he directed the organization’s media relations, policy development and advocacy, and relations with employers, consumers, and other key stakeholders. Before working for NCQA, Sorian was Director of Public Affairs for the Center for Studying Health System Change and a Project Director at the Georgetown University Institute for Health Care Research and Policy. From 1993 to 1998, Sorian was a Senior Advisor for Health Policy Communications in the Office of Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna E. Shalala. In that capacity, Sorian focused on health care reform, HIV/AIDS policy, and health care quality improvement. From 1997 to 1998, he served as Deputy Director of the President’s Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry, where he directed work on the Patient’s Bill of Rights. From 1980 to 1993, Sorian was an award-winning journalist covering U.S. health care policy development. He was editor of Medicine & Health and the Journal of American Health Policy. He is also the author of three books: The Bitter Pill: Tough Choice in America’s Health Policy (1989); A New Deal for American Health Care (1993); and The Health Care 500 (1988). He is a graduate of George Washington University and, in 1989, was awarded a Fellowship for Advanced Studies in Public Health at the Harvard School of Public Health.