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Dr. Emanuel stumps digital health audience with “who’s that guy?” challenge

Update Attendees at New York eHealth Collaborative’s Digital Health conference this week were treated to a lesson in healthcare policy by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel , chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania and one of a group of Affordable Care Act architects. Amidst a talk on healthcare […]

Update Attendees at New York eHealth Collaborative’s Digital Health conference this week were treated to a lesson in healthcare policy by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel , chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania and one of a group of Affordable Care Act architects. Amidst a talk on healthcare reform and what it will look like when the dust settles, he drew attention to this Affordable Care Act signing ceremony photo from 2010. He directed our attention to the man in the purple shirt and silver tie — a little flashier than the average Congressman, he hinted. No one knew or volunteered an answer.

At the end of the talk when Dave Whitlinger, the executive director of the Collaborative, asked Prof. Emanuel the identity of the man, his response was withering: “As a professor, I don’t like to do my students’ work for them.” Not the kind of acerbic response you’d expect. I did a little digging myself, but came up with nothing.

Update Mystery solved!

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Hilary Campbell said: It is Ryan Smith of Turlock, CA, according to photo captions by USA Today, the West Plains Daily Quill, and others. About Smith, President Obama said “I’m signing it for Ryan Smith, who’s here today. He runs a small business with five employees. He’s trying to do the right thing, paying half the cost of coverage for his workers. This bill will help him afford that coverage.”