Former Daily News editorial writer and columnist Bill Hammond has a new gig as director of health policy at the Empire Center for Public Policy, a well-regarded Albany-based conservative think tank.
In the newly created role, Hammond will focus on the impact of Albany and Washington health care decisions on patients, providers, taxpayers, and the economy. He’ll be charged with writing and editing reports, policy briefs, and blog posts as well as organizing public forums and offering expert commentary to the media and policymakers.
“His skills and experience will make him a formidable watchdog for New York’s health-care consumers,” said Empire Center Executive Director Timothy Hoefer.
Hammond, who starts his new job on Monday, worked for the News from 2005 to 2015. His sometimes scathing, but always thoughtful and insightful weekly column was long considered a must-read at the state Capitol and beyond.
Before joining the News, the Harvard University graduate worked for The New York Sun, The Daily Gazette of Schenectady, and The Post Star of Glens Falls.
He authored a report for the Empire Center in December titled “Unhealthy Risk” that looked into the reasons a major health plan in New York collapsed.
He was selected in the early 1990s for a week-long fellowship at the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism to study President Bill Clinton’s health reform plan and has frequently written about the health care industry in New York during his journalism career.
“With the confluence of Obamacare and Gov. Cuomo’s Medicaid overhaul, this is an unprecedented period of change for New York’s health-care industry,” Hammond said. “I’m excited that the Empire Center is giving me a platform to speak up for health-care consumers and to hold policymakers accountable.”
A graduate of Albany High School, Hammond lives in Saratoga Springs.
© 2016 Daily News
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