Taking the Reins: Edward Martin

Sector Vice President, Science Applications International Corp. July 10 59 Topeka, Kan. Arlington, Va. Wife, Kathleen; four children "Ottoman Centuries: The Rise and Fall of the Turkish Empire," by Lord Kinross "My kids" "The buck stops here." Harry S. Truman San Diego From Dr. C. Everett Koop, former Surgeon General: "Just do the right thing."Bachelor of arts, English, University of Kansas, LawrenceM.D., University of Kansas Medical School, LawrenceResident in Pediatrics, Montefiore Hospital and Medical Center, New YorkBefore coming to SAIC, was president of Edward Martin & Associates Inc., a consulting firm to the health care industry and to major health care information management and technology companies. Most recently served as acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, from March 1997 to March 1998, and from January 1993 until March 1994. Before that appointment was principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, from December 1992 to March 1997. He also served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for professional affairs and quality assurance from March 1990 until December 1992.Came to the Pentagon after 15 years with the Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services. Served as chief of staff for C. Everett Koop, then-Surgeon General; director of the Bureau of Health Care Delivery and Assistance; acting deputy administrator of Health Resources and Services Administration; director of the Bureau of Community Health Services. Commissioned in the Public Health Service in May 1975 and held the rank of rear admiral upon his retirement in April 1998.As a physician, I understand the customers in the health care marketplace and the problems they face every day. In my view, information technology can help to solve problems throughout the health care industry by providing solutions to a variety of challenges. For example, technology can assist with the delivery of health care and can help patients by providing access to health care and improving quality. Significant parts of the population have difficulty in accessing coordinated quality health care. SAIC has technology and telecommunications capabilities that can help to address these issues.The health care industry has a series of problems that are interrelated, and two of the most important are the increasing cost of health care delivery and outdated business practices. A lot of health care business practices are based on a technology that is 200 years old: pencil and paper. This problem exists throughout the health care industry and there is no comprehensive, unified solution that can be implemented at this time. Therefore, we have to take reasonably sized pieces of the industry's business practices and solve elements of the problem, moving toward full introduction of technology and biotechnology.