Windhover Information proudly presents:

Grassroot Strategies for Improving Patient Access
to Innovative Medical Technology

Tom Tremble
Associate Vice President,
Government and Regional Affairs
AdvaMed

As AdvaMed's Associate Vice President of Government and Regional Affairs, Tom Tremble is responsible for state government relations and liaison with state and regional device groups.

In directing the state program, he works closely with the state affairs committee to identify, track, and influence priority legislation that would impact patient access to medical technology. Among issues that he is involved with are technology assessment, treatment guidelines, and marketing restrictions. He has also played a major role in the association's involvement in state health care reform, clinical laboratory licensure, facility licensure, and product liability.

In addition to state government relations, Mr. Tremble played a key role in establishing the association's political action committee, and has also been involved in activating grassroots advocacy on key federal issues.

Prior to coming to AdvaMed, he worked in the U.S. Senate for the Select Committee on the Iran-Contra Affairs and the Arms Control Treaty Office, where he worked with committee staff reviewing the intermediate nuclear forces treaty with the Soviet Union. He also worked as a Legislative Assistant in the Maine Legislature.

He is a graduate of the University of Maine with a B.A. in Political Science.

Valery E. Gallagher
Director, U.S. State Government Affairs
Baxter Healthcare Corp.

Valery E. Gallagher is Director, US State Government Affairs for Baxter Healthcare Corp., founded in 1931 and headquartered in Deerfield, IL. Ms. Gallagher and her team advocate and advance the Fortune 250 health care company’s life-saving and life-sustaining state and local public policies. Their work focuses on initiatives for patients with hemophilia, end-stage renal disease, primary immune deficiencies and other chronic diseases, as well as for patients being served in acute care centers.

Baxter is a global diversified healthcare company that applies innovative science to develop biotechnology products, specialty therapeutics and medical devices that save and sustain patients’ lives.

Ms. Gallagher joined Baxter in 2006 from the inaugural Strategic Health Policy team in Abbott Laboratories’ Pharmaceutical Products Division (PPD). With Abbott since 1997, she was promoted six times to increasing levels of leadership within the State Governmental Affairs team, leaving a post as Regional Director to join PPD in 2005.

Ms. Gallagher started her career as a legislative page for the Illinois State Senate Minority Leadership in the summer of 1984. She followed that position with other roles of increasing responsibility with the Connecticut State Senate, US Senate Republican Campaign Committee, and the Lake County, Illinois Republican Party.

In addition to her professional experiences, Ms. Gallagher has extensive community involvement. She is proud of her service to the International Republican Institute, Illinois Channel Advisory Board, Illinois Lincoln Series-Excellence in Public Service and is a member of the Board of Directors of Nicasa, a Northern Illinois social service organization.

Ms. Gallagher holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree from Bradley University.

Thomas J. Sommer
President
Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council (MassMEDIC)

Tom Sommer was named the first president of the Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council (MassMEDIC) in October 1996 by the organization’s founding Board of Directors. Since that time, Mr. Sommer has served as the association’s chief executive officer, managing its day-to-day operations and working with medical device industry executives in developing its policy agenda. Since its establishment, MassMEDIC has grown to 400 member companies – manufacturers and developers of medical products, suppliers, research institutions and academic health centers - and has advanced the public policy interests of the Massachusetts medical device sector on Capitol Hill, Beacon Hill, and before various federal agencies.

Prior to his appointment at MassMEDIC, Mr. Sommer served as a vice president of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, where he managed external relations and research activities for this quasi-state agency from 1994-1996. He was vice president for policy and communications of the New England Council, a regional business organization, from 1989-1994.

Mr. Sommer was deputy director of the Massachusetts Office of Federal-State Relations in Washington, D.C. and Boston from 1983-1987, serving as a member of Gov. Michael S. Dukakis’s senior staff. From 1980-1983, he was a legislative assistant at the National Association of Development Organizations, a Washington-based association of local economic development officials.

Mr. Sommer received his B.A. in political science from Boston College and a master’s degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.