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Biography
of Senator Richard T. Moore |
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Senator Richard T. Moore is Senate Chair of the influential Joint Committee on Health Care Financing in the Massachusetts General Court. In that capacity, and as Senate chair of the legislative Conference Committee on health care reform legislation this year, Senator Moore was among the principal authors who crafted the landmark Massachusetts Health Care Reform Law.
Among the provisions of that new law, Senator Moore is especially proud of achieving $1 million for a Statewide Infection Control Program, $5 million for e-prescribing and electronic medical records, $500,000 for support of the Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety, and establishment of a new Health Care Cost and Quality Council that will focus in large measure on patient safety and quality. The six-term senator is constantly in the forefront of issues affecting the health of the people of Massachusetts. His imprint can be found on nearly every piece of health care legislation enacted in Massachusetts since 1999. Widely acknowledged for his leadership in state health care policy and his strong advocacy for patient safety and reduction of medical errors, Senator Moore is the principal sponsor of numerous legislative initiatives including the establishment of the Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety and Medical Error Reduction, a state-based center for research, education, and policy application focused on evidence-based solutions to patient safety issues. He is also the prime sponsor of An Act to Promote Safe Patient Care and Support the Nursing Profession (Senate Bill No. 1260) that would address the nursing shortage and evaluate nurse staffing using evidence-based nursing sensitive measures of patient outcomes instead of one size fits all nurse staffing ratios. He initiated Mass Medline, a toll free information service for access to prescription drug coverage, access to the state’s prescription assistance program, and a clearinghouse for Medicare Part D information that is operated by Massachusetts College of Pharmacy under contract with the state. The program is credited with giving senior citizens and handicapped persons with over $11 million in free prescription drugs. In addition to his leadership post as Chair of Health Care Financing, Senator Moore is an active member of the Joint Committee on Higher Education, the Joint Committee on Bonding and Capital Debt, the Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight, and the Senate Committee on Bills in Third Reading. Prior to his service in the Senate, Senator Moore was a nine term member of the House of Representatives and held the chairmanship of three different standing committees during his service in the House: Taxation, State Administration, and Election Laws. He was also a member of the 1992 Presidential Electoral College from Massachusetts. A former Associate Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the Clinton Administration (1994-1996), Senator Moore was presented the “Distinguished Service Award,” the agency’s highest award, for his service to the Nation in developing a strategy to mitigate the damage caused by natural disasters. Senator Moore is an educational administrator and faculty member serving currently as Visiting Assistant Professor in Health Policy in the Masters in Public Administration program at Bridgewater (MA) State College. He is a former Associate Dean of Students at Assumption College and former Assistant to the President of Bentley College, a past trustee of Quinsigamond Community College and current trustee of Nichols College. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Clark University, Master’s Degree in Student Personnel Administration from Colgate University, and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. He is a former charter member and Secretary of the Massachusetts Health and Educational Facilities Authority. Senator Moore is a member of the Executive Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures as well as NCSL’s Health Committee, Health Chairs Project and Medicaid Task Force. He is a member of the Board of the NCSL Foundation, the Board of Directors of the National Legislative Coalition on Prescription Drug Pricing, and a member of the National Steering Committee of the Campaign for Restoring the Civic Mission of Our Schools chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. He is a trustee of the Clara Barton Diabetes Education Center in North Oxford, and a corporator of the Central Massachusetts Chapter of the American Red Cross. He is also past president of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration and served on the Society’s National Council for the past three years. Senator Moore represents fourteen towns in South Central Massachusetts, and he is married to the former Joanne Bednarz. They reside in Uxbridge. |
