Our Task Forces
Markle Task Forces and a History of Impact
As advances in information technology create unprecedented opportunities to resolve previously intractable problems in society, Markle is dedicated to developing strategies that harness the vast potential of the digital age to enhance the lives of all Americans. At the center of this approach are Markle’s task forces, collaborations of some of the nation’s foremost leaders and thinkers who apply their expertise to some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Together Markle task forces have devised innovative, pragmatic solutions that join technology with new leadership to catalyze sectoral change, particularly to strengthen national security and to improve health and health care. Now, Markle is initiating a new task force to find opportunities for renewal of the American Dream by leveraging technology and advancing public and private leadership and individual action.
Markle Task Force on National Security in the Information Age
As the U.S. began to confront the new, complex threats of a post-9/11 world, the Markle Task Force on National Security in the Information Age convened to address how to transform the intelligence community to address terrorism and other dangers. The task force focused on how information technology and new business models can be deployed to strengthen national security while at the same time protect civil liberties. The Markle Task Force on National Security in the Information Age created a vision of a collaborative environment where information is shared among those at the edges and with policy makers whose mission it is to protect the U.S. In its reports, the task force explored how an information sharing network could allow for the creation of ad-hoc teams to quickly share, analyze, and collaborate around flows of data and new insights to develop a more agile response to prevent terrorism. The task force conceived a comprehensive policy and technology architecture that could facilitate the necessary interactions and collaborations. The task force’s recommendations and numerous reports informed the 9/11 Commission Report and were embraced in the Intelligence Reform & Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 and the Protect America Act of 2007.
Co-chaired by Markle Foundation President Zoë Baird and former Netscape CEO Jim Barksdale, the task force included such members as Eric Benhamou, former Chairman of the Board and CEO, Palm, Inc., and CEO and Founder, Benhamou Global Ventures, LLC; Ashton Carter, Deputy Secretary of Defense; Wesley K. Clark, Retired General, U.S. Army; James Dempsey, Vice President for Public Policy, Center for Democracy and Technology; Esther Dyson, Chairman of EDventure Holdings; Slade Gorton, former U.S. Senator; Margaret Hamburg, Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney General; Michael Leavitt, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, former Governor of Utah, and Founder and Chairman, Leavitt Partners; Craig Mundie, Chief Research and Strategy Officer, Microsoft Corporation; and James B. Steinberg, former Deputy Secretary of State, and Dean, Maxwell School, Syracuse University.
Markle Connecting for Health
Anticipating and accelerating the digital transformation of the health care sector, the Markle Connecting for Health collaborative identified how information technology (IT) can be applied toward improving health and the quality and cost effectiveness of health care. The task force developed a foundational policy and technology architecture for best practices in creating an information sharing environment and produced recommendations on overcoming some of the most stubborn impediments to information exchange between and among medical professionals and consumers. These solutions have since been incorporated into federal policies, including the landmark health IT regulations developed as part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as well as by numerous public and private sector entities across the country. The task force also conceived of the Blue Button, a simple but effective tool that enables millions of Americans to securely download, view, and transmit their personal health information, and thereby assume more active engagement in their own care. Signaling the strong consumer demand for access to personal health information, the Blue Button is now in use by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and several major insurers and pharmacies nationwide.
Chaired by Markle Managing Director Carol Diamond, the task force included Christine Bechtel, Vice President, National Partnership for Women & Families; Adam Bosworth, Co-Founder, Keas; Colin Evans, President and CEO, Dossia Consortium; David Lansky, President and CEO, Pacific Business Group on Health; Peter Levin, Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Mark McClellan, former Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and Director, Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform; Deven McGraw, Director, Center for Democracy and Technology; Farzad Mostashari, U.S. National Coordinator for Health IT; Peter Neupert, former Corporate Vice President of the Health Solutions Group, Microsoft, and Operating Partner, Health Evolution; Herbert Pardes, President and CEO, New York Presbyterian Healthcare System; Todd Park, U.S. Chief Technology Officer; and Clay Shirky, Professor, New York University.
Creating a Public Good for the Public’s Health
Markle presentation at the Institute of Medicine promotes 21st century thinking for population health data challenges.
Craig B. Luigart
"Instead of me trying to recite 15 meds, I was able to take my iPad out, pull my blue button data, and actually hand that to the nurse and physician."