Sylvia Mathews Burwell
Sylvia Mathews Burwell
Sylvia Mary Mathews Burwellis an American executive who has been the 22nd United States Secretary of Health and Human Services since 2014. Previously she was the Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget from 2013 to 2014...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPublic Servant
CountryUnited States of America
attention both difficult emotional essential holiday medical nurturing obtain round year
Medical attention and emotional support can be difficult to obtain for those in need, yet both are essential to nurturing healthy futures year round and especially during the holiday season.
local oftentimes positive
There are so many local nonprofits making a positive impact every day, and yet, oftentimes we don't hear enough about them or their needs.
bring change committing countries developing farmer hungry keeping leaders meetings needed prosperity resources results small talk voice
Big meetings and big talk are not enough in a world that is hungry for change. Big action - world leaders keeping their promises, and developing countries committing resources while listening ardently to the voice of the small farmer - is needed to bring big results and prosperity to the world's poor.
age bill candidate clinton essential governance ideology leadership practical specifics
In an age when stagecraft, gauzy themes, and sound-bites have too often been substituted for leadership, Bill Clinton as a candidate made it essential to campaigning to take the specifics of governance seriously. Practical solutions were 'in;' ideology was 'out.'
billion business guarantees loans
In one month, the Small Business Administration does $1 billion of loans and guarantees for businesses; many of those are women-owned businesses.
people quality fundamentals
Legislation is about three fundamental things - affordability, access, and quality. That's what the American people want.
people needs want
So we want to make it easier to shop and understand products because many people aren't educated about what's offered - do you know your premiums? Do you know your copays? Do you know your deductibles? And so figuring out ways that we help people understand what this is, how it works, and that they can shop to get what they need.
mom running jobs
My mom didn't run for mayor until she was 65 years old - it was like a second and third career.... The way I've always thought about it is that I don't believe you run for office because you want a job. I believe if you run for office, it's because you have a vision for change. And if I ever came to that point, that's what would lead [me to run]. And right now I'm happily in a position where I believe I can work to deliver impact and work for change.
government people frustrated
I had to sign the paper to shut down the government. It's terrible.... [But] what the shutdown showed many, many people is the importance of the role of government. And as frustrated [as people get with] Washington, there are so many things [the government does] that are so important to people's lives every day. The panda cam, paying small businesses their loans - these are all things that shut down.
passion numbers expectations
I have been fortunate to work in places where people have a passion for their work. At HHS the passion sort of exceeds passion - it's a vocation.... I obviously knew that there were certainly some challenges that I would be taking on both with the work and the politics. [But] I probably did not have the right expectation level with regard to the number and volume of crises that would occur.
country children thinking
Certainly there was the Affordable Care Act part, then unaccompanied children [there has been a surge of children entering the country illegally and without parents, particularly in Texas], and things like, we find smallpox in an NIH lab, after 50 years? Why didn't you find it, like, five weeks ago or three years ago? There was thing after thing. But the big ones were [dealing with] the Ebola [outbreak], the unaccompanied children. [It was] perhaps a bigger challenge than I had calculated on my yellow pad as I was thinking about this role.
morning believe kids
First of all, women inherently, I think, are quite capable of having lots of balls in the air. And so, like, it's all those skills you use; you analyze the problem, figure out your tools, and then go at it piece by piece.... It's like what you have to do in the morning to get your kids out the door [if you're a parent]. The skills are, I believe, the same. The patience issues are the same.
thinking people competition
Can we have a conversation about the substance? That's what I welcome. We're happy to have those conversations if there are places where people think there can be improvements. We want competition in the system, so let's talk about that.
hero people ordinary
Day after day, ordinary people become heroes through extraordinary and selfless actions to help their neighbors.