NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Miami, FL, United States, 01/07/2009 - Dr. Marion D. Thorpe, Jr. weighs-in on open US Senate seat in Florida.

Florida’s former Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Marion D. Thorpe Jr., has expressed interest in running for the US Senate seat being vacated by Florida Senator Mel Martinez. Thorpe is best known for his strong advocacy of an improved quality Health Care system that is made affordable and effective while improving accessibility for all people. As Chief Medical Officer he sought to bolster Information Technology alongside improvement of baseline Patient services offered by Florida’s HMOs and Public Health care providers to ensure better care on all levels.

Thorpe is a longtime political player in Florida who has toured the state for his work in the Health Care field. In 1998, then Gov. Jeb Bush appointed him to spearhead the State of Florida’s Comprehensive Health Information Systems panel and in 2005 named him Chief Medical Officer for Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration. As a former Health Care CEO and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Thorpe has led the integration of emerging technologies into Florida Health Care and Medicine since the 1990s. He has served on numerous health care boards, including Chairman of the Information Technology Board of the Broward County Medical Association (BCMA) and the Governor's Health Information Infrastructure Advisory Board.

In 2008, Thorpe ran against Democratic Congressman Alcee Hastings for Florida’s 23rd US Congressional District. Said Thorpe about the race “I knew that the race was an uphill battle, but I also knew that somebody needed to raise awareness in the district for the sake of the people.” To this end Thorpe launched an initiative to introduce life skills training and financial literacy to schools and teen programs in the district, culminating in the Thorpe for Youth Initiative. “Team Thorpe accomplished a tremendous success in 2008. Our platform and the programs we set in motion are succeeding beyond what I could have imagined.”

Thorpe’s US Senate platform, should he formally enter the race, will focus on Health Care, Education and on bringing jobs back to Florida. When questioned about how to bring the state out of recession, he added the following, “Florida certainly has the potential for a vibrant agricultural uptick and a sustainable Health Care based economy. Our state has the technology and the ability to lead the nation in areas ranging from the development of domestically produced energy sources to discovery of cutting-edge Medical advances. There is simply no excuse for the double digit unemployment levels that have plagued many parts of the state and I’m committed to fighting for a solution to this pervasive problem during the 2010 election cycle.”

Agency / Source: Thorpe For US Senate

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