This blog has been a bit quiet lately. There hadn’t been much health news in the weeks leading up to the election. It was all-economy, all-politics, 24/7. No blockbuster new drugs, no eureka medical breakthroughs. But now that we know who will be president, that’s starting to change.

The health world is stirring, with rumors arising about who may be named to head Health and Human Services (HHS), and who will be the next commissioner of the FDA, vital roles for the challenging times ahead. Fixing health care is high on the agenda, and the right leadership is crucial. That means people who put patients first, rather than special-interest groups.

Some cynics say it’s getting tough to find a prominent physician or researcher who is free of industry influence. Doctors say it’s getting harder to make a living without accepting payments from drug companies for speaking or consulting services. Accepting payments doesn’t always mean a physician is corrupt, of course. In fact, one doctor I know of works closely with drug companies on cardiovascular research but doesn’t hesitate to raise hell and fight for what’s right, keeping the good of patients in mind. He’s not always popular for it, but he’s got the experience, brain power, and passion that would make him a great beacon for change.

But most agree that such payments should at least be publicly disclosed.

The Physician Payments Sunshine Act, sponsored by Senators Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Herb Kohl (D-Wisconsin) would require all payments to physicians that exceed $500 a year to be in a public registry operated by HHS. The New York Times published two passionate editorials on this subject, one in September, “Whose Best Interest?” and one in October, “Drugs and Disclosure.” They concluded that "Patients have a right to know who else is paying their doctors and why.”

Absolutely. We need affordable, high-quality health care for all, and we won't get there unless we put the needs of the people first. Public disclosure of payments would be a good first step.

Coming next: Big news from the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in New Orleans this week.