Klasko and Obama grip and grin

Posted Jan 27, 2012 by Lindsay Peterson

Updated Jan 27, 2012 at 11:48 AM

Klasko attended his first State of the Union address

Ask USF Health CEO Stephen Klasko about his trip to Washington to hear President Barak Obama’s State of the Union address and what does he start talking about?

USF and all the other cool stuff that happened this month.

First Lady Michelle Obama recognized USF as one of the top universities for veterans.

The CEOs of the Association of Academic Health Centers and the Association of American Medical Colleges visited to see the big things they were hearing about, like the new Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation opening downtown next month.

All of this on top of a $20 million donation from Frank and Carol Morsani to help build a new medical college.

Unlike the hospitals crying about budget cuts, “we’re transforming health care. We’re transforming Tampa,” Klasko says.

And the speech? Being in the Capitol?

“Obviously it was a thrill.” And it left him as optimistic as ever. Not that he suffers from an optimism deficit, but watching the cable news shows, you’d think Washington politicians cared about nothing but fighting.

Up close, it’s different, he said.

He saw Republicans, of all things, lined up to get the president’s autograph.

He met former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, who wasn’t a dragon lady, but asked good questions about health care delivery.

They want to find solutions, he says.

And, Klasko told them, USF has them.