By Neil Versel
March 25, 2008 | Former U.S. Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) is getting involved in health-IT by becoming a strategic advisor to the parent company of emergency health information network Global Med-Net. According to Naperville, Ill.-based Goeken Group, Hastert will help educate the public on the company’s health-IT and “green” lighting products.
Global Med-Net maintains a database of electronic personal health records and staffs 24-hour call centers for emergency retrieval of patient information, including medical history, medication and allergy lists, insurance information, and medical images.
In a company statement, Hastert says: “Jack Goeken and Carl Scianna identified two major issues facing Americans today: the rising cost of electricity, and healthcare. Together, they have developed cost-saving products and services to address these issues in both areas. This type of innovation is the reason I joined the company.” He could not be reached for further comment.
Goeken is led by legendary entrepreneur John D. Goeken, who founded Microwave Telecommunications Inc. in 1963, a company that later became known as MCI. He also had a hand in the creation of the FTD Mercury Network that links florists worldwide and ground-to-air communications companies Airfone and InFlight Phone. Like MCI, both Airfone and InFlight Phone eventually became part of Verizon.
Scianna heads a Goeken lighting subsidiary called PolyBright International. Hastert, 66, lost his speaker’s post after Democrats regained control of the House in the 2006 election. He resigned his House seat in November 2007.