I agree with the veterans groups as well as the legislators who question Trump’s appointment of Dr. Ronny Jackson. He has little background in leading and managing large complex organizations. He served his country admirably as a Navy Rear Admiral in war zones in medical capacities, in military medical facilities
According to a national news source:
“Jackson was deployed to Iraq after he joined the 2nd Marines in 2005, according to his Navy biography. He served as the emergency medicine physician in charge of resuscitative medicine for a forward deployed Surgical Shock Trauma Platoon.
While still in Iraq, Jackson was tapped as a White House physician in 2006. He has overseen the physicians for Camp David presidential retreats, led the White House Medical Unit and directed the executive health care for the Cabinet and senior staff members, according to his biography. He’s been a White House physician since Bush”
None of his experience would indicate he has the skills, knowledge, and certainly not the credentials to LEAD and MANAGE the VA – 360,000, correct 360,000 employees who serve 9 million, yes 9 M veterans. Similar size companies would be UPS 399K employees, Home Depot 340K employees, Toyota, 364K employees and Berkshire Hathaway, 367K employees.
The VA will require the skills of a highly experienced leader and manager, not necessarily a doctor, not necessarily a veteran, but experience that would indicate he/she can run an organization of that size. Who might that be? Pick a CEO of one of the Fortune 500 companies. What about medical knowledge? Skilled CEO’s careful pick direct reports who have the knowledge to run the “technical” side of the business … in this case, razor-sharp doctors with leadership skills, corporate style Chief Financial Officers, Information Technology executives, executives of medical equipment and engineering companies, and the like.
Certainly there are docs out there who have the experience to run the VA! CEO’s of the Cleveland Clinic and the Mayo Clinic would be examples. Many hospital administrators are not doctors, but great leaders and managers, and successfully manage large medical organizations.
I hope for the sake of the vets that Dr. Jackson has the wherewithal to lead and manage the VA. Odds are we are heading for another VA disaster.
As a side note, Trump does not have a great track record of picking outstanding leaders. And, he has dismissed good leaders who don’t agree with him (Rex Tillerson). The thing is, poor leaders usually can’t pick great leaders!
*****S&E*****
Success & Excess 