Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Toby Cosgrove Would Be Outstanding Choice As New VA Head

Toby Cosgrove, the leader of the very prestigious Cleveland Clinic for more than 10 years, as well as being a decorated Vietnam War veteran, would be an outstanding choice to head the severely struggling Veterans Administration.

When I think of the pure gold standards of US Hospital Systems, the four that come top of mind to me are The Mayo Clinic, Boston's Partners Healthcare, Johns Hopkins and The Cleveland Clinic.....in no specific order.

Given how incredibly messed up the VA is, why would someone so incredibly well qualified as Cosgrove leave the well-oiled Cleveland Clinic machine to lead the VA, which many say is beyond repair?

For two reasons.  First, it would be an incredible challenge.  And second and more importantly, he is a patriot.

That would make four straight very recent visionary Cabinet Level Equivalent post selections by President Obama.....Sylvia Burwell, current OMB head to be HHS head, the modest, hard-driving, vastly underrated current HUD head Shaun Donovan to be OMB head, the current San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro.....the rising political star with very strong housing experience.....to be HUD head and now hopefully Toby Cosgrove to be VA head, whose party affiliation should not be given any consideration.....he offers the country clearly the best chance to fix the severely broken VA. 

How the US Senate Republicans could hold up any of these four critical appointments of all truly eminently qualified people would be clearly beyond the pale, and frankly unpatriotic.