Great points, Virginia, to a really provocative question. It will be interesting to see how Gupta handles the crowd inside the Beltway and whether he can thrive in a world filled with red tape and bureaucracy.
Yesterday, Dr. Nancy Snyderman of NBC was talking about the possible appointment, and made what I thought was a good point: That Gupta, besides being an accomplished neurosurgeon, is a proven communicator, and that in a country where a broken health care system needs overhaul, that's a very valuable skill.
If Gupta were to take the position, much of the country already has a "relationship" with him on a more personal level -- he's been in their living rooms, telling them about aspects of health care. Right off the bat, he has a higher identification factor than even C. Everett Koop would have when he was named. Perhaps that "celebrity" factor will actually end up being in his favor in terms of how closely Americans listen to what he's saying. We have become, for better or worse, a society completely enveloped by star power.
Let's hope that his "outsider" status helps, and not hinders, the job he's got to do.
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Great points, Virginia, to a really provocative question. It will be interesting to see how Gupta handles the crowd inside the Beltway and whether he can thrive in a world filled with red tape and bureaucracy.
Yesterday, Dr. Nancy Snyderman of NBC was talking about the possible appointment, and made what I thought was a good point: That Gupta, besides being an accomplished neurosurgeon, is a proven communicator, and that in a country where a broken health care system needs overhaul, that's a very valuable skill.
If Gupta were to take the position, much of the country already has a "relationship" with him on a more personal level -- he's been in their living rooms, telling them about aspects of health care. Right off the bat, he has a higher identification factor than even C. Everett Koop would have when he was named. Perhaps that "celebrity" factor will actually end up being in his favor in terms of how closely Americans listen to what he's saying. We have become, for better or worse, a society completely enveloped by star power.
Let's hope that his "outsider" status helps, and not hinders, the job he's got to do.
January 8, 2009 - 10:23amThis Comment
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