Nation needs effective health officials

Could someone please explain to me how our former Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine received what amounts to be a huge promotion to be the U.S. assistant health secretary? Our state has lagged behind other most other states in administering and distributing the vaccine, and more importantly, getting the vaccine into arms (Jan. 28, “New Pick for Pa. Health Secretary Draws Praise, Hopes for ‘Fresh Perspective’ in Tackling COVID-19”).

Medical leaders and ordinary citizens have been more than frustrated by the lack of planning and guidance provided by Dr. Levine and her office. Even Gov. Tom Wolf has admitted that the rollout hasn’t been good enough. Who recommended that she be offered this elevated position and she going to bring this type of malfeasance to her new role in the federal government?

The only explanation has to be that the Biden administration must not be interested in filling his cabinet with the best and brightest. How else can you explain plucking a mediocre administrator from a state that is currently ranks 34th by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the number of vaccine doses given? How does that ranking qualify you for a promotion?

The nation needs people in positions who can actually get the job done in an urgent and effective manner. Dr. Levine has not shown she has that type of capability on a state level, let alone being able to handle it on a federal level. It would have made much more sense to offer the job to the person who heads up the health department that is ranked No. 1 by the CDC. And that person is just south of us in West Virginia.