The VA needs a SEC with lots of experience as a large hospital administrator with hiring and firing authority at all levels.
I'll agree with you on the authority but I don't think the next secretary necessarily has to come from the health care field. You can hire that talent. The Secretary needs to be a firm, proven, hands-on leader who is willing to get to the bottom of the mess and use their authority to clean house and set things straight. Problem is that even if Obama were to choose someone like Mattis or Webb and he went to Congress and requested that the new Secretary be given the authority to hire and fire and clean house, the legislation would have little chance of passage.