Report of extreme wait times triggers national VA clinic audit
Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric Shinseki has ordered a national audit of all VA clinics, specifically of patient access and scheduling conditions, following a House VA Committee vote to subpoena Shinseki over reports of treatment delays.
The controversy stems from a CNN report alleging that a list of veterans waiting for care at a Phoenix VA hospital was destroyed. Whistleblowers have claimed dozens of veterans have died while waiting for an appointment.
Shinseki announced that the director of the Phoenix VA Health Care system and two others were placed on administrative leave, though in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Shinseki said he himself would not step down. Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and John Cornyn (R-TX), along with the American Legion, have called for Shinseki’s resignation.
Shinseki will testify before the U.S. Senate VA Committee on May 15.
Evan joined TriMed in 2011, writing primarily for Health Imaging. Prior to diving into medical journalism, Evan worked for the Nine Network of Public Media in St. Louis. He also has worked in public relations and education. Evan studied journalism at the University of Missouri, with an emphasis on broadcast media.