Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Taps Shulkin, An Obama Pick, For VA Secretary
Politico: Trump Names Obama Official To Run VA
Donald Trump said Wednesday he will nominate David Shulkin, a medical doctor and the Obama's administration's top veteran health official, to take on the job of secretary of Veterans Affairs. Shulkin, who was nominated by Obama in 2015 and is currently the under secretary for health, was a surprise choice after Trump interviewed a number of veterans advocates, former politicians, and health care executives, including some who turned down his overtures. (1/11)
USA Today: Trump Picks VA Health Official David Shulkin To Take Over Agency
During his tenure, Shulkin told USA TODAY recently that he had cut the number of veterans waiting for urgent care from 57,000 to 600. At the same time, he spearheaded an effort to provide same-day care at all 167 VA medical centers across the country by the end of last year. It’s unclear whether he reached that goal. Shulkin is a physician who previously ran hospitals in New Jersey and New York and was named among the 100 most influential people in American health care by Modem Healthcare. (Slack, 1/11)
NPR: Trump Announces David Shulkin As Pick For Secretary Of Veterans Affairs
Trump considered a series of possible VA secretaries before deciding on Shulkin. Quil reported that he met with Iraq veteran Pete Hegseth, who favors privatizing VA health care, as well as former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), who's a National Guard veteran. Just-retired Republican Rep. Jeff Miller, who was the head of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, was a Trump adviser who was also considered a candidate. Both Politico and The Washington Post report that several possible candidates for VA secretary rejected Trump's overtures. (Domonoske, 1/11)
