Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
VA Employee Accountability Will Be Under Scrutiny At House Hearing
The Washington Post: Will Wrongdoers At VA Ever Be Held Accountable? Lawmakers To Press Top Brass.
House lawmakers plan to press top Veterans Affairs officials this week to explain why, after a series of scandals, they have had limited success holding employees accountable for misconduct. At a hearing Wednesday, the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs says it will examine VA’s “continued and pervasive lack of accountability” for employees who deceived taxpayers and veterans by covering up long waiting times for treatment at 100 medical centers. (Rein, 12/7)
St. Louis Public Radio: Veterans Treatment Courts, Growing In The U.S., Offer An Alternative To Incarceration For Local Vets
Veterans Court Technology Clinic students and supporters watched as seven of their colleagues took part in the clinic’s first formal graduation ceremony. The clinic is part of a special drug court in St. Louis that provides an alternative to incarceration for veterans. It provides job skills for participants in the program. The first such court started in 2008 in Buffalo, NY, and the program has expanded to 220 locations across the country—including in St. Louis, St. Louis County and Jefferson County locations. (Moffitt, 12/8)
