VA Fires Director Of Troubled Phoenix Medical Center
Sharon Helman had been on administrative leave after reports that records were falsified to hide long wait lists for treatment.
The New York Times:
Health Care Delays Lead To Ouster Of Veterans Hospital Director In Phoenix
Under pressure from Republicans in Congress, the Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday fired the director of its Phoenix medical center, Sharon Helman, six months after she was placed on administrative leave amid revelations that hospital employees had manipulated wait lists to cloak long delays many veterans faced to see doctors. The department said it had “formally removed” Ms. Helman because an investigation by its inspector general had found that “allegations of lack of oversight and other misconduct were substantiated.” In a statement, the new department secretary, Robert A. McDonald, said those shortcomings ran “counter to our mission of serving veterans, and V.A. will not tolerate it.” (Oppel, 11/24)
Arizona Republic:
VA Fires Phoenix Hospital Director
Facing a withering barrage of criticism from lawmakers and veterans advocates, Phoenix VA Health Care System Director Sharon Helman was fired Monday, nearly seven months after her suspension for alleged mismanagement, dishonesty and delayed care for veterans in the system. ... A report by the VA Office of Inspector General found that Helman knew the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix was publishing phony statistics about patient care. It said she included that data in her performance evaluations as a means of collecting bonus pay. (Wagner, 11/24)
The Associated Press:
VA Ousts Hospital Chief In Phoenix Scandal
The head of the troubled Phoenix veterans' hospital was fired Monday as the Veterans Affairs Department continued its crackdown on wrongdoing in the wake of a nationwide scandal over long wait times for veterans seeking medical care and falsified records covering up the delays. Sharon Helman, director of the Phoenix VA Health Care System, was ousted nearly seven months after she and two high-ranking officials were placed on administrative leave amid an investigation into allegations that 40 veterans died while awaiting treatment at the hospital. (Daly, 11/24)
The Washington Post:
VA Removes Sharon Helman, Manager At Center Of Phoenix Health-Care Scandal
Department of Veterans Affairs officials on Monday said they had “formally removed,” Sharon Helman, the director of the Phoenix VA Health Care System, where the largest nationwide scandal in the agency’s history first came to light this summer. ... The action comes amid complaints from a growing chorus of Republicans who said the agency was not acting quickly enough to discipline officials responsible for the wrongdoing, despite legislation this summer to expedite the process for firing VA senior executives. (Wax-Thibodeaux, 11/24)
