VA Secretary Says Inability To Quickly Fire Staff Is A Vulnerability For Agency

Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin is asking Congress to draft accountability legislation to make the process easier. "Our accountability processes are clearly broken. We have to wait more than a month to fire a psychiatrist who was caught on camera watching pornography using his iPad while seeing a veteran," Shulkin said.

Reuters: VA Chief Presses Congress To Make It Easier To Fire Workers For Misconduct

Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin urged Congress on Wednesday to pass a law that would let him respond more quickly to employee misconduct, such as the case of a psychiatrist who was caught watching pornography on an iPad while seeing a patient. Shulkin, in a briefing on the state of the department, said that veterans' access to medical care had improved significantly since a scandal over wait times three years ago prompted the resignation of a VA secretary and forced major reforms. (Alexander, 5/31)

In other VA news —

The Wall Street Journal: Veterans Affairs Chief Says Medical Marijuana Drawing Interest As Potential Treatment

Dr. David Shulkin, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, said Wednesday that medical marijuana may benefit veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, and encouraged lawmakers to debate the issue. “There may be some evidence that this is beginning to be helpful, and we’re interested in looking at that,” Dr. Shulkin told reporters at the White House when asked about medical marijuana. (Bender, 5/31)

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