Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Veterans Groups Breathe Sigh Of Relief As Trump Picks Insider For VA Post
The New York Times: Head Of Veterans Health System Is Trump’s Pick To Lead Veterans Affairs
In a move that left many veterans groups breathing a sigh of relief, President-elect Donald J. Trump on Wednesday selected the current head of the nation’s sprawling veterans health care system, Dr. David J. Shulkin, an appointee of President Obama’s, to become secretary of veterans affairs. If confirmed, he will be the first secretary to lead the department who is not a veteran. (Philipps, 1/11)
The Associated Press: Trump Picks Veterans Affairs Insider To Lead Troubled Agency
David Shulkin's nomination signals a more modest approach to change at the VA after Trump repeatedly pledged an overhaul. During the presidential campaign, Trump described the VA as "the most corrupt agency" and "probably the most incompetently run agency. "If confirmed, Shulkin would have the rare distinction of being an ex-Obama administration official serving in the Trump administration. (1/11)
The Wall Street Journal: David Shulkin Chosen For Secretary Of Veterans Affairs
Since 2015, Dr. Shulkin has been undersecretary for health at the VA, in charge of the department’s health-care system, an appointment by President Barack Obama that required Senate confirmation. Advocates and those familiar with the department said such continuity is important for a department that has been roiled by scandal that began in 2014, when employee malfeasance and long wait times led to poor treatment and contributed to the deaths of some veterans. (Kesling, 1/11)
USA Today: Trump Picks David Shulkin For Secretary Of Veterans Affairs
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. (Slack, 1/11)
The Washington Post: David Shulkin Tapped As Trump’s VA Secretary
The decision ends a protracted search for a head of the second-largest federal agency and would make Shulkin the first VA secretary who had not served in the military. Trump said he and his transition team had interviewed “at least 100 people” in their search for an executive to carry out multiple promises he has made to improve the care of veterans. In the end, they looked inside. (Rein, 1/11)
Modern Healthcare: Trump Nominates Insider Shulkin As Head Of VA, Says ACA Repeal Will Concur With Replacement
President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday named Dr. David Shulkin, current undersecretary for health at the Veterans Affairs Department, as his nominee to run the VA. In a wide-ranging press conference, his first since July, Trump also railed against pharmaceutical companies, saying they were “getting away with murder.” Those comments sent pharmaceutical and biotech stocks plummeting. (Muchmore, 1/11)
Stat: Trump Picks A Longtime Hospital Administrator To Head VA
Longtime hospital administrator Dr. David Shulkin, the current undersecretary of health for the Department of Veterans Affairs, has been tapped for secretary of the department, President-elect Donald Trump announced on Wednesday. Shulkin has a background in executive hospital leadership, at many hospitals across the country. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1986. He has said his top priorities at the VA were increasing access to care and reducing wait times for veterans. (Swetlitz and Thielking, 1/11)
Bloomberg: Trump Picks Shulkin To Head Maligned Veterans Affairs Agency
President-elect Donald Trump announced that he will nominate David Shulkin to be secretary of Veterans Affairs, heading an agency that has been beset by complaints of delayed medical care for military veterans. Shulkin, currently the undersecretary for health at the agency, “will do a truly great job,” Trump said Wednesday in a press conference where he announced the appointment. He said his administration will “straighten out the VA for our veterans.” (Cortez, 1/11)
WBUR: Trump Announces David Shulkin As Pick For Secretary Of Veterans Affairs
President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he plans to nominate David Shulkin to be his secretary of veterans affairs, a position that requires Senate confirmation. Shulkin is currently the undersecretary for health at the VA, which means he runs the Veterans Health Administration. He was nominated for that position by President Obama in March 2015 and confirmed by the Senate that June. Shulkin's official bio says he is a physician — a board-certified internist — and was the chief executive or chief medical officer of several hospitals and hospital systems. (Domonoske, 1/11)
Cleveland Plain Dealer: President-Elect Donald Trump Says Cleveland Clinic Will Assist With VA Reform
The Cleveland Clinic and its CEO, Toby Cosgrove, will play a key role in reforming troubled Veterans Administration heath care, President-elect Donald Trump told reporters during his press conference on Wednesday. Trump used his first press conference as president-elect to announce he'll nominate current VA Under Secretary of Health David Shulkin to head the institution, and said he'll have assistance from "some of the great hospitals of the world," including the Cleveland Clinic and the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. (Eaton, 1/11)
In other veterans' health care news —
Seattle Times: ‘Angry Piece Of Flesh’: Amputee’s Right Leg Plays Key Part In VA Malpractice Suit
The leg was swaddled in plastic and kept in a freezer when the lawyers came for it.Amputated below the right knee, it had been frozen, thawed and frozen again since its donation more than a year earlier. It had variously been left out in a grass field, hidden in bushes and tucked under a log...Since its recovery in July 2016 from a local nonprofit that used it to train rescue dogs, [Timothy] Kuncl’s amputated limb has become a key piece of evidence in a federal legal dispute. Its very existence may help Kuncl prove his case that negligent medical treatment at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Puget Sound Health Care System ultimately caused him to lose his leg, according to court records filed last week. (Kamb, 1/11)
