[WEEKLYSTANDARD] The Department of Veterans' Affairs fired three bigwigs from the Phoenix VA health care system Wednesday, marking the first dismissals linked to the mismanagement in Arizona since the system's director was ousted in November 2014.
Associate director Lance Robinson, chief of Health Administration Service Brad Curry, and hospital chief of staff Dr. Darren Deering were all removed for negligent performance and failure to provide effective oversight for properly scheduled appointments, according to a news release from the department.
"We have an obligation to Veterans and the American people to take appropriate accountability actions as supported by evidence," Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson said. "While this process took far too long, the evidence supports these removals and sets the stage for moving forward."
The VA proposed the staffers' termination in March, and Wednesday's announcement formalized the dismissals.
"Deputy Secretary Gibson is correct in saying the process took 'far too long'," said Republican congressman Jeff Miller, the chairman of the House committee on veterans' affairs, in a statement. |