In the Wake of the Veterans Affairs Scandal, A New Leader Is Named

Following approval from the House of Representatives, the Senate unanimously confirmed Robert McDonald, former chief executive officer, Procter & Gamble, as the new Veterans Affairs (VA) secretary. Mr. McDonald will be tasked with overhauling the agency that has been plagued with scandal in the past few months.

Mr. McDonald is set to replace acting VA secretary, Sloan Gibson, who stepped in
after Eric Shinseki resigned in May amidst the wake of growing concerns regarding long wait times and poor care for veterans.

Mr. McDonald has pledged to transform the VA and promised that the system’s “failures” will be addressed. Patient access to healthcare is a top priority, according to Mr. McDonald, along with restoring transparency in the system and bringing accountability and integrity back to the agency.
Previously, Mr. McDonald spent 5 years as an Army Ranger, rising to the rank of captain in the 82nd Airborne Division. He then spent 33 years at Procter & Gamble. In addition, Mr. McDonald’s father served in the Army Air Corps after World War II. He said that taking care of veterans “is personal” for him.

In addition to the decision on Mr. McDonald, Congress also gave an overwhelming approval on a $16.3 billion plan to aid VA facilities. Components of the bill include helping veterans to see a healthcare provider in a timelier manner, hiring more doctors and nurses to treat veterans, and making it easier to fire senior executives in the agency. The bill allows for $10 billion to be allocated to give veterans access to private doctors at the department’s expense if they cannot get an appointment to see a physician in <30 days. Veterans can also see private doctors if they live >40 miles from a VA facility.

However, many are skeptical as to how long this money will last. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated spending of $35 billion only through 2017, and this estimate hinges on how many veterans opt for private care and how quickly the VA can build its internal treatment capacity.

Newly appointed Mr. McDonald is expected to use $5 billion to hire more doctors and nurses
and >$1.3 billion to open 27 new VA medical facilities in 18 states.—Kerri Fitzgerald