Acting VA secretary to inspect Phoenix hospitals

PHOENIX — The interim head of the Veterans Administration will be in Phoenix Thursday to inspect changes after the agency was rocked by a scandal.
Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Sloan Gibson will visit the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix to see how changes are being implemented and to meet with various staffers and politicians.
The VA, especially in Phoenix, has been a source of ire for the nation after it was revealed secret wait lists were used to simulate low wait times for veterans while leaders collected bonuses. In reality, veterans were waiting more than 100 days for an appointment and some had yet to be seen by a primary care physician.
The former secretary, Gen. Eric Shinseki, resigned last week shortly after firing several Phoenix administrators.
On Thursday, Gibson said each of the 1,700 Phoenix veterans awaiting care had been contacted.