President Obama will not visit the Veterans Affairs hospital in Phoenix, the medical facility at the center of the scandal over shoddy care for former military members, when he travels to the Arizona Thursday to promote his record on housing.
“I don’t believe at this point this is something he is planning to do,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Tuesday.
“Important personnel changes have been made at that facility there,” he added. “There have been substantial operational reforms in place that are ensuring that the needs of the veterans of Phoenix are being better met by the medical facility. We’re pleased with the pace of reforms that have been put in place.”
The Washington Examiner and other media previously revealed that officials at the Phoenix facility created phony waiting lists for medical care and attempted to conceal major backlogs that whistleblowers said contributed to the deaths of veterans.
The scandal culminated with the resignation of then-VA Secretary Eric Shinseki.
Still, Earnest said “more needs to be done” to ensure the administration is meeting its commitment to veterans.
