The Veterans Affairs Department has created a task force to evaluate candidates for the VA's top health post.
Effective Tuesday, a nine-member commission is meeting in Washington to select the next undersecretary for health for the Veterans Health Administration—the primary department within the VA and the largest health system in the U.S. Dr. Robert Petzel previously held the position, but he resigned in May after revelations of secret waiting lists and VA mismanagement came to light.
“This is one of the most important jobs in government today,” VA Acting Secretary Sloan Gibson said. “This is the largest integrated healthcare system in the country. We need a leader who will be a change agent and deliver necessary reforms to provide our veterans timely access to the world-class healthcare they've earned and deserve.”