Shulkin confirmed to manage VA hospital system
Three months after being nominated by President Barack Obama, the U.S. Senate on Tuesday approved Morristown Medical Center President Dr. David Shulkin as undersecretary for health, Department of Veterans Affairs.
Shulkin, confirmed by a voice vote, is now tasked with managing a scandal-ridden health care system responsible for 9 million military veterans in nearly 1,000 VA hospitals and clinics nationwide.
The department has been under fire since last year, when a news report revealed that at least 35 veterans had died while waiting for care at VA facilities in Phoenix. Those revelations led to the retirement of the previous undersecretary, Dr. Robert Petzel, in May 2014, followed shortly by the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.
Shulkin has served as president of Morristown Medical Center and as vice president of Atlantic Health System since 2010. He came to Morristown from Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, where he was president and chief executive officer.
Shulkin’s career includes chief medical officer roles at Temple University Hospital, the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. As an academic, he also was vice dean and chairman of the Department of Medicine for Drexel University School of Medicine.
“We are thrilled that the Senate has confirmed Dr. Shulkin,” Atlantic Health CEO Brian Gragnolati wrote in an email. “He is a skilled physician administrator, and his deep understanding of quality, access and patient care makes him the perfect choice for this role. We applaud his commitment to our country and our veterans and we thank him for his accomplishments at Atlantic Health System.”
Gragnolati also wrote that Trish O’Keefe, Ph.D, RN, has assumed the role of interim president of Morristown Medical Center.
“Formerly Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Experience Officer, Trish is a highly-skilled and dedicated leader with more than 30 years of experience at Morristown Medical Center, and we are proud to have her at the helm to ensure the continued delivery of high quality patient care.” he wrote.
Obama’s first nominee to replace Petzel for the undersecretary post, Jeffrey Murawsky, withdrew from consideration in June 2014, saying he feared his confirmation could spark a prolonged political battle. Murawsky served as health care chief for the VA’s Chicago region.
Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said Shulkin faces several serious ongoing issues, particularly the implementation of the Veterans Choice Act, a law approved by Congress last year to overhaul the VA in the wake of the Phoenix scandal.
The law authorized $16 billion in new spending over three years, mostly for private care outside the VA, and made it easier to fire poor performing VA executives. The law authorized billions to hire more doctors, nurses and other medical and mental health professionals for VA hospitals and clinics.
Isakson said in a statement that he looks forward to working with Shulkin to address issues facing the VA and “ensure that the VA is well-equipped to deliver the best possible care and services to our veterans.”
Dr. Carolyn Clancy, an assistant deputy undersecretary, had been serving as interim undersecretary for health.
Contributing: The Navy Times
Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-428-6627; wwesthoven@GannettNJ.com.