VA Secretary Shulkin Still Makes House Calls.

[longknife]

Maybe More VA Doctors Should, Too

And it’s worked throughout Shulkin’s career, according to the Times: “At each stop [Shulkin] tried to stay out of the executive suite and in the examining rooms. When he noticed that the quality of care at Beth Israel was distinctly worse after the sun went down, he began walking the wards after midnight to better understand the challenges of the after-hours staff.”

It’s good to know men like this still care for their patients. Few report anything about Senator Rand Paul still practicing as an eye surgeon.

Story @ VA Secretary Shulkin Still Makes House Calls. More Doctors Should, Too

 

[waltky]

More musical chairs inna Trump administration...

Shulkin Out; Trump Nominates His Personal Physician to Head VA
28 Mar 2018 - After weeks of speculation about the status of embattled VA Secretary David Shulkin, President Donald Trump announced the end of his tenure in a series of Tweets late Wednesday.

"I am pleased to announce that I intend to nominate highly respected Admiral Ronny L. Jackson, MD, as the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs," Trump said via Twitter. "In the interim, Hon. Robert Wilkie of DOD will serve as Acting Secretary. I am thankful for Dr. David Shulkin's service to our country and to our GREAT VETERANS!" Robert Wilkie currently serves as the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness at the Pentagon. Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, a 23-year Navy officer, currently serves as Trump's appointed physician. Jackson first reported to the White House in 2006 following a deployment to Iraq and has spanned three administrations, serving as President Barack Obama's appointed physician before working for Trump. He went through medical school at the University of Texas medical branch, was last in the headlines when he conducted Trump's physical in January.

At a White House briefing, Jackson said that Trump didn't meet the clinical definition of obesity, while adding that he could stand to lose 10 to 15 pounds. He also said Trump could use more exercise and should lay off the fast foods. "He's more enthusiastic about the diet part than the exercise part, but we're going to do both," Jackson said of Trump. "He's just like every other president I've taken care of," said Jackson, who has also conducted physicals for former President Barack Obama and George W. Bush. "On occasion, I have to get the First Lady involved to make sure he's doing what he's supposed to be doing," Jackson said. For Shulkin, the ouster came after months of speculation on his status as his efforts at reform of the second largest agency in government bogged down amid open feuding with Trump administration political appointees, at the White House and within the VA itself.

Shulkin​

Trump had once been profuse in his praise of Shulkin, and in June told him that he would never hear Trump's catchphrase: "You're fired." "We'll never have to use those words on our David," Trump said. "We will never use those words on you, that's for sure." However, the rumors that Shulkin had lost favor escalated last month when VA Inspector Michael Missal accused him of "serious derelictions" in his travel expenses for a trip to London and Denmark last summer. After initially rejecting the charges from Missal, Shulkin accepted responsibility and agreed to pay the Treasury back for the $4,132 airfare for his wife. The IG's office followed up the travel expenses report with another one charging that failures of oversight had put patients at risk at the Washington, D.C., VA Medical Center, a flagship institution among the VA's more than 1,200 hospitals and outpatient clinics. However, Shulkin's major falling out with the administration appeared to be over the expansion of the Veterans Choice Program allowing veterans under certain conditions to opt for private health care.

The White House political appointees had pressed for an aggressive expansion of choice, while Shulkin wanted a more integrated approach that would avoid the "privatization" of VA health care. Shulkin's departure came after the latest round of rumors from Trump associates and the White House on whether he was going or staying. On Sunday, Trump friend Christopher Ruddy said on ABC-TV's "This Week" program that Shulkin would be leaving "very soon." On Monday, a White House aide said Trump had confidence in Shulkin "at this point in time." On Wednesday, Trump's confidence ran out. Throughout his confrontations with the White House, Shulkin had the support of the major Veterans Service Organizations, particularly on attempts to "privatize" VA health care.

Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson​

In a statement, Denise Rohan, national commander of the American Legion, said that "Secretary Shulkin has acted in the best interests of America's veterans and was making meaningful, positive changes at the VA. "Our two million members are opposed to any legislation or effort to close or privatize the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system, and we will continue to work vigorously to ensure our nation's veterans have the efficient, transparent, and properly functioning VA that they deserve," Rohan said.

Shulkin Out; Trump Nominates His Personal Physician to Head VA

See also:

Veteran Kills Himself in VA Hospital Waiting Room, Report Says
28 Mar 2018 - An unidentified U.S. military veteran committed suicide Monday in the waiting room of a Veterans Affairs hospital in St. Louis.

Michelle Woodling, a city police officer, said the 62-year-old killed himself inside the John Cochran VA Medical Center about 4:19 a.m., the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. A U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs spokeswoman told the paper that the agency was "grieved' to confirm that the veteran was found deceased. The agency did not immediately respond to an email and phone call from Fox News. The circumstances leading up to the death were unclear. "Our deepest sympathies are with the Veteran's family and loved ones, our medical center staff and the members of the community affected by this tragic incident," the spokeswoman told the paper.

Meanwhile, embattled Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin continues to hold the post. On Monday, a White House spokesman said President Donald Trump had confidence in Shulkin's leadership "at this point in time." Early Monday, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley sought to dismiss reports of Shulkin's imminent dismissal as head of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the government's second largest department with 370,000 employees. He told Fox News Channel, "we hear these types of rumors every day."

St. Louis VA Medical Center in St. Louis.​

Shulkin, the lone Obama administration holdover in Trump's Cabinet, abruptly backed out of a media availability Monday morning that had been scheduled at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Elsmere, Del., as part of an annual Veterans Summit hosted by U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del. Shulkin told organizers he needed to "get back on the road to Washington." "Secretary Shulkin's singular focus is on finding the best ways to provide care and benefits to our country's heroes," said Shulkin's strategic adviser, Ashleigh Barry, in response to questions about the secretary's public plans in the coming days.

Shulkin's fate has been in doubt since a blistering February report by the VA's internal watchdog that found he had improperly accepted Wimbledon tennis tickets and his staff had doctored emails to justify his wife traveling to Europe with him at taxpayer expense.

Veteran Kills Himself in VA Hospital Waiting Room, Report Says

 

[longknife]

VA Secretary Shulkin fired; White House physician selected to replace him

Anybody that didn't see this coming is blind. It's just been a matter of time and who would replace him.

So, who is this guy?

In 2005 he joined the 2nd Marine Logistics Group, Combat Logistics Regiment 25, in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. From there he deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as the emergency medicine physician in charge of resuscitative medicine for a forward deployed Surgical Shock Trauma Platoon in Taqaddum, Iraq.

From there, he was selected to serve in emergency medicine at the White House under Pres Bush and then Obama, finally serving as primary physician to the president and his staff. Nice to see someone who served on the front lines and has a real view of what military personnel face in combat.

I just wonder if McConnell and the DimocRATs will drag their feet confirming him.

More @ VA Secretary Shulkin fired; White House physician selected to replace him

And some lawmakers are already "expressing doubts" about the admiral's qualifications. Good Lord. He's been responsible for one of the highest pressure medical units in the USA, if not the world. Here's some information on the organization from Wikipedia:

The White House physician has an office inside the White House. The location of his or her medical unit plays an important role in keeping the President of the United States healthy. He or she also oversees a staff which is typically composed of five military physicians, five nurses, five physician assistants, three medics, three administrators and one IT Manager. The White House Physician is metaphorically the "shadow of the President" because he or she is always close at hand whether the President is at the White House, overseas, on the campaign trail, or aboard presidential plane Air Force One. The Physician to the President protects the president's health and may also perform emergency surgery.

The White House doctor is also responsible for providing comprehensive medical care to the members of the president's immediate family, the Vice President, and the Vice President's family. He or she may also provide medical care and attention to the more than 1.5 million visitors who tour the White House each year, as well as to international dignitaries and other guests of the President.

The medical office of the White House doctor is a "mini urgent-care center" containing a physician's office, private examination rooms, basic medications and medical supplies, and a crash cart for emergency resuscitation. Air Force One is equipped with emergency medical equipment, an operating table, and operating room lights installed at the center of the presidential plane for emergency use by the White House doctor, but does not have an X-ray machine or medical laboratory equipment.

To me, this means this officer has not only been an excellent doctor but has to keep a staff razor sharp to perform under great pressure. I hope the hacks in the Senate set aside their stupid politics and look at this man for what he has done.