Everything You Need To
During Trump's first press conference since his election, the president-elect announced his pick for the Secretary of Veteran Affairs: David Shulkin. Here's what you need to know about Trump's latest appointee.
Shulkin Currently Works At The VA, And Was Appointed By President Obama
Shulkin is currently the under secretary for health at the VA, which means he runs the Veterans Health Administration. He was nominated for that position by President Obama in March 2015 and confirmed by the Senate that June.
[NPR]
Shulkin Will Be The First Secretary Of The VA To Have Never Served In The Military
The decision ends a protracted search for a head of the second-largest federal agency and makes Shulkin the first VA secretary who did not serve in the military. Trump said he and his transition team had interviewed "at least 100 people" in their search for an executive to carry out multiple promises he has made to improve the care of veterans. In the end, they looked inside.
Before Joining The VA, Shulkin Led Several Hospitals And Workes As A Physician
Prior to being nominated by President Obama and unanimously confirmed by the Senate in June 2015, Shulkin served as president of Morristown Medical Center, Gorybe Children's Hospital, and Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute, and the Atlantic Health System Accountable Care Organization. A board-certified internist and a fellow of the American College of Physicians, Shulkin would be the first non-veteran to ever serve as VA secretary[.]
[NBC]
Unlike Some Others That Were Being Considered, He Doesn't Favor Full Privatization Of The VA
He is likely to embrace a more modest approach to changes at the VA, having expressed support for closer ties with the private sector but opposing full privatization as undesirable.
Shulkin's Main Goal After Joining The VA, Was To Increase Patient Access To The VA
After joining the VA in 2015, Shulkin — who is not a veteran — pushed an initiative to expand nurses' authority to provide care, part of an effort to reduce the VA's backlog. "My number one imperative is to address the access issue among veterans," he told The Washington Post in 2016. "What we know about American medicine is that our supply of health-care professionals is not equally distributed. In rural areas, we have severe shortages. I've seen firsthand how difficult it is to recruit to some of the areas where our veterans live. We have a shortage of both nurses and physicians. We are recruiting thousands of doctors and advanced-practice nurses."
[CNN]
