Two top staff leaders have been removed from the Manchester, New Hampshire, VA Medical Center (VAMC) following recent whistleblower-related allegations, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The VAMC’s director and chief of staff were removed from their positions, according to a press release. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. David Shulkin declared the need for utter transparency.
“These are serious allegations, and we want our Veterans and our staff to have confidence in the care we’re providing,” stated Dr. Shulkin. “I have been clear about the importance of transparency, accountability and rapidly fixing any and all problems brought to our attention, and we will do so immediately with these allegations.”
During the period of scrutiny, a VA director from another facility will take over leadership duties until a new chief of staff is appointed: Alfred Montoya, who served as the director of the VAMC in White River Junction, Vermont.
According to an article published in The Boston Globe, at least one physician at the Manchester facility Dr. William “Ed” Kois considers the care rendered to patients as “substandard." The article resulted in the termination of the VAMC executives within hours of publication, the newspaper stated.
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