Amazingly, Someone Has Been Fired from the VA

So it is possible.

From the Daily Caller News Foundation:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has fired Toby Mathew from the position of Shreveport VA medical center director after transferring him to another facility in a non-supervisory role.

Aaron Robison, an attorney at the VA’s Office of General Counsel, stated that Mathew was removed from his position on April 13 "based on charges related to general misconduct, and failure to follow policy and provide effective oversight of the Center’s credentialing and privileging program," in a legal memo obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation.

TheDCNF also obtained numerous complaints lodged against Mathew back in September 2016. Those complaints, sent by an anonymous employee to David Shulkin, then-undersecretary for health, former VA Secretary Robert McDonald and other top officials at the department detailed more than two dozen allegations of misconduct against Mathew.

"It is the combined opinion of a significant group of senior staff including both clinical and administrative service chiefs that the situation here has reached the point where action is required," read one of the complaints from Sept. 2, 2016. "I am requesting and strongly suggesting that Mr. Mathew be put on leave effective on receipt of this document, while you investigate these charges."

"This man displays ALL the signs and symptoms of someone suffering from extreme, malignant narcissism," the complaint continued.

Last week Trump issued an executive order creating a bureau in the VA to protect whistleblowers and increase accountability among VA staff.

Maybe this was a signal to start the firing engines.

President Trump this week will sign an executive order to create a new office in the Veterans Affairs Department to increase employee accountability and protect whistleblowers, according to a White House official.

The order will establish the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection within VA, which has for years taken heat from lawmakers and stakeholders for failing to quickly root out problematic employees. Details of the office and who will staff it were not made clear in advance of the signing, but the official said it will help VA Secretary David Shulkin "to discipline or terminate VA managers or employees who fail to carry out their duties in helping our veterans."

The office will also enable the secretary "identify barriers" to his ability to "put the well-being of our veterans first," the official added.

BTW: Thank to the cobloggers for keeping the site alive, and for spelling me on Friday, when I had a commitment.

Sorry it took so long to get up a post. Monday is always a problem because I have no idea what's going on or what's currently going on-- sure, I see this story or that one, but I don't know whether that story is now officially Old or not.

posted by Ace at 01:43 PM

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