VA deputy chief: More employees face punishment

DENVER (AP) — U.S. Veterans Administration Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson says more employees will be disciplined as the department sorts out a scandal over long waits for health care and falsified data.

Addressing a veterans group in Denver on Tuesday, Gibson praised Congress for approving $16.3 billion to help shorten the waits, including $10 billion for veterans to get care from private doctors.

But he cautioned that outside care can’t replace a strong VA system.

The VA announced last week it planned two fire two supervisors and discipline four other employees accused of falsifying health-care data in Wyoming and Colorado.

Gibson said more was coming.

Gibson said a leadership failure was a major cause of the VA’s crisis, along with an antiquated system for scheduling appointments and a shortage of space and medical personnel.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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