The entire Arizona congressional delegation sent a bipartisan letter on Friday to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald urging that he take the necessary steps to ensure that a permanent replacement head of the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System (PVAHCS) is expediently appointed.
The letter was prompted by concerns over the lack of leadership continuity at PVAHCS due to a federal regulation that typically only allows for interim directors to serve in 120-day increments. PVAHCS has had two interim directors since former Director Sharon Helman was placed on administrative leave in May amid allegations of pervasive fraud and mismanagement on her watch.
The letter reads:
Dear Secretary McDonald:
We write regarding the lack of leadership continuity at the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System (PVAHCS).
As you are aware, the former director of PVAHCS, Sharon Helman, was placed on administrative leave amid allegations of pervasive fraud and mismanagement on her watch. Since that time, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital in Phoenix has seen two interim directors and could easily see a third if the situation is not remedied. The current head of PVAHCS, Glenn Costie, is scheduled to serve until early November. Consistent with federal regulation, temporary details of Senior Executive Service (SES) employees to another SES position are typically made in 120-day increments. We understand that there are no plans to extend Mr. Costie’s detail if a permanent replacement has not been identified at the end of his current appointment.
Surely, we can agree that the circumstances surrounding the recent issues at VA facilities around the country are anything but typical and that the Phoenix VA hospital would benefit from increased stability among leadership. Toward that goal, we request that you take the necessary steps to ensure that a permanent replacement the Phoenix facility is expediently appointed.
We appreciate your attention to this matter and ask that this request be carried out in strict accordance to agency rules, regulations, and guidelines.
Sincerely,
JEFF FLAKE
JOHN MCCAIN
ANN KIRKPATRICK
PAUL GOSAR
ED PASTOR
RON BARBER
MATT SALMON
TRENT FRANKS
RAUL GRIJALVA
DAVID SCHWEIKERT
KYRSTEN SINEMA