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A top Veterans Affairs official told lawmakers Wednesday that the government’s network of private doctors available to veterans at taxpayer expense is “too complicated” for veterans, physicians and VA employees. Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson, laying out an ambitious plan to merge and expand VA’s private health-care system, said reforming what has become an inefficient, unwieldy bureaucracy is crucial to making outside care “part of the fabric of VA care” to meet a growing demand from veterans. (Rein, 11/18)

The Department of Veterans Affairs cannot rescind a bonus paid to former Phoenix VA hospital Director Sharon Helman shortly before she was fired last year for misconduct, according to a ruling by an administrative judge.​ (Wagner, 11/18)

Rep. John Mica wants to transfer the operations of an empty nursing home on the Lake Baldwin campus from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs to Florida VA. He introduced a bill on Wednesday, hoping that the transfer to the state would speed up the re-opening of the 120 empty beds. "These valuable nursing beds cannot remain vacant at Lake Baldwin," said Mica. “The State of Florida can speed up the opening of the nursing care facility, provide staffing, reduce costs to federal taxpayers and operate more efficiently." (Miller, 11/18)