Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump's Struggles To Fill VA Position Highlight Just How Difficult Job Will Be
With confirmation hearings for Donald Trump’s Cabinet set to start this week, the president-elect still has not chosen a leader for the Department of Veterans Affairs, an agency he vowed on the campaign trail to significantly shake up.It is not for lack of trying. Trump has met with or considered about a dozen candidates to run the second-largest federal department. But none seems to have made the cut. (Rein, 1/9)
In other veterans' health care news —
The deadly shooting spree by a military veteran who dealt with mental health problems has reignited debate about services for vets with post-traumatic stress disorder. Esteban Santiago, 26, who is suspected of killing five people at Fort Lauderdaule-Hollywood International Airport on Friday, told FBI agents in November that the Islamic State terrorist group had gained control of his mind and commanded him to commit acts of violence on its behalf, the FBI said Friday. (Swartz and Shesgreen, 1/7)
