Veterans Affairs officials plan a new advisory committee of customer service experts to help better identify the needs of patients and beneficiaries — the latest attempt by administration officials to reform the department’s culture and image.
Department Secretary Bob McDonald will announce the committee during President Obama’s visit Friday to the Phoenix VA Health Care System, the epicenter of the care delay and data manipulation scandals that rocked the department last year.
The trip itself is designed to highlight the embattled department’s progress in the last year, including new outreach efforts to patients and renewed promises of respect for veterans.
It also comes two months after Obama traveled to Phoenix but passed on visiting the VA hospital, drawing criticism from conservatives who said he hasn’t done enough to repair public faith in department operations.
The committee — whose members will include private sector, nonprofit and government leaders — will advise VA officials on customer service practices and “the course for longer-term excellence.”
McDonald, who took over the Cabinet post after former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki was forced to resign amid the 2014 scandals, has repeatedly promised to bring his years of business experience and customer service focus to department operations.
McDonald spent more than 30 years at various leadership positions in Procter & Gamble, retiring as CEO in 2013.
But the new secretary has also faced criticism from veterans groups and lawmakers for not enacting change fast enough and for not more aggressively disciplining supervisors connected to hidden patient wait time lists.
Friday’s Phoenix trip will include a roundtable with community leaders, VA employees and veterans groups. White House officials promised additional details on the committee at that meeting.
