Shinseki Resigns; Deputy Assumes VA Reins

Erik K. Shinseki resigned as secretary of Veterans Affairs May 30, bowing to weeks of pressure from critics in the aftermath of the scandal in which some VA medical centers allegedly falsified records of health-care treatment. His deputy, Sloan D. Gibson, assumed the role as acting VA secretary. “My personal and professional commitment and my loyalty to veterans, their families, and our survivors was the driving force behind [the] decision,” Shinseki said in a farewell message to VA employees. “Not all veterans are getting the timely access to the health care that they have earned,” Gibson said in his first message to VA employees as acting secretary. “Systemic problems in scheduling processes have been exacerbated by leadership failures and ethical lapses. I will use all available authority to swiftly and decisively address issues of willful misconduct or mismanagement,” Gibson said.