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Dellinger focusing on VA accountability issue
American Legion National Commander Daniel Dellinger will travel across the country over the next few days as he continues to call for better accountability in the Department of Veterans Affairs. The national commander will start the tour talking to veterans about their health care and end it testifying before a Senate hearing called to investigate the state of VA health care.
Dellinger – who on May 5 called for the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki and his top two under secretaries for “poor oversight and failed leadership” – will attend a Legion-sponsored veterans town hall in Phoenix on May 13.
The hearing will focus on the quality of health care veterans are receiving from the Phoenix VA Health Care System, where it is alleged staff maintained a secret list of patients who waited many months for the scheduling of medical appointments. The list has been linked to as many as 40 patient deaths at the Phoenix VA Health Care System, according to a CNN report.
The town hall meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Tony F. Soza-Ray Martinez Thunderbird Post 41, 715 S. 2nd Ave. Those who have served in the U.S. military, especially veterans receiving health care at the Phoenix VA facility, are encouraged to attend.
Earlier in the day on May 13, Dellinger will appear on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” at noon ET to discuss the issues facing VA and why The American Legion believes a change in leadership is needed. In the past week, Dellinger also has appeared on NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, CNN, Fox News and Fox Business News.
And at 10 a.m. on May 15, Dellinger will be back in the nation’s capital to deliver testimony to the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing that will focus on what the VA health care system does well and how it can improve care for veterans. Shinseki also will testify at the hearing.
Check back at www.legion.org to find out how to watch the town hall meeting and Senate hearing online. For more on VA’s problems and the Legion’s call for improvements, click here.