MISCONDUCT

18 Veterans on Phoenix VA Wait List Died

14 of them had asked for end-of-life care.

Acting Veterans Affairs secretary Sloan Gibson said during a visit to Phoenix’s VA facility on Thursday that 18 veterans died while waiting for medical appointments. 14 of those 18 had asked for end-of-life care, Gibson said. It is unclear whether these 18 are part of the group of 40 patients that VA employees and veterans have said died while waiting for medical care. Gibson says he asked inspector general officials to get back to him with how many of those deaths were associated with delays in patient care. Three senior VA leaders in Phoenix may soon be fired over allegations of misconduct and Gibson promised to release documents that would provide details about wait times at every facility in the VA.