Political Quotes

“look, now more than ever, the Department of Veterans Affairs needs a steady hand to guide the Veterans Health Administration. This is the Nation's largest integrated healthcare system, and its job is to deliver quality and timely care to our veterans. I rise today because in about 15 minutes, we are going to vote on the confirmation of Dr. Shereef Elnahal to run the Veterans Health Administration. He has an impressive record of leading healthcare systems and health agencies. Most recently, Dr. Elnahal served as president and CEO of University Hospital in Newark, NJ, and, previous to that, New Jersey's 21st health commissioner. But more importantly than that, Dr. Elnahal is committed to caring for the more than 9 million veterans in VA's care--a commitment he carried out as Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Quality, Safety, and Value at the Department. It is no secret that VHA and healthcare systems and providers are going through a challenging time. The VA continues to battle the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, with veterans' cases and hospitalizations and deaths on the rise again. And VA staff are dealing with burnout and increased turnover. In the past, this body has been able to rise above politics to install qualified individuals at the VA responsible for getting vets the healthcare and benefits they need today. This is also very, very important because the VA is in the process of putting in an electronic health record.…”