David Shulkin (physician and U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs)

Career and official roles

Shulkin trained and worked as a medical doctor before moving into hospital management and executive leadership. He was nominated by President Barack Obama on March 18, 2015 and sworn in as Under Secretary for Health on July 6, 2015. On January 11, 2017 President-elect Donald Trump announced he would nominate Shulkin to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, and Shulkin subsequently served as VA Secretary beginning in February 2017. He is sometimes described in reports as the first VA secretary who had not served in the armed forces.

Responsibilities and initiatives

• Management of the Veterans Health Administration and its medical centers, clinics and programs.
• Efforts to reduce wait times and improve access to care while maintaining an integrated VA health-care system.
• Exploration of options to expand veterans' access to non-VA providers in certain circumstances.

Controversies and departure

Shulkin's tenure attracted public attention for policy disagreements with other administration officials over the extent to which private-sector care should be used alongside VA services. His time as secretary also included scrutiny by oversight bodies regarding travel and ethics matters that received media coverage. In March 2018 he was removed from the post and succeeded by a different administration appointee.

Significance and later perspective

Supporters and critics alike note that Shulkin sought to balance improving veterans' immediate access to services with preserving the strengths of the VA's integrated system. He remains a figure frequently cited in discussions about veterans' health policy, administrative reform and the trade-offs involved in combining public and private care models. For further background on his medical and policy career see profiles that summarize his hospital leadership and federal service.

For more information on his professional background and public statements, see links to official profiles and reporting: physician profile, Department of Veterans Affairs.