More than 6,000 employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs began working at the agency without undergoing a proper background check, according to a new report.
The Military Times cited a study from the VA's inspector general that found thousands of new hires were not properly vetted between 2011 and 2016.
"VA lacks assurance that the [Veterans Health Administration] workforce is properly vetted and appropriate for providing health care to the nation's veterans," the report reads. "In addition, initiating background investigations in a timely manner is critical to mitigate the risk to VHA and ensure that unsuitable staff may be removed during the probationary employment period."
The VA's Operations, Security, and Preparedness office handles background checks and pledged to cut down the number of outstanding checks needed to be done from about 6,200 to less than 2,500 by October. The checks are supposed to be finished within 14 days of an employee starting work.
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he has fired VA Secretary David Shulkin. He intends to nominate White House physician Adm. Ronny Jackson for the post.
Scandals have plagued the VA in recent years, including a waiting list fiasco that resulted in dozens of veterans dying while waiting to see a doctor.
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