David Shulkin, undersecretary of health at the Department of Veterans Affairs, has been chosen by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as VA secretary.
“Shulkin has the experience and the vision to ensure we will meet the healthcare needs of every veteran… an incredibly gifted doctor who is using his elite talents for medicine to care for our heroes,†Trump said in a statement released Wednesday.
Shulkin oversees VA’s healthcare system, which includes 1,700 clinics and hospitals that serve nearly nine million veterans on an annual basis.
Prior to VA, he held president and CEO roles at several healthcare institutions such as Beth Israel Medical Center, Goryeb Children’s Hospital and Morristown Medical Center.
Shulkin is an internist who previously served as chief medical officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Temple University Hospital and the Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital.
He is also founder and former chairman and CEO of DoctorQuality, which provided patients information on healthcare safety and quality.
Shulkin, a fellow of the American College of Physicians, previously served as vice dean and chairman of medicine at Drexel University School of Medicine.
