HONOLULU — U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is calling for Hawaii’s top Veterans Affairs official to be fired.
Gabbard said Friday that Wayne Pfeffer has been dishonest with her and the public about wait times for veterans trying to get health care. Pfeffer is director of VA Pacific Islands Health Care System.
Pfeffer didn’t immediately respond to phone calls for comment. He has said he has been on the job for eight months.
Gabbard says she and other members of Hawaii’s congressional delegation were misled when they recently met with Pfeffer about wait times.
An internal audit released Monday by the Department of Veteran Affairs says new patients in Hawaii wait an average of 145 days to see a primary care physician. Gabbard says she was led to believe waits were much shorter.