Top Veterans Affairs Health Care Official Resigns

Updated 7:18 p.m. ET

Secretary for Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki announced Friday he accepted the resignation of the official in charge of the VA’s healthcare services.

Undersecretary for Health Dr. Robert Petzel offered his resignation a day after sitting aside Shinseki while both men were grilled on Capitol Hill. Shinseki and Petzel faced questions Thursday about long-standing inefficiencies in the VA’s healthcare system, as well as allegations that VA officials covered up evidence of delays at a Phoenix, Arizona, clinic that may have led to the deaths of 40 veterans.

“As we know from the Veteran community, most Veterans are satisfied with the quality of their VA health care, but we must do more to improve timely access to that care,” Shinseki said in a Friday statement. “I thank Dr. Petzel for his four decades of service to Veterans.”

Petzel said in September that he planned to retire this year, according to the Associated Press.

“As the President has said, America has a sacred trust with the men and women who have served our country in uniform, and he is committed to doing all we can to ensure our veterans have access to timely, quality health care,” the White House said in a statement. “He has asked Secretary Shinseki to conduct a review of Veterans Health Administration practices and procedures at its facilities nationwide to ensure better access to care, and that review is ongoing.”

This post was updated with a statement from the White House.