Titus: Management shake-up likely in Reno VA office

WASHINGTON — A management shake-up is in the works at the Reno benefits office of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Rep. Dina Titus said Thursday after meeting with the head of the VA.

Titus, D-Nev., said she was told by VA Secretary Eric Shinseki that “some changes were coming” after she recommended leadership needed to be examined at the regional office, which has been criticized as underperforming.

“I think we are going to see some changes, and that’s as far as I can go, because I don’t want to say somebody is going to get fired if they are not,” Titus said. “But I feel there are going to be some management changes.”

The Reno office, which processes benefits claims for veterans from Nevada and some from northeastern California, has ranked among the slowest in the nation for claims that have sat idle for more than 500 days.

Titus, who sits on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, and Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., who is on the corresponding Senate committee, have pressed for improvements.

Heller has said Nevada veterans wait longer than any in the nation to have disability benefits claims completed, with more than 4,300 veterans waiting more than the VA’s target deadline of 125 days for claims to be finalized.

Last year, the Reno office sent half of its disability claims to VA offices in other states for processing. Titus questioned whether the pace can be sustained.

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at STetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760. Follow him on Twitter @STetreaultDC.