Pending cases involving the former Tomah Veterans Affairs Medical Center chief of staff could be impacted by a U.S. Senate field hearing held this week in Tomah.
Dr. David Houlihan, who headed the medical center during a scandal involving opioid prescriptions, had his medical license suspended in March by the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board. But in April, a judge reinstated Houlihan’s license while the decision is appealed. She cited a 2015 white paper from the VA Office of Inspector General’s that found no wrongdoing in Houlihan’s practices.
But Tuesday at the congressional hearing in Tomah, the VA’s new Inspector General Michael Missal denounced that report and its use to support Houlihan. He said he does not agree with the tone of the white paper and some of its contents.
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“My office took the white paper off its website so, to me, that means it no longer is a document of the Inspector General’s Office,” Missal said.
Houlihan’s attorney could not be reached for comment.
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