VA official leaves amid scandal
Inspector general report uncovers rash of contract problems at Veterans Affairs Department.
A senior executive at the Veterans Affairs Department retired this week in light of allegations that she guided contracts toward a former boss' company, according to a report by the Federal Times.
Patricia Gheen, deputy chief business officer for purchased care at the Veterans Health Administration, is accused of directing more than $2 million in federal contracts to Corrigo Health Care Solutions, a consulting firm. Gheen’s former supervisor is among the company’s executives.
Gheen had been at the department for 37 years.
The company received eight federal contracts, but three were improperly set aside for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. Four were sole source, and the last was structured to ensure that Corrigo received it, the Times reported.