WASHINGTON -- Dr. Robert H. Roswell was sworn in today as Under Secretary for Health for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Roswell was confirmed by the Senate on March 22.
"Dr. Roswell has distinguished himself in serving veterans and the public health community," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi. "I'm pleased to have him lead VA in providing comprehensive, first-class health care and in achieving our goals for medical research, education and emergency preparedness."
Roswell will serve as the chief executive officer for VA’s integrated health care system. With a medical care budget of nearly $23 billion and a health care staff of 180,000, VA operates the nation’s largest medical system, providing care to veterans through 1,300 sites, including 163 hospitals, 800 outpatient clinics, 135 long-term care facilities, 206 readjustment counseling centers and 73 home-care programs.
"For the past twenty years, I have devoted my professional life to serving the needs of veterans," Roswell said. "I am honored to be considered for this position."
The health care system that Roswell will oversee has experienced record growth in recent years. President Bush's proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 features an 8.2-percent hike, the largest increase in health care spending in VA's history. The 6 million veterans now enrolled in VA's health care system are twice the 1995 figure.
"It is important to continue this transformation, safeguarding the quality of care that is at the very heart of the system," Roswell said. "But we must also plan for the future needs of veterans and enhance our ability to respond to a growing demand for VA care."
Roswell was executive director of the federal Persian Gulf Veterans Coordinating Board from 1994 until 1999 and has directed VA's health care network for Florida and Puerto Rico since 1995. The network includes seven VA medical centers, 10 satellite outpatient clinics and 34 community clinics.
A colonel in the Army Reserve Medical Corps certified in internal medicine, Roswell recently was a professor at the University of South Florida College of Public Health. A native of Bartlesville, Okla., he graduated from OklahomaStateUniversity and the University of Oklahoma Medical School.
He was chief of staff at the VA medical centers in Birmingham, Ala., and Oklahoma City and held medical leadership positions at VA headquarters, the Dallas VA Medical Center, plus medical schools of the University of Oklahoma and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The new under secretary succeeds Dr. Thomas L Garthwaite, who resigned to become director of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.
The position of VA's Under Secretary for Health is a presidential appointment for a term of four years, subject to Senate confirmation. Under federal law, a search committee established by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs recommends candidates. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs forwards the list to the President with a recommendation.
In addition to providing medical care, VA's medical system trains medical professionals through affiliation with academic centers, provides medical support in national disasters and serves as a back-up to the Department of Defense during national emergencies.
