Hawaii VA director says he won’t resign

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HONOLULU — The head of Hawaii’s Veterans Affairs hospital says he will not resign after U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard called for him to be fired.

HONOLULU — The head of Hawaii’s Veterans Affairs hospital says he will not resign after U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard called for him to be fired.

Wayne Pfeffer said Friday that he apologized to congressional staffers for any misunderstanding about how long veterans wait for health care.

Pfeffer is director of the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System.

Gabbard says Pfeffer was dishonest about wait times for veterans trying to get health care. An internal audit released Monday says new patients in Hawaii wait 145 days to see a primary care physician.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz says he was told staffers in the VA hospital were deleting information about wait times.

Pfeffer says he and his top staff are not deleting information. He says he wants to know more to take appropriate action.