TOMAH, Wis. (AP) — The former chief of staff at the scrutinized Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Tomah was among VA employees awarded performance bonuses. Gannett Wisconsin Media (http://gbpg.net/1GYhR3l ) says David Houlihan, nicknamed “candy man” by some patients for allegedly handing out excess narcotics, got a $4,000 bonus in December. The Department of Veterans Affairs doled out more than $142 million in performance bonuses in 2014. Houlihan, a psychiatrist, was recently fired and his clinical privileges have been revoked. The VA informed congressional members the decision to fire Houlihan came after the agency investigated his clinical practice as well as his “administrative interactions with subordinates and alleged retaliatory behavior.” The center’s director, Mario DeSanctis, was fired in September.
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Information from: Press-Gazette Media, http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com