New Director Named For Roseburg Veterans Affairs Center

ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) – An interim director for the Walla Walla Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington has been named as the new permanent director for the Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Oregon.

The News-Review reports Keith Allen will take over from interim director Kevin Forrest on March 17.

Forrest took over last month for the previous interim director, Dave Whitmer, who had taken over about a year ago from former director Doug Paxton. Paxton stepped down following an investigation that found the VA suffered from a toxic management culture.

At the time, the Roseburg VA was ranked a one-star facility and was on the VA’s high-risk list. During Whitmer’s tenure, it was moved off the high-risk list and raised to two stars.

The Walla Walla medical center also was a one-star facility on the high-risk list, and upped to two stars under Allen’s term.