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MADISON - The administrator of
the state's largest nursing home for veterans, who was
abruptly fired in August as the home faced an investigation
into its spending, has been reinstated, a spokesman said
Wednesday.
Wisconsin Department of
Veterans Affairs Secretary John Scocos reinstated Bill
Crowley as commandant of the Wisconsin Veterans Home in
King, aide Mike Trepanier said.
Scocos told agency employees
Crowley's reinstatement was appropriate after the Department
of Justice declined to press charges last week against
anyone in connection with spending irregularities at the
home. The Department of Justice's investigative report did,
however, cite miscommunication and confusion at all levels
and portrayed Crowley as relying heavily on subordinates.
The reinstatement comes even
though Crowley is not a licensed nursing home administrator,
a credential the agency's board wants to require for leaders
of the state's two veterans homes and the Madison
administrator who oversees them.
Crowley, who will run the
central Wisconsin nursing home that houses roughly 700
veterans and spouses, will now be the only one in those
three positions without that credential.
Scocos this week promoted the
commandant of the Veterans Home in Union Grove, Randy
Nitschke, to be the acting administrator in Madison while
Tom Rhatican is on military leave. Scocos also appointed Pat
Shaughnessy as acting commandant at Union Grove. Both
Nitschke and Shaughnessy are licensed administrators.
Having Crowley report to
Nitschke "is another step to make sure the ball is not
dropped" when it comes to providing quality care for
veterans, Trepanier said.
Crowley was fired in August
by then-Acting Secretary Ken Black, one month after Black
asked for the investigation into roughly $700,000 in
overspending by the home. Scocos was serving in Iraq at the
time.
Black has repeatedly declined
to say why Crowley was fired, and Crowley had complained he
learned of the move in a mass e-mail that went to all staff.
Scocos, meanwhile, returned
from Iraq in September and said last week Crowley had been
treated unfairly in his absence. Scocos, who had appointed
Crowley to his job in 2003, demoted Black from deputy
secretary to administrator of the division of veterans
benefits.
Crowley, who declined comment
Wednesday, was portrayed in last week's report as relying on
lower-level staff members to make key budget and purchasing
decisions. Trepanier said Crowley "shouldn't be held
responsible for the miscommunications of others on the
staff."
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