Iowa Senator Joni Ernst wants answers after a federal investigation showed the Iowa City Veterans Affairs medical center assigned patients to primary care doctors who no longer work there.

The practice, called "ghost panels," violates VA policy.

Ernst sent letters Tuesday to the director of the VA Midwest Health Care Network and the Iowa City VA Health Care System director. She's asking for a plan detailing how and when the V-A will reassign the 1,245 impacted patients to primary care doctors.