Obama's day: The Phoenix VA

President Obama spends Friday returning to Washington, D.C. from California, with a high-profile stop in Arizona for a visit to the Phoenix VA Medical Center.

Obama "will be briefed on the progress made to improve the VA's ability to serve veterans in a timely and effective manner, areas where more progress is needed, and further steps that are planned," says the White House schedule.

Problems at the Phoenix veterans' hospital triggered national investigations into veterans health care, and led to a shake-up in the Veterans Affairs Department. Issues ranged from long waiting lines to longer delays in care to falsified records.

During the trip to Phoenix, Obama and new VA Secretary Robert McDonald plan to meet with patients, other veterans, VA employees, and local elected officials. The latter group includes Arizona's senators, John McCain and Jeff Flake.

McCain, a veteran as well as Obama's opponent in the 2008 presidential election, has been particularly critical of VA medical care.

Obama is scheduled to return to the White House late Friday.