Joan Ricard, far left, fields complaints during a VA hospital town hall meeting last month. Photo by Al Podgorski for the Chicago Sun-Times. Tuesday, October 7, 2014 || By Michael Romain  Joan Ricard, the recently embattled director of the Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital near Maywood will retire at this month’s end, according to hospital officials. Ricard has served in the Department of Veterans Affairs for … Continue reading BREAKING: Head of Hines VA Hospital Stepping Down