Americans seeking healthcare services will face additional challenges as a leaked Veterans Administration memo reveals significant staffing reductions at facilities serving former military members. Under the leadership of former far-right GOP lawmaker Doug Collins, the VA is planning to eliminate up to 35,000 positions, many of which are currently vacant. The agency has already faced persistent criticism for inadequate staffing levels, which have contributed to extended wait times for veterans seeking care. According to reporting from the Washington Post, the Veterans Health Administration will undertake an “abrupt” reduction in healthcare positions, including doctors, nurses, and support staff. The report states, “Agency leaders have instructed managers across the Veterans Health Administration, the agency’s health care arm, to identify thousands of openings that can be canceled. Employees warn that the contraction will add pressure to an already stretched system, contributing to longer wait times for care.” These cuts follow approximately 30,000 jobs that have already been eliminated. The Washington Post reports, “The agency hopes that the cuts will reduce the health care workforce to as little as 372,000 employees, a 10 percent reduction from last year, according to a memo shared with regional leaders last month and obtained by The Washington Post.”
The reorganization precedes an expected announcement next week regarding Collins’ plans to reduce the network of 18 regional offices that oversee VA hospitals and medical centers. Thomas Dargon Jr., deputy general counsel of the American Federation of Government Employees, criticized the proposal by explaining, “The VA has been chronically understaffed for years, and employees are obviously going to be facing the brunt of any further job cuts or reorganization that results in employees having to do more work with less.” Colorado VA nurse Sharda Fornarino added, “We’re going to continue to do more with less. We’re going to continue to be overworked.”
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