Internal documents indicate the VA is moving ahead with widespread job cuts largely affecting unfilled clinical and support roles.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Department of Veterans Affairs is preparing to eliminate as many as 35,000 healthcare-related positions this month, reported The Washington Post, citing an internal memo as well as accounts from VA employees and congressional aides.
According to the report, the planned reductions primarily target positions that are currently unfilled, including jobs for doctors, nurses, and various healthcare support staff across the agency’s vast medical system.
The VA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the planned cuts.
Internal documents shared with regional leaders last month indicate the agency aims to reduce its healthcare workforce to as few as 372,000 employees. That figure would represent roughly a 10 percent decrease compared with staffing levels last year, the memo said.
The new round of reductions follows earlier workforce cuts at the agency. In July, the Department of Veterans Affairs eliminated approximately 30,000 positions, part of a broader effort to scale back staffing. The cumulative reductions this fiscal year amount to about two-thirds fewer job cuts than the agency initially projected, according to the report.
The VA operates the nation’s largest integrated healthcare system, serving millions of U.S. military veterans nationwide. The scope and pace of the planned reductions have raised questions among lawmakers and veterans’ advocates about potential impacts on care delivery, staffing capacity, and access to medical services, particularly as demand for veterans’ healthcare continues to grow.
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