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By Jasmine Laws
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A report released on August 12 by the Department of Veterans Affairs' independent watchdog. has shown that there are "severe" shortages of occupational staff at veteran health care facilities across the country.
Per the report from the VA's Office of Inspector General, 94 percent of facilities had "severe occupational staffing shortages" for medical officer occupations, while 79 percent of facilities had "severe shortages" for nurse occupations. The report noted that severe shortages for these roles have been found for each year since 2014.
The report is based on surveys taken at 139 VHA facilities from late March to early April.
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There were as many as 153 occupations designated as "severe shortages" in one health care facility alone—in Long Beach, California—which was the highest recorded in the report, followed by a Birmingham, Alabama, facility, which had 135 occupations with severe shortages. This includes both clinical and nonclinical occupations.
Pete Kasperowicz, the VA's press secretary, told Newsweek the report "is not based on actual VA health care facility vacancies and therefore is not a reliable indicator of staffing shortages."
"The report simply lists occupations that facilities feel are difficult for which to recruit and retain, so the results are completely subjective, not standardized and unreliable," he added.
Why It Matters
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care to millions of veterans each year.
Since the start of President Donald Trump's second term, his administration has been making cuts to the VA—initially proposing to strip the department back by 80,000 jobs, although the VA has since said the number would be closer to 30,000 by the end of 2025.
Veterans' organizations, union leaders and some members of Congress have voiced concern over what these cuts could do to veteran health care and support.
What To Know
The report said there were 4,434 "severe occupational staffing shortages" in the 2025 fiscal year at VHA facilities. This marked a 50 percent increase from the 2024 fiscal year.
The most frequently reported severe clinical occupational staffing shortage was psychology, with 57 percent of facilities reporting shortages.
For nonclinical occupations, police officers were in the shortest supply, with 58 percent of facilities reporting shortages.
While the shortages were spread across the country, some of the highest reported shortages were consolidated in the Midwest, South East and North East regions, in addition to the state of California.
Florida, Alabama, Massachusetts, Missouri, Minnesota, Kansas, Vermont and New York all had high numbers of occupations in facilities in "severe" shortages—as did Washington, D.C.
States with the highest clinical shortages included California, with its Long Beach facility having a shortage in 116 clinical occupations, Alabama, with its Birmingham facility having a shortage in 107 occupations, and Florida, with its Tampa facility having a shortage in 101 occupations.
The highest nonclinical shortages affected facilities in California and Alabama, but also in Minnesota, with its Minneapolis facility having a shortage in 52 occupations, Kansas, with its Topeka facility having a shortage in 32 occupations, and North Dakota, with its Fargo facility having a shortage in 28 occupations.
What People Are Saying
Kasperowicz, the VA's press secretary, told Newsweek: "Nationwide, VA's departmentwide vacancy rates for doctors and nurses are 14 percent and 10 percent, respectively. These are lower than most other health care systems, in line with normal VA historical averages and much lower than the respective 19 percent and 20 percent physician and nurse vacancy rates VA saw at times during the Biden Administration. VA wait times and backlogs got worse under President Biden and are getting better under President Trump. The backlog of Veterans waiting for VA benefits increased 24 percent under Biden and is down more than 37 percent under the second Trump Administration. Average VA health care wait times rose in five of the six main categories under Biden and are down in four of the six major categories under President Trump."
Jose Vasquez, executive director of Common Defense, a grassroots organization that advocates for veterans, said in a statement in July: "While 30,000 jobs is a reduction from the Trump Administration's original plans to reduce the VA's workforce by 15 percent, it is still 30,000 jobs too many at an agency that has been historically understaffed and undervalued by presidents across parties. Cuts to 30,000 jobs means more Veterans like me, who rely on the VA to get lifesaving medical care, won't be able to receive it."
What Happens Next
The VA expects the downsizing process to be complete by the end of fiscal 2025.
How do you rate your VA Healthcare? Email jasmine.laws@newsweek.com and let us know about your experience.
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