VA Medical Center in Long Beach, California
The VA health system is facing a worsening staffing crisis, according to a new report from the agency’s independent watchdog. All 139 Veterans Health Administration, VHA, medical center campuses reported worker shortages, with severe shortages rising 50 percent from the previous fiscal year.
The VA Office of Inspector General, OIG, released its annual staffing review Tuesday, revealing more than 4,400 severe shortages across the VHA in fiscal year 2025. Over 90 percent of facilities reported severe shortages of medical officers, including doctors and psychiatrists, while 79 percent reported shortages of nurses. Psychology was the most frequently reported severe clinical shortage, cited by 57 percent of facilities. Police officers topped the list of nonclinical shortages, reported by 58 percent of facilities.
The OIG report is based on surveys conducted between March and April. The findings do not fully reflect staff losses that occurred after the survey, including departures under a deferred resignation program and ongoing attrition.
VA Secretary Doug Collins has argued that the department, the second-largest in the federal government, is too large and inefficient. He initially proposed cutting the workforce by 15 percent but later scaled back the plan. The VA now intends to reduce staffing by nearly 30,000 positions by the end of the fiscal year through retirements, attrition, and deferred resignations. Most cuts target administrative roles.
Collins has acknowledged that the VA needs more medical staff and blamed a nationwide shortage of health-care workers. “We are struggling to recruit doctors, nurses, and others just as anybody else,” he told the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee in May.
VA Press Secretary Peter Kasperowicz said the OIG’s report is not a reliable measure of actual vacancies, describing it as “subjective, not standardized, and unreliable.” He referenced vacancy rates of 14 percent for doctors and 10 percent for nurses, which he said are lower than most private health-care systems.
Lawmakers expressed concern over the findings. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said the report confirms that staffing shortages are worsening. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, criticized Collins for “vilifying the VA workforce” and warned that shortages are reducing access to care for Veterans.
The VA currently employs about 467,000 workers and provides care to more than 9 million Veterans through its medical centers and over 1,100 outpatient clinics. Recent expansions in eligibility, including those under the 2022 PACT Act, have driven increased demand for services, adding strain to already thin staffing levels.
The OIG made no recommendations in its report but stated that critical health-care positions have remained on the severe shortage list for over a decade despite the VA having direct-hire authority to fill them more quickly.
Author: Rikki Almanza
Rikki is a Web Content Coordinator for the American Legion, Department of California. With a deep-rooted family connection to the military, Rikki is committed to using her skills and knowledge to provide valuable assistance and resources to servicemembers and veterans.
