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THREAD: As the VA cares for 9 million vets + civilians with #COVID19, it's facing 50k vacancies — a figure larger than the Depts. of State, Labor, Ed, + HUD COMBINED.
For @theprospect, @suzannecgordon + I reveal how this crisis hurts care + how to fix it: https://prospect.org/health/trump-war-on-veterans/
For @theprospect, @suzannecgordon + I reveal how this crisis hurts care + how to fix it: https://prospect.org/health/trump-war-on-veterans/
The full scope of this crisis has recently become clear due to a provision in the VA Mission Act (a Trump privatization law) that mandates detailed disclosures of vacancy numbers. If you want to know what the situation is at your VA, here's the data: https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/va-mission-act-section-505-data
A 
red siren in this data: the top clinical vacancy is for psychiatrists, with 61% of VA facilities reporting severe shortages for the role. (Another top empty position: psychologists.)
If VAs top priority is truly reducing veteran suicide, it should fill these slots.
red siren in this data: the top clinical vacancy is for psychiatrists, with 61% of VA facilities reporting severe shortages for the role. (Another top empty position: psychologists.)If VAs top priority is truly reducing veteran suicide, it should fill these slots.
There's also been recent @VetAffairsOIG reports that have expressed newfound urgency over the crisis. A medical center director told the OIG that neglect of this issue has created “a workforce that feels abandoned.”
https://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-19-00346-241.pdf
https://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-19-00346-241.pdf
A major reason for this crisis is a toxic culture/crackdown on labor/fear of retaliation. This discourages potential new recruits and is pushing long-time staff out.
Attacks on employees have been chiefly channeled through Trump's accountability office: https://www.typeinvestigations.org/investigation/2018/05/10/va-law-meant-discipline-executives-used-fire-low-level-workers/
Attacks on employees have been chiefly channeled through Trump's accountability office: https://www.typeinvestigations.org/investigation/2018/05/10/va-law-meant-discipline-executives-used-fire-low-level-workers/
The VA pay scale is also screwed up because no federal agency can pay an employee more than POTUS' $400k salary. This makes it impossible for VA to recruit top talent + compete with the private sector. (A cardiothoracic surgeon in private sector, for instance, can earn $500k+)
There's also been a lack of political leadership on this issue. In a 2019 House hearing, @SecWilkie said "I would not be honest with you if I told you that my focus would be filling [departmental] vacancies.” This posture potentially violates U.S. codes! https://www.afge.org/article/va-secretary-to-congress-filling-49000-vacancies-not-a-priority/
Wilkie also ended a highly effective interim staffing program. It was cost effective and closed care gaps swiftly. His predecessor, @DavidShulkin, had wanted to expand it. (Link on the program is now dead): http://https//www.va.gov/HEALTH/travelnurse/Interim_Staffing_Program.asp
Because the department hasn't fully staffed the VA, vets are seeing long wait times or entire programs shuttered. We documented lots of reductions in care under Trump, including closure of a PTSD support groups in LA (via @latimes) https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ptsd-group-shutdown-20181229-story.html
An outpatient clinic in Buffalo, NY also closed recently: https://buffalonews.com/2018/08/09/advocates-decry-closing-of-veterans-affairs-outpatient-program-in-amherst/
Even a small veterans’ woodshop program in northern New Jersey became a casualty of this belt-tightening: https://www.change.org/p/reopen-the-veterans-woodshop-in-lyons-nj
. @theprospect piece is long + filled with tons more reporting into how this needless crisis was created. It ends, however, on a hopeful note, with ideas from former VA officials on how to fix it. One is to prioritize emergency hiring, which is happening now due to #COVID19.
Thanks for reading this thread. If you have a story about the vacancy crisis or another news tip re: VA, please get in touch: jclarkcraven@gmail.com
