According to the annual Office of Inspector General (OIG) staffing report, VA hospitals are facing an increase in hiring challenges compared to last year, with facilities reporting a total of 4,712 severe staffing shortages spread across 389 occupations. This is up from 4,434 in fiscal year 2025.
VA Finally Announces Overhaul of Its Decentralized Police Force
After years of ignoring warnings that its decentralized police force resulted in inconsistent standards and lax security at hospitals, VA announced it will be overhauling the force, raising pay rates and creating a unified chain of command that it hopes will solve its long-running issues.
Pentagon to Reimburse Troops for Sperm and Egg Freezing Before Deployment
Nearly 2,000 U.S. troops suffered debilitating injuries to their groins or genitals during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2000 and 2013, and about 307,000 more sustained some type of head injury over the same period, all injuries that can compromise fertility and sexual function.
Financial Distress Linked to Higher Suicide Risk in Veterans
Approximately 17 veterans die by suicide every day, according to the latest VA data. As such, identifying factors to assist clinicians in recognizing a veteran’s increasing suicide risk has become increasingly important. A new study pointed to one factor that might deserve more attention—financial distress.
VA Quickly Canceled $1.1 Billion of Contracts During DOGE Era in 2025
VA cancelled hundreds of vendor contracts totaling $1.1 billion during a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)-led review in 2025, according to a review by the VA Office of the Inspector General.
Here Are Factors That Might Alleviate Burnout in VHA PCPs
What would help mitigate burnout and the desire to call it quits among primary-care practitioners in the VHA?
Burned Out by Caring for Too Many Complex Patients, Almost One-Third of VHA PCPs Want to Quit
More than half of VHA primary care practitioners responding to a survey reported being burned out, and nearly one-third said they planned to leave, according to a new study examining the effects of high patient panel fullness.
Coast Guard Acknowledges Brain Injury Risk from Its High-Speed Craft
Coast Guard leaders have acknowledged the risk of traumatic brain injury (TBI) to its servicemembers caused by repetitive, violent impacts while riding in high-speed craft and promised to improve how the service identifies and prevents brain injury.
Overhaul of VISN Networks Continues to Move Forward With a 2027 Deadline
VA is continuing to move forward with its Restructure for Impact of Sustainable Effort (RISE) initiative—the complete overhaul of the VISN networks under which its facilities are grouped and managed.
‘Unlawful’ DEI Practices Banned in Proposed OMB Rule for Federal Grants
A proposed rule from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is seeking to overhaul the uniform guidance for federal grantees. The rule would deemphasize the peer-review process,
VA Finally Announces Overhaul of Its Decentralized Police Force
After years of ignoring warnings that its decentralized police force resulted in inconsistent standards and lax security at hospitals, VA announced it will be overhauling the force, raising pay rates and creating a unified chain of command that it hopes will solve its long-running issues.
Veterans’ Service Organizations Split Over How Medical Disability Is Calculated
A massive VA omnibus bill is facing unexpected hurdles in Congress and has split veterans service organizations, with some saying it sets a dangerous precedent for how medical disability is calculated, while others argue that its current benefits outweigh future dangers.
Care for Pregnant Veterans With RA ‘Fragmented’
Although they receive strong support from maternity care coordinators (MCCs), pregnant women veterans with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) experience fragmented care across systems, according to a new review.
VA Payments for Community Care Continue to Increase Substantially
The VA recently announced that it had made more than $36 billion in payments to local healthcare providers across the country in fiscal year 2025 as part of the VA MISSION Act.
Call for Testosterone Screening of Many Servicemembers Draws Criticism from Legislators
When Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced last month that the military will begin screening male servicemembers for low testosterone, the new policy drew criticism and questions from Democrats. But, the proclamation also fell into line behind a larger effort by current public health officials to loosen rules around testosterone therapy.
AI Helps VA Decrease Claims Backlogs; GAO Warns of ‘Unintended Consequences’
VA announced recently that its disability claims backlog fell below 70,000 for the first time since February 2020. That success has been partially attributed to technology modernization, which includes the use of AI in early stages of the benefits process.
Many Female Veterans Unaware They Can Get Menopause Symptom Care at VA
Nearly half of women veterans who receive VA healthcare are at an age when menopause is most likely to occur. But, while VA offers care for menopause symptoms, like hot flashes and issues with memory, mood and sleep, an investigation by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that the majority of women veterans are unaware those services exist.
OIG Report: VA’s Aggressive Deployment of AI in the Clinical Field Considered ‘Risky’
VA policy to minimize the barriers preventing employee use of artificial intelligence (AI ) might be resulting in higher risks for veterans, according to a recent VA Office of the Inspector General report. An investigation found that the agency failed to acknowledge the extent to which providers are using AI chat tools in patient care.
VA Staff Reductions Having Strong Impact on Healthcare-Related Acquisitions, Contracts
VA has historically had long-standing challenges in executing and managing its healthcare related acquisitions, and recent staffing cuts will only exacerbate those problems, according to a recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
VA Security Guards Consistently Failed to Detect Weapons, Other Contraband in Security Tests
VA police officers tasked with guarding medical facilities consistently failed to detect weapons and other contraband in a security test conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a recent report reveals.
Concerns Raised Over New Limitations for SAMHSA Grants; Federal Group Also Has Faced Severe Staff Cuts
New limitations on how Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) grant can be used has sparked confusion and concern, as has a campaign by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. urging providers to limit psychiatric medications which have been proven effective in combating depression and preventing suicide.
Lawmakers Stepping In Because of Sterile Processing Breakdown at Dublin, GA, VAMC
Lawmakers are looking to intervene following the latest documented failure by a VA hospital to properly sterilize reusable medical equipment.
Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction Restoring AFGE Collective-Bargaining Agreement with VA
A federal judge has ordered VA to restore its collective-bargaining agreement with the American Federation of Government Employees/National Veterans Affairs Council (AFGE/NVAC), which represents more than 300,000 department employees.
GOP Members on House VA Committee Seek Omnibus Bill Process to Reauthorize Agency Programs
In an effort to regain some of the congressional authority that has eroded in the last year, Republicans on the House VA Committee are seeking to develop an authorization process for VA similar to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is used to annually fund the military and some VA construction projects.
VA Secretary Argued Strongly for VA Reorganization, but Legislators Expressed Concerns
VA Secretary Doug Collins, appeared before the House VA Committee to defend his plans to reorganize the department, declaring, “We’re the largest healthcare system in the country, but we’ve never acted like it.
Hiring Denials, Delays Still Plague VA Efforts to Bring in New Employees
While VA has officially lifted the hiring freeze that’s been in place for the last year, staff shortages don’t seem to be easing, according to a new report.
Is Resumption of VA EHR Rollout This Spring Too Much, Too Soon?
As VA prepares to resume the rollout of its electronic health record (EHR) system modernization program this April in Michigan, lawmakers are concerned that the department and its development partner, Oracle, might be overconfident in their ability to deliver.
Massive VA Restructuring Would Cut Number of VISNs, Reduce High-Level Leadership
VA has announced its largest reorganization effort in decades, one that would drastically reduce the number of VISNs and prune top-level leadership, consolidating oversight authority under the undersecretary for health. According to VA leaders, the move will cut duplicative bureaucracy and ensure consistent application of VA policies across facilities.
Testimony at Senate VA Committee Sought to Refute Allegations in Newspaper Series on VA Disability Fraud
A series of Washington Post articles published in recent months characterizing the VA benefits system as rife with fraud, overspending and ease in manipulation generated immediate backlash from VA leaders, legislators and veterans’ advocates.
Trump Administration Seeks Educational Benefits for Troops Discharged for COVID-19 Vaccine Refusal
The mandate that military personnel were required to receive COVID-19 vaccines officially ended in January 2023, and now the Trump administration is seeking to restore eligibility for educational benefits to all 8,400 servicemembers who were discharged with failure to comply with the order.