• Veterans hospitals are struggling to replace staff as the Trump administration pushes deep cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• Thousands of doctors and nurses have left this year, worsening wait times and patient care nationwide.
• Lawmakers warn the exodus and loss of incentives may signal a drive to privatize veterans’ health services.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TDR) — Veterans hospitals across the country are facing severe staffing shortages as the Department of Veterans Affairs attempts to shrink its workforce under the Trump administration’s cost-cutting agenda. The VA is down more than 600 doctors and nearly 2,000 nurses this year, according to internal records reviewed by ProPublica, with many job applicants rejecting offers amid uncertainty about the agency’s direction.

Shrinking Workforce, Rising Wait Times

Between January and March, nearly four in ten physicians offered positions at VA facilities turned them down — a quadrupling of rejections compared with a year earlier. The decline comes after the administration announced plans in March to cut 70,000 jobs, later scaled back to 30,000 by September 30 as voluntary departures accelerated.

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VA Secretary Doug Collins insisted that “front-line health care staff” would be shielded. Yet the losses are already affecting care. Wait times for new patients seeking specialty appointments, including outpatient surgery, have risen to 41 days on average — above the VA’s target of 28 days. In Augusta, Maine, internal records show a two-month wait for primary care, triple the VA’s goal.

A Marine veteran’s wife told investigators her disabled husband has had no assigned primary doctor for months. “There’s a lack of staff, empty rooms, locked doors. It feels like something that’s not healthy,” she said.

Patient Experiences and Regional Struggles

In Texas, officials noted that more than 90 applicants rejected job offers due to the “uncertainty of reorganization”. Retired Army Captain Anthony Martinez said the Temple VA facility lost records of his allergy treatments and now has longer waits. “Problems have always existed but not to this degree,” he said.

In Ohio, unfilled support roles delayed the delivery of prosthetics earlier this year, while in Florida, rural mental health positions remain vacant after all offers were declined, worsening mental health access for veterans.

Official Response vs. Reality

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VA spokesperson Peter Kasperowicz acknowledged staffing losses but claimed they align with “historical averages.” He pointed to telehealth services and private referrals as solutions. Yet internal data show vacancy rates rose from 12 percent in May 2024 to nearly 14 percent this spring.

Though wait times for existing patients have slightly improved since Trump took office, new patients face mounting delays. Internal briefings warn of “institutional knowledge leaving the agency due to supervisors departing.”

Bonuses Cut, Morale Plummets

One controversial change is the sharp reduction of recruitment and retention bonuses. Under Biden, nearly 20,000 VA employees received retention payments in 2024, but in 2025 that number dropped by more than half. Critics argue the cuts are deliberate.

Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., accused the administration of trying to drive workers away to pave the way for privatization of veterans’ care. “They want every employee to be pushed out so they can decimate the VA’s workforce,” she said at a July oversight hearing.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., echoed the alarm, citing “toxic work conditions and draconian funding cuts” as reasons professionals are fleeing.

The Stakes for Veterans

The VA has long been a lifeline for millions of veterans, but with shortages mounting, many fear being left behind. As Martinez put it: “It’s not just me. Many vets are having bad experiences.”

Will cuts and staff departures force the VA toward privatization — or can the system rebound before veterans’ care collapses further?

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