Veterans Health Administration announces plans to restructure

Article Title: Veterans Health Administration announces plans to restructure

Article Excerpt: "...HAMPTON, Va. — The Veterans Health Administration, the health care branch of the Department of Veterans Affairs, announced Monday that it would reorganize its management structure, potentially impacting the way veterans receive health care across the country. ..."Back in March, when I sounded the alarm about staffing levels at the new VA facility in Chesapeake, VA Secretary Doug Collins called me a liar. While I don’t expect an apology, America’s veterans — who will be forced to wait longer to see fewer doctors because of Collins’ plans to axe 35,000 VA health care workers — deserve one," Kaine said.

Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) also criticized the move, citing the Washington Post's reporting.

"There are reports that the new Chesapeake Battlefield VA outpatient clinic in my congressional district is still woefully understaffed, and the Hampton VA continues to face staffing shortages"...

Reference Source: www.13newsnow.com

VA severs ties with most federal unions, terminating worker contracts

Article Title: VA severs ties with most federal unions, terminating worker contracts

Article Excerpt: "...Veterans Affairs leaders on Wednesday announced plans to terminate nearly all of its collective bargaining contracts with federal unions, upending employment agreements for hundreds of thousands of department workers.

The move affects members of the American Federation of Government Employees..."

Reference Source: www.militarytimes.com

Feds descend on VA hospital to create efficiencies through a national review of agency operations

Article Title: Feds descend on VA hospital

Article Excerpt: "information-seeking visit Monday by a three-person team from the agency’s Washington, D.C., headquarters ...In a March 15 memo reviewed by The Standard, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins laid out plans to create efficiencies through a national review of agency operations, led by teams like the one in San Francisco that aim to complete their work in around one month and “streamline policies, processes, procedures, and technology.” ..."

Reference Source: sfstandard.com

Secretary Doug Collins outlines a plan for 'streamlining' care at Veterans Affairs

Article Title: Secretary Doug Collins outlines a plan for 'streamlining' care at Veterans Affairs

Article Excerpt: "Collins said. "The biggest difference you're going to see is a streamlining and really a focus on making sure that everything we do in the VA is efficiently serviced toward that veteran process."...The VA has canceled DEI related contracts, canceled nearly 600 "non-mission critical or duplicative contracts," and sought to place probationary employees on leave. ...And right now, frankly, we're not getting that result. So we've got a lot of people — we've got doctors, nurses and others who are not in the clinics, helping patients. We've got a middle layer of bureaucracy that keeps our system slowed down. So we're looking at all of that right now," Collins said. ..."

Reference Source: www.scrippsnews.com

VA leaders announce end to all transgender-related care for vets

Article Title: VA leaders announce end to all transgender-related care for vets

Article Excerpt: "...Veterans Affairs officials announced Monday they will phase out all medical treatments for gender dysphoria, including hormone therapy and any surgical options for transgender veterans.

In a statement, VA Secretary Doug Collins said that “VA should not be focused on helping veterans attempt to change their sex” and claimed most Americans and veterans would support the decision. ..."

Reference Source: www.militarytimes.com