"But the VA doctors say this initiative is actually a big part of the problem, as NPR's Quil Lawrence reports. QUIL LAWRENCE, BYLINE: This open letter comes after months of uncertainty at VA with goals of cutting tens of thousands of VA positions and experienced staff accepting early retirement offers made by the Trump administration. The letter warns that current policies will, quote, "undermine VA's health care system, overwhelm VA's budget and negatively affect the lives of all veterans.""
"LAWRENCE: Dean Winslow signed the letter. He served four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as a flight surgeon. He's now a doctor and professor at Stanford, and he consults for VA. He says most studies show VA care rates as good or better than private health care, and Winslow says there's another thing he sees as a combat veteran himself."
Hundreds of current and former VA clinicians signed an open letter to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs warning that staff cuts and increased privatization threaten VA health care and veterans' health. The clinicians link recent initiatives to increases in private-sector care to staffing shortages and declining capacity within VA facilities. The letter follows months of uncertainty, proposals to cut tens of thousands of VA positions, and early-retirement offers that removed experienced staff. The letter states current policies will undermine the VA health care system, overwhelm its budget, and negatively affect veterans' lives. Signatories emphasize VA's integrated system, clinicians' mission-driven commitment, and gaps in civilian providers' understanding of veterans.
Read at www.npr.org
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