The Department of Veterans Affairs is eliminating approximately 25,000 open and unfilled positions that originated from the COVID-19 pandemic and are no longer necessary, according to a VA spokesperson. The department emphasized that no VA employees are being removed and that the cuts will have zero impact on veteran care, noting that all positions being eliminated are unfilled and most have not been filled for more than a year.
Central Texas Services Unaffected
Local VA services in Central Texas are not expected to be impacted by the nationwide cuts. The Central Texas VA Health Care System currently employs 4,240 people and is actively hiring for a variety of openings including mental health counselors, physicians, psychologists and other positions. A VA spokesperson confirmed that veterans in Central Texas are not experiencing any delays in care.
Current Wait Times
Wait times at the Killeen VA Clinic remain relatively short for established patients. Pain medicine treatment currently requires no wait, dermatology and primary care each have a five-day wait, and primary care with mental health integrated care takes six days. For new patients, wait times are substantially longer—new primary care patients wait an average of 62 days, while pain medicine patients wait 110 days. Dermatology and primary care with mental health integrated care for new patients show shorter waits of 10 and 16 days respectively. At the Copperas Cove VA Clinic, established patient wait times range from zero to eight days, while new patient waits span 13 to 35 days.
The VA spokesperson noted that despite these wait times, veterans experiencing a mental health crisis can report to any VA facility and be seen the same day. The recent position cuts are part of broader workforce changes at the department. The VA already lost approximately 30,000 workers this year through attrition, buyouts and early retirements as part of a workforce reduction plan. Additionally, the VA announced in December that it plans to reorganize the structure of the Veterans Health Administration over the next 18 to 24 months.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://kdhnews.com/business/local-va-health-care-not-impacted-by-nationwide-cuts-spokesperson-says/article_d3fc3969-e0b8-4535-aa45-429d6f65e896.html