Staffing shortages at VA health systems are on the rise, watchdog finds

Source: CBS News

August 13, 2025 / 12:56 PM EDT


Health care staffing shortages at the Department of Veterans Affairs are on the rise, according to a new watchdog report. In the report, out Tuesday, the VA's Office of Inspector General, or OIG, found Veterans Health Administration facilities reported 4,434 staffing shortages this fiscal year, which is a 50% increase from fiscal year 2024.

Almost all — 94% — of facilities reported severe shortages for medical officers, while 79% of facilities reported severe shortages for nurses, according to the report.

The report's data comes from questionnaires sent to 139 VHA facilities, comparing 2025 responses to 2018-2024 responses. The 2025 questionnaires were distributed via email on March 26 with a required completion date of April 9. Data on staffing shortages at VA facilities has been collected annually for over a decade, and the report notes that this is the eighth report to identify severe occupational staffing shortages at the facility level.

The report notes that the OIG did not independently verify VHA data for accuracy or completeness. It also says that due to the timing of the questionnaire, any impact on staffing from OPM's Deferred Resignation Program and VA's workforce reshaping efforts — which are expected to lead to further staffing shortages — were not fully reflected.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/staffing-shortages-veterans-affairs-watchdog/