VA is down more than 6K clinicians since January, and employees are not happy

A new report reveals that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) lost thousands of frontline clinical workers after President Donald Trump took office in January. The agency has claimed it only eliminated non-essential roles.

According to the Guardian, the number of clinicians working for the VA has steadily declined throughout 2025. So far, approximately 3,100 nurses, 1,300 medical assistants, 800 doctors, 500 social workers and 150 psychologists have lost their jobs or had their positions cut from VA medical centers nationwide.

In speaking with labor unions and veterans, concerns were raised that the VA is slowly winding down its internal system of patient care in favor of alternatives like a voucher system that would see former members of the military receiving care from community health providers or new private entities. 

However, in a statement to the outlet, the VA said any claims it is working to privatize its operations are not true.

Regardless, caregivers told reporters that the staffing cuts have left many facilities in a crisis. In one example, a nurse working on a unit that specializes in spinal cord injuries said conditions have become unsafe for veterans, as staff lack the proper training to manage the sensitive patient cohort.

This is made all the worse by hiring freezes, where VA hospitals are left unable to fill positions as patient demand dictates, sources added.

Veterans told the Guardian they are waiting months for specialty care services. In one example, a patient with a skin condition linked to toxic exposure said he has waited 137 days, and counting, to see a dermatologist.

VA continues to cut staff 

While the VA had said it planned to shed 83,000 jobs, it has since reduced that number to 30,000. As of last count in July, the agency had 467,000 individuals on its payroll, with 12,000 expected to take early retirement or deferred resignation by the end of September.

The agency claims the reduction in staff has only made its core services—providing care to veterans—more efficient, allowing it to streamline call centers and other support functions. Since the beginning of the year, the VA has laid off nearly 20,000 workers, according to official counts. If the numbers in the Guardian report are correct, that means roughly 25% of all lost jobs have been frontline clinicians.