{"id":40049,"date":"2020-12-10T22:23:47","date_gmt":"2020-12-10T22:23:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/12\/10\/troubles-brewing-for-the-post-pandemic-va-health-care-system-top-doc-says\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:17:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:17:54","slug":"troubles-brewing-for-the-post-pandemic-va-health-care-system-top-doc-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2020\/12\/10\/troubles-brewing-for-the-post-pandemic-va-health-care-system-top-doc-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Trouble\u2019s brewing for the post-pandemic VA health care system, top doc says"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The continuing stress on health care workers, a possible employee mass exodus at the end of the pandemic, and veterans delaying needed health care<\/a> could combine to create even more of a strain on the Veterans Administration health care system after the pandemic ends, said the official in charge of that system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe workforce is tired, and they\u2019re mentally exhausted\u2026.. I have very significant concerns that on the other end of this, we will see significant retirements that\u2019s going to challenge us,\u201d said Dr. Richard Stone, executive in charge of the Veterans Health Administration, during a session at the annual meeting of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSometime in late 2021, we may see large numbers of people retiring. How do we maintain this very skilled, very mature workforce that represents the VA employee?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stone said he has personally seen the signs of stress and burnout in the faces of personnel in VA medical facilities, and said he\u2019s reassuring employees that VHA is continuing to hire more personnel. Since March, VHA has hired 60,000 employees, and increased its nursing ranks by 11,000. The Office of Personnel Management has supported VA\u2019s efforts by drastically reducing the hiring time \u2014 from 100 days in some places, to less than 20 days, Stone said. But it\u2019s getting harder to hire medical personnel, as the pool of employees is drying up, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stone is also concerned about the inability of employees to take leave and recharge \u2014 which many employees especially do around the holidays. As the holidays approach, the COVID cases are increasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of Tuesday evening, VA health officials at 140 sites across the country were tracking nearly 17,000 active coronavirus cases among patients and staff. That total is an increase of more than 400 percent since Oct. 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least 5,443 VA patients and 77 VA employees have died from complications related to the virus in the last nine months. Doses of the coronavirus vaccine<\/a> are expected to be shipped to an initial 37 VA medical sites over the coming days, but plans for distribution remain unclear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More problems are over the horizon after the pandemic ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are concerns about delayed health care, he said. The VHA is now performing about 86 percent of the surgeries they did before the pandemic, he said, and there\u2019s a buildup of surgeries that need to be done. He thinks it will take three to six months to work through the backlog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delays in screening tests, such as endoscopy and mammograms, could also have long term effects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe think the buildup of delayed diagnoses may result in very significant risk to the American population,\u201d Stone said. \u201cWe have been pushing really hard to get people in for screening mammograms, and we\u2019re beginning to see recovery of those numbers. In many areas of the country we are seeing large numbers coming in for screening tests. But we have a pretty good built-up backlog we need to resolve,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the beginning of the pandemic, VA providers canceled about 6 million appointments, Stone said, and since then, providers have had interactions with about 90 percent of those veterans, to make sure there aren\u2019t delays in necessary care. Unfortunately, there are a lot of patients who still believe it\u2019s unsafe to come in, he said, and primary care providers have worked hard to convince these patients, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t