Veterans in the Bay Area protest VA health care staffing changes

Veterans and VA staff protested outside the San Francisco VA hospital after the VA announced a December reorganization that would make about 25,000 long-unfilled positions permanent.

Veterans and healthcare workers protested outside the Veterans Administration hospital in San Francisco. They gathered to oppose a VA plan announced in December to make thousands of longstanding vacancies permanent as part of a reorganization. VA Secretary Doug Collins described the VHA leadership structure as having redundancies the reorganization aims to address. Protesters said the changes break a promise to veterans and could reduce access to care. Key facts: - The article reports that protesters included healthcare workers and veteran patients outside the San Francisco VA hospital. - The article reports the VA announced a December reorganization and plans to eliminate about 25,000 long-unfilled positions. - The article reports veterans and staff said recent reductions and a year-long hiring freeze reduced available staff, and some view the changes as a threat to access. - The article reports that earlier proposed cuts of roughly 80,000 positions were scaled back after public outcry, with the VA saying reductions would be achieved via the hiring freeze. Summary: Protesters say the announced staffing changes will undermine care and represent a broken promise to veterans. The VA describes the long-standing vacancies as evidence those positions are unnecessary. Undetermined at this time.