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How is the VA health care system going to handle a post-pandemic load of new patients after this one is over? And if many employees are nearing retirement, how is that going to be addressed?<\/p>\n
This article takes a look at the impending problem, but mostly just asks questions without answering them. Please note that in the aftermath of the Vietnam war, there were many issues that veterans had with the VA’s health care system, enough to make anyone say ‘No, thanks, I’ll go elsewhere.”<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.armytimes.com\/pay-benefits\/2020\/12\/10\/troubles-brewing-for-the-post-pandemic-va-health-care-system-top-doc-says\/<\/a><\/p>\n As indicated, 60,000 new employees have been hired, including increasing the nursing staff by 11,000 new nurse hires. That seems like a lot, but how many more people will be leaving the military for whatever reasons in the near future, and seeking health care for service-related issues, but will have to be referred to local medical facilities for lack of adequate staff?<\/p>\n From the article:\u00a0 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 \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 \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 – article<\/p>\n This is a valid concern, considering that the military members coming back from the Middle East will be needing follow-up care for things that sometimes don\u2019t show up right away until you get home. The exposure to Agent Orange and other defoliants in Vietnam is a good example of that.<\/p>\n The numbers will increase the load that health care workers have to shoulder. Addressing this now is a good idea, and one can only hope that it is addressed as something more important than alleged climate issues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"