NAVAPD Supports New Legislation to Improve VA Staffing Transparency
NAVAPD President, Dr. Abate, met with staff from Rep. Vindman’s office. They discussed a new bill to be introduced into Congress before the summer break. The bill, entitled Veterans Health Administration Personnel Transparency and Accountability Act would amend the MISSION Act of 2018. This bill would require VA to publish facility data monthly on vacancies and staffing shortages. Currently VA published this data quarterly and at the VISN level.
Once the data reaches the VA Committee, it is out of date, and Congress currently has no method of getting medical center level data. This then prevents Congress from making informed decisions regarding staffing and workforce needs. With this out-of-date data, the Congressional committee is fearful that the current administration will use this data to support their push for privatization and use this to push for elimination of positions as a cost savings initiative.
By mandating monthly reporting, the Congressional committee can make decisions in real time by drilling down to each medical center in the VISN.
NAVAPD submitted the following statement, which will be included in the language when the bill is introduced, in support of the proposed legislation:
“The National Association of VA Physicians and Dentists (NAVAPD) strongly urges Congress to swiftly advance Rep. Vindman’s Veterans Health Administration Personnel Transparency and Accountability Act. This legislation is an essential step toward protecting veterans’ access to timely, high-quality care by requiring the VA to publish monthly, facility-level staffing and vacancy data by occupation. Transparent, real-time reporting will allow Congress, veterans, and the public to identify workforce shortages where they are occurring, demand accountability, and act before staffing gaps compromise care. Quarterly, VISN-level snapshots are no longer sufficient. Congress must have clear, consistent medical-center-level data to ensure that physician and dentist vacancies are addressed promptly and that the elimination of clinical positions is never used as a cost-savings strategy at the expense of veterans’ health care.”
NAVAPD urges every member to contact their Congressional representatives and ask them to support this bill. Strong, timely advocacy from VA physicians and dentists is critical to protecting the workforce veterans depend on and ensuring Congress has the information needed to prevent staffing shortages from undermining patient care.
Call to action for members: NAVAPD members are encouraged to contact their Senators and Representatives and urge them to support Rep. Vindman’s Veterans Health Administration Personnel Transparency and Accountability Act. Members should emphasize that monthly, facility-level staffing data is essential to protecting veterans’ access to care, preserving the VA physician and dentist workforce, and ensuring Congress can respond quickly when shortages threaten patient services.
“Veterans should never lose access to care because staffing shortages are hidden in outdated, high-level reports,” said NAVAPD President Dr. Joseph Abate. “This bill gives Congress, veterans, and the public the facility-level transparency needed to see where physicians and dentists are missing, hold the VA accountable, and act before vacancies become a barrier to care. Our members know firsthand that timely data can mean timely care—and veterans deserve nothing less.”
