The Veterans Health Administration stated that 82% of medical centers had severe shortages of practical nurses and 80% were severely short of psychology employees in the past 12 months, according to a Sept. 11 report.
The report is the 13th iteration from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, a watchdog agency that annually assesses staffing shortages at each VA medical center. The report is based on information provided by VA officials.
During the federal fiscal year 2026, which runs from Oct. 1, 2025, to Sept. 30, 2026, VA officials reported 4,712 severe occupational shortages across 139 veterans hospitals, as of Sept. 11. The VA operates one of the largest hospital systems in the U.S., alongside Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare (190 hospitals), Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health (170) and Brentwood, Tenn.-based Lifepoint Health (135).
Officials for all 139 VA hospitals reported staffing shortages, and practice nurse roles were the most frequently reported severe occupational shortage. Other top clinical shortages were in psychology, psychiatry, social work and nursing assistant.
Police were the most common nonclinical shortage occupation, with 57% of facilities reporting this shortage. Custodial workers, medical support assistance, food service employees and healthcare engineers rounded out the top five nonclinical shortages.
Across VA systems, the number of severe shortages ranged from four at the VA Gulf Coast Healthcare System in Biloxi, Miss., to 148 at Birmingham (Ala.) VA Health Care System.
The VA’s Office of Inspector General made no recommendations based on the report.
The VA disputed the report’s significance.
“This report is not based on actual VA health care facility vacancies and therefore is not a reliable indicator of staffing shortages,” VA Press Secretary Quinn Slaven told Becker’s, noting that the report defines a staff shortage as “occupations that are difficult to fill” — a designation that “does not necessarily indicate the presence of vacancies.”
Mr. Slaven said VA-wide vacancy rates are 15% for physicians and 9% for nurses, which he said are lower than those at most other health systems and below the respective 19% and 20% rates the agency saw at times during the Biden administration.
The agency’s ability to recruit and retain physicians is hindered by statutory pay caps, Mr. Slaven added, as physicians in many cases can earn several hundred thousand dollars more per year in the private sector. The VA “looks forward to working with Congress to address this longstanding pay disparity, which directly harms the recruitment of healthcare professionals,” he said.
Editor’s note: This story was updated Sept. 14 to include a response from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
