
The VA Has the People—Now It Needs the Infrastructure
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) stands alone in purpose and scale—tasked with caring for millions who've served. For all its significance, the VA is hobbled by a truth no one in Washington wants to say: it was built for the last century, not this one.
The cracks are deeply human. A Marine needs to see a cardiologist. The nearest hospital has openings, but he's routed to a facility hours away. Across the country, a doctor has openings but no way to reach patients. In the private sector, gaps like these would raise alarms. At the VA, it's all too common.
Committed professionals fill the ranks, but even the best can't outrun the system around them. The VA's regional structure is a patchwork of networks, each with its own priorities and patchy methods to move care where it's needed most. A
VA schedulers navigate legacy platforms, often unable to see the full network of available providers. And clinicians, trained for everything from combat trauma to mental health, are caught in a system where access depends more on geography than on need.
Washington's answer? Spend more or cut deeper.
Related Stories
5/18/2025
5/16/2025
The latest budget sets a goal to reduce the VA workforce by
The data's there. What's missing is the ability to read it, act on it, and move the supply of care dynamically. Today, some facilities are crowded, others underused, and too often, they're miles apart. The capacity exists yet goes untapped without the infrastructure to shift care across regions, professionals, or venues.
Private health systems faced a similar reckoning. They now use data to anticipate patient demand and surface availability across markets. Scheduling a quick check-up is a tap away online. Kaiser Permanente built a national virtual care network, offering round-the-clock care by phone, video, or email —no in-person visit required.
What's stopping the VA from creating a single virtual network where a doctor in Arizona can meet the needs of a veteran in Florida? For years, the solution to access gaps was to expand referrals outside the system. The MISSION Act opened more doors through Community Care. By 2022,
But even with more options, delays persist. In 2023, veterans referred to outside providers waited, on average,
The fix starts with strengthening the VA's digital foundation.
Healthcare now generates nearly
The same approach can restore the VA by reactivating capacity and rebuilding trust with veterans. But that demands more than austerity measures, as real innovation builds smarter and connects what's already there to create a network that's digital and borderless.
The Dole Act—recently signed into law—gives the VA Secretary the runway to build a plan that books appointments during the first call, aims for same-day access, and puts veteran preferences at the center of every decision. The law gives the new administration a concrete target to move on and upgrade how veterans get care.
VA Secretary Doug Collins
.
No more wasted capacity. No more isolated regions. No more digital vacuums swallowing up care. The VA has the scale and people. Now, it needs the infrastructure—and the will—to deliver.
From
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CNN
5 hours ago
- CNN
CNN reports from Gaza aid crossing
Concerns grow over Australia's toxic algae bloom A harmful algae bloom off the coast of South Australia, caused by high sea temperatures and runoff from flooding, is poisoning marine life and depleting oxygen in the water. The Australian government has stated that there is little that can be done to reverse the rapid rate of the climate crisis.


Newsweek
8 hours ago
- Newsweek
VA Announces Improved Funding For Veteran Health Care
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced an $800 million boost in funding for infrastructure improvements across its health care facilities. On Wednesday, the VA revealed plans to realign an additional $800 million to the Veterans Health Administration's Non-Recurring Maintenance (NRM) program during the current fiscal year. Why It Matters Across the U.S, there are 1,380 health care facilities, including 170 VA Medical Centers and 1,193 outpatient sites, serving over 9.1 million veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. The investment comes amid efforts to modernize VA medical facilities, strengthen accountability in spending, and ensure that veterans receive quality, timely care. The funding increase aligns with a broader push in Congress and the federal government to fully support veterans' health programs, improve oversight, and reduce waste within the VA system. What To Know According to a press release, these funds will address urgent needs across VA facilities, covering projects such as modernization of boiler and chiller systems, upgrading electric infrastructure, improving elevators, updating heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, enhancing fire safety through sprinklers and alarms, renovating clinical and support spaces, and supporting the Electronic Health Record Modernization initiative. VA Health Center sign in Louisville, Kentucky, July 2019. VA Health Center sign in Louisville, Kentucky, July 2019. GETTY Numerous changes have been made to VA health and support programs throughout 2025. Earlier this year, the VA confirmed that to help reduce wait times and administrative bottlenecks, those receiving its healthcare services will no longer need a second VA physician to review and approve their eligibility to receive non-VA health care. In May, the VA announced that some $52 million in funding is now available to support community-based organizations focused on suicide prevention and emergency clinical services for veterans at risk of taking their own life. In a 2024 report, the VA revealed there were 6,407 suicides among Veterans in 2022, the latest year for which data is available. More recently, on Tuesday, the VA announced a new partnership with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) aims to prevent duplicate health-care billings for veterans. The VA has identified $106 million in duplicate payments to providers over the last six years and as a result has begun seeking recovery from overpaid providers this month. What People Are Saying VA Secretary Doug Collins said in the press release: "This is another step forward in our efforts to make VA work better for the Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors we are charged with serving. Improved facilities, equipment, and infrastructure help improve care for Veterans, and these additional funds will enable VA to achieve that goal." What Happens Next The federal department said the new funding brings total NRM program spending for fiscal year 2025 to $2.8 billion—approximately $500 million more than the previous year, the VA reports.


Fox News
9 hours ago
- Fox News
Dallas VA officer rescues choking toddler in heroic bodycam footage
Cpl. Lee Higginbotham joins 'Fox & Friends First' to share his experience saving a toddler from choking and receive a special message from Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins.