Doctor Shortages Cited in VA Scandal

There are currently 400 vacancies out of 5,100 primary care positions in the Veterans Affairs health care system. The New York Times reports the shortage is the main driver behind the falsified data and long wait times at the Phoenix VA. “The doctors are good but they are overworked, and they feel inadequate in the face of the inordinate demands made on them,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Another factor cited is the tying of annual performance reviews to raises, bonuses, promotions, and benefits, which created perverse incentives to manipulate the data.