Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

VA: Competition With Private Sector Is An Obstacle To Hiring More Medical Staff

The Veterans Administration got $2.5 billion to add more doctors, nurses and other staff. An NPR investigation finds that total staff didn't rise much more than it might have without that money. We examine reasons why it's hard to bring new medical personnel into the VA, including a cumbersome hiring process.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Quil Lawrence is a New York-based correspondent for NPR News, covering veterans' issues nationwide. He won a Robert F. Kennedy Award for his coverage of American veterans and a Gracie Award for coverage of female combat veterans. In 2019 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America honored Quil with its IAVA Salutes Award for Leadership in Journalism.