The Department of Veterans Affairs continues to push back against claims that DOGE cuts are impacting veteran care.
VA pointed out that a new clinic opened on March 14 in Hamilton, Montana - the fourth facility to open since President Donald Trump took office in January, but was in the works to open under his predecessor Joe Biden.
"As government union bosses, the legacy media and some in Congress have been spreading false rumors of health care and benefits cuts at VA, we’ve opened multiple brand-new clinics that will serve tens of thousands of veterans," VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a recent statement.
According to local media reports, the $11 million, 8,000 square foot Hamilton clinic is 600 percent larger than the facility it replaces and will provide primary care, women’s health, outpatient mental health care, lab and telehealth services.
On Feb. 28, the Fredericksburg, Virginia medical center - the largest and most complex VA facility of its type in the nation, opened, Local media reports indicated that the facility can serve 35,000 patients annually and offers primary care, mental health and rehabilitation services, as well as specialty care such as cardiology, neurology and dermatology. It will also have a full-service pharmacy.
The Thomas P. Noonan Community-Based Outpatient Clinic opened Feb. 10 in Ridgewood, New York. Named in honor of Marine Lance Cpl. Thomas P. Noonan Jr., who posthumously received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the Vietnam War, according to local media outlets. The center will offer primary care, mental health services, and specialty care in coordination with the Bronx VA Medical Center.
On Jan. 27, the Lt. Col. John W. Mosley VA Clinic, a Community-Based Outpatient Clinic opened in Aurora, Colorado. Named after Mosley, a Tuskegee Airman and Colorado native, it offers primary care, mental health, radiology, pharmacy, nutrition, and social work services, according to local reports.
In a recent appearance on Fox News, Collins repeated his claims that a plan to cut 15 percent of the VA workforce would have no impact on the care the department provides to veterans.
Critics in the Veterans Services Organizations community have called for more transparency from Collins for these claims. He also took aim at politicians and others who said the cuts would negatively impact veteran care.
Collins also noted that a Government Accountability Office report found that VA was at “high risk” for waste, fraud, abuse and insufficient care.
“President Trump brought generational change to DC. And he's saying let's look at everything,” Collins said. “So what we're looking at is, if our system is on a high-risk list, if we've had issues and all that the government has decided to do lately has put money or people at something, then maybe we need to ask the better question -- are we using our resources wisely and making sure that our department is taking care of the veteran, which is our only responsibility?"
Collins said thus far less than one percent of the VA workforce has been laid off in response to DOGE. VA is also examining $980 million in contract spending as a result of DOGE.
Collins also said that $980 million in contract-related spending is being scrutinized in an attempt to instead reinvest it in patient care, as part of DOGE’s work.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.