Daily Press: Hampton VA Medical Center has severe staffing shortages, report finds 

VIRGINIA – A new report finds that the Hampton VA Medical Center is facing severe shortages. This comes as Winsome Earle-Sears backs Donald Trump’s attacks on Virginia jobs. 
 
The Daily Press detailed: “At the Hampton VA hospital, there are severe occupational staffing shortages reported for 14 clinical medical officer positions, 21 nursing positions and four nonclinical positions,” adding that “data showed 4,434 severe occupational staffing shortages — a 50% increase from the previous year when there were 2,959 total shortage occupations."
 
Sears has a pattern of dismissing Virginians worried about their livelihoods.  In a recent CNN interview, when asked if she supports Donald Trump’s attacks on Virginia’s jobs, Winsome Earle-Sears refused to answer, saying she wanted “to talk about real issues” instead. She previously was caught on tape downplaying the attacks on Virginia jobs: “the media is making it out to be a huge, huge thing… and I don’t understand why.” Sears also said she would help Trump “get the job done” and that she’s “supporting what the President is doing.” 
 
“As Winsome Earle-Sears downplays Trump’s attacks on Virginia jobs, Virginians who work at the VA and the veterans they serve are already facing severe staffing shortages making it difficult for veterans to get the care they earned. Sears must answer why she doesn't think that’s a real issue,” said DPVA Spokesperson Maggie Amjad.
 
Daily Press: Hampton VA Medical Center has severe staffing shortages, report finds

• The Office of the Inspector General last week released its annual report on staffing shortages at the Department of Veteran Affairs, which concluded that staffing shortages have increased dramatically in the last year, and that more facilities have higher levels of staffing shortages than in any other year since 2018.
• At the Hampton VA hospital, there are severe occupational staffing shortages reported for 14 clinical medical officer positions, 21 nursing positions and four nonclinical positions, according to the report. Data for the North Battlefield VA Outpatient Clinic in Chesapeake, which opened in April, is not listed in the report.
• The data showed 4,434 severe occupational staffing shortages — a 50% increase from the previous year when there were 2,959 total shortage occupations.
• U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, a Newport News Democrat, toured the Hampton VA Medical Center on Wednesday and heard updates on conditions there from staff. Speaking to the media afterward, Scott said the center remains a strong health care facility for veterans but this is in spite of staffing issues.
• “When you go around firing everybody it’s hard to recruit people to join your organization,” Scott said, adding that the North Battlefield VA Medical Clinic in Chesapeake, which Scott toured in the spring, is still “nowhere close” to fully staffed after opening in April.

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