In The News

Originally published by 41 NBC

DUBLIN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins denies that Trump administration policies will cause a decrease in the quality of healthcare and benefits at facilities like the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center.

“I don’t tolerate any more culture in which we just move people who don’t do good things,” Collins said. “If you’re not doing good things in the VA we’re going to have to move you out.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning to cut up to 80,000 employees by August, along with hundreds of VA contracts. Despite Collins’ assurances, these plans have caused much scrutiny over the past few weeks and months.

Collins was joined by several elected officials from across Middle Georgia when he toured the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center on Monday. Rep. Rick Allen (R-Ga.) applauded the administration’s early efforts, saying the swift approach is already making a difference.

“The taxpayers want accountability,” Allen said. “And why we have the backlash to that, I don’t understand.” 

Collins says the main takeaway of his tour was that numerous changes in leadership over the last decade plus have prevented a sustained culture. He credited the work of those in interim roles, but says this pattern needs to change.

“They’ve done good stuff,” Collins said. “But if they’re going to be changing out, that makes it harder for the employees down the line to have a continuity of that leadership.” 

Collins criticized the Biden administration, saying that an increased VA budget and more employees failed to yield better care. He says while more cuts are on the way, the department is protecting jobs by eliminating wasteful spending.

“If you’re forward facing in our patient care and you’re forward facing with this community, those are jobs that we’ve got to have,” Collins said. “Every organization can be more efficient. Every organization can deliver better healthcare with the dollars that we have.”