VA to Demand Productivity Increases From Employees to Fix Budget Hole

The director of the agency’s Portland Medical Center said in an email yesterday that he needs to cut 160 positions by October.

lede_HeliTour_007_WesleyLapointe_4532 VA Hospital on Marquam Hill. (Wesley Lapointe)
By Lucas Manfield

Yesterday, a top official offered details into how cutbacks at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs could impact Portlanders.

In an email obtained by WW, David L. Holt, director of VA Portland health care, said he needed to eliminate 160 positions by October, the result of workforce cuts in the federal agency’s latest budget following a recent hiring spree. This presents a quandary: Federal officials have pledged not to trim spending through layoffs or hiring freezes, but Holt says he doesn’t expect attrition alone to make up the difference.

So, here’s what he says he’ll do instead: institute a “slowdown in recruitments,” a “possible reduction in equipment purchases and construction projects” and other cost saving measures like reducing nonessential employee travel.

Patients should expect changes too: “more emphasis on increasing productivity, completing and closing encounters and signing clinical notes,” Holt’s email says.

There may be other cutbacks as well. An internal agency presentation reviewed by WW mentions “revisiting programs that may not align with the VHA’s core mission.”

In a statement sent to WW, a VA spokesman emphasized the agency will continue to hire in areas of highest need, like mental health. “Local leaders are empowered to make decisions about their workforces—but there will be no hiring freeze or layoffs, and we will continue to hire where needed to deliver the best care in the world,” Gary J. Kunich said.

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