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Veterans & National Security · Report · File No. 261111-626

ProPublica: Staff losses leave East Orange VA hospital in crisis, veterans' care at risk

ProPublica reports that staff losses under Trump have left a New Jersey veterans hospital without key specialists. A VA watchdog report points to shortages across the system.

By the National Desk · · 2 min read

Every quote in this story (2) was matched word for word against its source. How we work

My clippings
Doug Collins
Doug Collins. Photo: Unknown photographer, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Public domain

On Veterans Day, a ProPublica investigation says the Trump administration's shrinking of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has left the East Orange, New Jersey, VA hospital in crisis. The nonprofit newsroom says care has suffered across nearly every area of the hospital. 1

ProPublica opens with John Falchetto, a Vietnam veteran who had just turned 80. In February he went to East Orange with severe stomach pain, and a CT scan suggested his appendix had burst and was gangrenous. The article says the ventilation system had malfunctioned months earlier and the repair team was short-staffed. Falchetto lay there for seven hours. 1

What ProPublica found

ProPublica says the administration backed off mass layoffs after pushback from veterans groups. It then made working conditions harder, and many staff left. It canceled union contracts, ordered remote workers back to the office and offered early retirement packages. 1

Six months into Trump's term, the VA had 3,800 fewer doctors, nurses and other "mission critical" staff, according to the department's own data. Many were never replaced, and the VA eliminated thousands of open positions instead. 1

From Channel GOPBlumenthal reads Patel his own confirmation promisesSen. Blumenthal · 1.2K plays · captioned, with the source named

East Orange and its affiliated New Jersey facilities lost nearly a tenth of their staff. A VA watchdog report shows roles with "severe shortages" there tripled over two years, from about 30 to roughly 90. Wound care, blood clot testing and radiation treatment were disrupted. 1

ProPublica says employees describe similar problems elsewhere. It reports suspended surgeries near St. Petersburg, Florida, and offline beds in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In Minneapolis, a notice said there was no surgeon on duty "until further notice." 1

What the VA says

The administration denies that care is suffering. VA Secretary Doug Collins told Congress this spring that there was an excitement about what's going on. A spokesperson said the eliminated health-provider jobs were "not needed." The VA did not make Collins or East Orange leaders available for interviews. 1

Doug Collins
There’s actually an excitement about what’s going on
Doug Collins, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Republican1

A separate watchdog report supports the wider picture. The VA inspector general said officials reported 4,712 severe occupational staffing shortages in fiscal 2026, the most in seven years. All 139 VA facilities reported shortages. 2

The VA's own spokesperson, Quinn Slaven, said that report is "not a reliable indicator of staffing shortages." The inspector general notes the numbers reflect officials' survey answers and that the office did not check them. 2

Richard Blumenthal
confirms that staffing shortages at VA continue to increase in number and impact.
Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Senator, top Democrat on Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, D-Conn.2

What happens next

ProPublica says it is still reporting and is asking VA health workers for tips. The Democrats who take over the House in January have promised oversight of the administration. This report gives them a concrete case to examine. 1

The pattern matters for older veterans. Many veterans in their 70s and 80s depend on the VA for cancer care, heart tests and surgery. ProPublica reports that more of them are being pushed into private care, where it says waits are also long. 1

The Record

  1. The VA inspector general reported 4,712 severe occupational staffing shortages in fiscal 2026, the most in seven years, with all 139 facilities reporting shortages 2.
  2. ProPublica reported that the East Orange, N.J., VA hospital lost nearly a tenth of its staff since Trump took office and that care has been disrupted across the hospital 1.
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Sources

  1. ProPublica, ““We Have No One”: How Trump’s Dismantling of the VA Left a Veterans Hospital in Crisis” (2026-11-11). propublica.org/article/east-orange-va-hospital-veterans-decl
  2. Government Executive, “VA's reported staffing challenges at healthcare facilities hit a 7-year high” (2026-09-15). govexec.com/management/2026/09/vas-reported-staffing-challen

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