Lawmakers press Collins on VA overhaul, staffing cuts and risks to veteran care
This is a governance problem, not a headline.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins faced questioning Tuesday from lawmakers over the proposed overhaul of the Veterans Health Administration, as they raised concerns about staffing cuts, accountability, and whether the reorganization risks disrupting veterans’ care.
The plan, known as RISE, short for “restructure for impact and sustainability,” would reshape how the VA manages and oversees healthcare nationwide, consolidating its 18 Veterans Integrated Service Networks, or VISNs, into five and creating new “health service areas” to handle day-to-day engagement with hospitals and clinics.
Collins describes the proposal as the most significant reorganization of the VA’s health system since the 1990s, arguing it is designed to reduce bureaucracy, standardize operations, and push resources closer to the front lines.
“This is not a reduction in force,” Collins told the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “This is not an effort to diminish direct care for veterans. This is about eliminating administrative overhead and empowering local leaders to do what they’re supposed to do, which is take care of veterans.”
Committee Chairman Jerry Moran (R-KS) said the overhaul responds to years of warnings from the Government Accountability Office and the VA Office of Inspector General, which have repeatedly flagged unclear lines of authority, weak accountability, and inconsistent oversight across the system.
“These are important goals,” Moran said. But he cautioned that reorganization “carries risks,” and said lawmakers would closely examine how the VA plans to mitigate those risks, measure success, and protect continuity of care during the transition.
Republicans press VA on execution and unintended consequences
While several Republicans welcomed Collins’ focus on reducing bureaucracy, they repeatedly pressed VA officials on whether the restructuring could deliver results without repeating past failures or leaving veterans behind.
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) questioned whether the department’s touted efficiency gains translate into better patient outcomes, warning against management-driven reforms that overlook the lived experience.
“If I’m really critically ill, waiting 125 days to see a doctor is not enhancement and quality of care,” Cramer said. He pressed Collins on how the VA defines success, saying veterans measure performance in access and outcomes, not organizational charts.
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), who has long criticized prior VISN realignments, …
This is a governance problem, not a headline.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins faced questioning Tuesday from lawmakers over the proposed overhaul of the Veterans Health Administration, as they raised concerns about staffing cuts, accountability, and whether the reorganization risks disrupting veterans’ care.
The plan, known as RISE, short for “restructure for impact and sustainability,” would reshape how the VA manages and oversees healthcare nationwide, consolidating its 18 Veterans Integrated Service Networks, or VISNs, into five and creating new “health service areas” to handle day-to-day engagement with hospitals and clinics.
Collins describes the proposal as the most significant reorganization of the VA’s health system since the 1990s, arguing it is designed to reduce bureaucracy, standardize operations, and push resources closer to the front lines.
“This is not a reduction in force,” Collins told the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “This is not an effort to diminish direct care for veterans. This is about eliminating administrative overhead and empowering local leaders to do what they’re supposed to do, which is take care of veterans.”
Committee Chairman Jerry Moran (R-KS) said the overhaul responds to years of warnings from the Government Accountability Office and the VA Office of Inspector General, which have repeatedly flagged unclear lines of authority, weak accountability, and inconsistent oversight across the system.
“These are important goals,” Moran said. But he cautioned that reorganization “carries risks,” and said lawmakers would closely examine how the VA plans to mitigate those risks, measure success, and protect continuity of care during the transition.
Republicans press VA on execution and unintended consequences
While several Republicans welcomed Collins’ focus on reducing bureaucracy, they repeatedly pressed VA officials on whether the restructuring could deliver results without repeating past failures or leaving veterans behind.
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) questioned whether the department’s touted efficiency gains translate into better patient outcomes, warning against management-driven reforms that overlook the lived experience.
“If I’m really critically ill, waiting 125 days to see a doctor is not enhancement and quality of care,” Cramer said. He pressed Collins on how the VA defines success, saying veterans measure performance in access and outcomes, not organizational charts.
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), who has long criticized prior VISN realignments, …
Lawmakers press Collins on VA overhaul, staffing cuts and risks to veteran care
This is a governance problem, not a headline.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins faced questioning Tuesday from lawmakers over the proposed overhaul of the Veterans Health Administration, as they raised concerns about staffing cuts, accountability, and whether the reorganization risks disrupting veterans’ care.
The plan, known as RISE, short for “restructure for impact and sustainability,” would reshape how the VA manages and oversees healthcare nationwide, consolidating its 18 Veterans Integrated Service Networks, or VISNs, into five and creating new “health service areas” to handle day-to-day engagement with hospitals and clinics.
Collins describes the proposal as the most significant reorganization of the VA’s health system since the 1990s, arguing it is designed to reduce bureaucracy, standardize operations, and push resources closer to the front lines.
“This is not a reduction in force,” Collins told the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “This is not an effort to diminish direct care for veterans. This is about eliminating administrative overhead and empowering local leaders to do what they’re supposed to do, which is take care of veterans.”
Committee Chairman Jerry Moran (R-KS) said the overhaul responds to years of warnings from the Government Accountability Office and the VA Office of Inspector General, which have repeatedly flagged unclear lines of authority, weak accountability, and inconsistent oversight across the system.
“These are important goals,” Moran said. But he cautioned that reorganization “carries risks,” and said lawmakers would closely examine how the VA plans to mitigate those risks, measure success, and protect continuity of care during the transition.
Republicans press VA on execution and unintended consequences
While several Republicans welcomed Collins’ focus on reducing bureaucracy, they repeatedly pressed VA officials on whether the restructuring could deliver results without repeating past failures or leaving veterans behind.
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) questioned whether the department’s touted efficiency gains translate into better patient outcomes, warning against management-driven reforms that overlook the lived experience.
“If I’m really critically ill, waiting 125 days to see a doctor is not enhancement and quality of care,” Cramer said. He pressed Collins on how the VA defines success, saying veterans measure performance in access and outcomes, not organizational charts.
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), who has long criticized prior VISN realignments, …
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