VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System to cut nearly 10% of its jobs, according to memo
The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System plans to cut nearly 10 percent of its employees in the near future, according to a memo obtained by KDKA.
It comes as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is cutting thousands of jobs across the country as it tries to "right-size" the agency.
Veteran John Walker, of Greenville, relies on the VA centers in the Pittsburgh area for his health care.
"As far as my medical, everything is done through the VA," Walker said.
Even now, he struggles to get the services he needs with staffing shortages.
"Right now, it's a wait, but you can get it within a month, a couple months, an appointment that you need," Walker said.
It's why he can't imagine what would happen if the agency makes more cuts to the network.
"It would bother me a little bit," Walker said.
According to a memo, the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System said it currently has 4,932 employees, and it wants to cut 481 jobs. The note also said it has 609 vacancies, but it doesn't say how many would count toward the cuts.
The memo states, "Through this exercise, it was determined that it would be impossible to continue all services with this reduction in headcount." This line stands out to Democratic Congressman Chris Deluzio, a veteran.
"These are real risks to veterans. These are real risks to our community and the providers who want to deliver for veterans," Deluzio said at a press conference in Washington, D.C. "Will you be OK? Veterans are getting sicker, or god forbid, dying waiting for care because of your actions?"
Deluzio said that he is going to try to get answers to these cuts from Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins.
The staff reductions are part of a sudden major effort reported by The Washington Post to get rid of 35,000 health care positions, primarily unfilled. However, it comes on top of a loss of nearly 30,000 employees already this year, including some probationary staff in Pittsburgh.
A spokesperson for the Pittsburgh VA system said, in part, in a statement that, "No VA Pittsburgh Health Care System employees are being removed, and no VA Pittsburgh services will be affected." The statement added that all "VA medical facilities – including VA Pittsburgh Health Care System – are continuing to fill vacancies as needed."
KDKA also reached out to republican lawmakers for comment. A spokesperson for Senator Dave McCormick said, in part:
"Senator McCormick believes we have a solemn responsibility to faithfully care for those we send to fight our nation's battles. Secretary Collins has proposed a reorganization intended to help the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs better meet the needs of our veterans."
As for Walker, he feels there has to be another solution.
"I would hope that there would be other means to relieve their concerns," Walker said.
In addition to the job cuts, the memo said an observation unit will close in early January, and the system hopes to increase the headcount after opening another observation/acute care unit in the 2027 fiscal year.
According to the Pittsburgh VA system's annual report for 2025, it serves more than 93,000 veterans, with a budget of more than $1.2 billion.
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services states the commonwealth is home to nearly 7,000 veterans, the fifth-largest vet population in the country.