At an event in Vermont, the recently confirmed federal Veterans’ Affairs (VA) secretary, Robert McDonald, urged medical and nursing students to consider careers in the VA. He has made similar recruiting appeals in several other states.
McDonald took over the agency with the mission of lowering the long waiting times for veterans seeking health care.
The secretary believes that besides filling an immediate need of reducing wait times, the increase in medical personnel will be a long-term way to improve the system. He also told students of other benefits, such as a new law that allows the VA to provide up to $120,000 in debt forgiveness to medical professionals.
The VA has about 150 medical centers and 820 community-based outpatient clinics throughout the country. The department is seeking to recruit between 20,000 and 30,000 doctors and nurses.
