Mixed Topics

The emergency department (ED) is estimated to provide half of all medical care in the United States, serving as a conduit between ambulatory care and inpatient settings.¹ According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 11 million antibiotic prescriptions were written in EDs in 2021.² A previous study conducted at a US Department of Veterans (VA) Affairs medical center found that about 40% of all antimicrobial use in the ED was inappropriate.³ The ED is a critical and high-yield space for antimicrobial stewardship efforts.⁴

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common reasons for ED visits.⁴ In 2018, there were about 3 million UTI discharge diagnoses reported in the US.⁵ Diagnosis and management of UTIs can vary depending on patient sex, upper or lower urinary tract involvement, and the severity of the infection.⁶ Most UTIs are uncomplicated and can be safely treated with oral antibiotics at home; however, if mismanaged, they can lead to increased morbidity and mortality.⁶

Antimicrobial prescribing in the ED is predominantly empiric with challenges such as diverse patient needs, rising antimicrobial resistance, and limited microbiologic data at the time of discharge.⁶ The lack of a standardized process for urine culture follow-up after discharge represents another major complicating factor in the outpatient management of UTIs. Studies have shown that ED pharmacists play a vital role in providing quality follow-up care by optimizing antimicrobial use, resulting in improved patient outcomes in various infectious syndromes, including UTIs.^7-13

Program Description

In June 2021, the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS) piloted an ED pharmacist-led aftercare program to optimize postdischarge antimicrobial therapy management of UTIs. After a patient is discharged from the ED, the clinical pharmacist reviews urine culture results, interprets available antimicrobial susceptibility, conducts patient interviews, adjusts for patient-specific factors, and addresses potential antibiotic-associated adverse events. The ED pharmacist is then responsible for managing therapy changes in consultation with an ED health care practitioner (HCP).

Methods

This single center, retrospective chart review included veterans who were discharged with an oral antibiotic for UTI treatment from the VAGLAHS ED and evaluated by clinical pharmacists between June 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. For patients with multiple ED visits, only the initial ED encounter was reviewed. Patients were excluded if they had a complicated UTI diagnosis requiring intravenous antibiotics or if they were admitted to the hospital. Data were generated through the Corporate Data Warehouse by VAGLAHS Pharmacy Informatics Service. Each patient was assigned a random number using the Microsoft Excel formula =RAND( ) and then sorted in chronological order to ensure randomization at baseline prior to data collection.

The primary aim of this quality improvement project was to characterize the impact of ED pharmacist-led interventions by evaluating the proportion of empiric to targeted therapy adjustments, antibiotic therapy discontinuation, and unmodified index treatment. The secondary objectives evaluated time to ED pharmacist aftercare follow-up, days of antibiotic exposure avoided, 30-day ED visits related to a urinary source, and transition of care documentation. Descriptive statistics were performed; median and IQR were calculated in Microsoft Excel.

A total of 548 ED UTI encounters were identified, including 449 patients with an index ED UTI aftercare follow-up evaluation. Of the 246 randomly screened patients, 200 veterans met inclusion criteria. The median age of included patients was 73 years and most (83.0%) were male (Table 1). One hundred thirty-two patients (66.0%) had a cystitis diagnosis, followed by complicated UTI (14.0%) and catheter-associated UTI (11.0%). The most frequently isolated uropathogen was Escherichia coli (30.5%). ß-lactams were prescribed for empiric treatment to 121 patients (60.5%), followed by 36 fluoroquinolones prescriptions (18.0%). The median treatment duration was 7 days.

The median time to ED pharmacist UTI aftercare evaluation was 2 days (Table 2). Sixty-seven cases required pharmacist intervention, which included 34 transitions to targeted therapy (17.0%) and 33 antibiotic discontinuations (16.5%). A total of 144 days of antibiotic exposure was avoided (ie, days antibiotic was prescribed minus days therapy administered). The majority of cases without modification to index therapy were due to appropriate empiric treatment selection (49.0%). Twelve (6.0%) patients had a subsequent urinary-related ED visit within 30 days due to 8 cases of persistent and/or worsening urinary symptoms (66.7%) and 2 cases of recurrent UTI (16.7%).

Discussion

Outpatient antibiotic prescribing for UTI management in the ED is challenging due to the absence of microbiologic data at time of diagnosis and lack of consistent transition of care follow-up.⁶ The VAGLAHS ED UTI aftercare program piloted a pharmacist-driven protocol for review of all urine cultures and optimization of antibiotic therapy.

Most ED UTI discharges that did not require pharmacist intervention had empiric treatment selection active against the clinical isolates. This suggests that the ED prescribing practices concur with theVAGLAHS antibiogram and treatment guidelines. Clinical pharmacists intervened in about one-third of UTI cases, which included modification or discontinuation of therapy. Further review of these cases demonstrated that about half of those with a subsequent 30-day ED visit related to a urinary source had therapy modification. Most patients with a 30-day ED visit had persistent and/or worsening urinary symptoms, prompting further exploratory workup.

Although this project did not evaluate time from urine culture results to aftercare review, the VAGLAHS ED pharmacists had a median follow-up time of 48 hours. This timeline mirrors the typical duration for urine culture results, suggesting that the pilot program allowed for real time pharmacist review and intervention. Consequently, this initiative resulted in the avoidance of 144 unnecessary days of antibiotic exposure.

While the current protocol highlights the work that ED pharmacists provide postdischarge, there are additional opportunities for pharmacist intervention. For example, one-third of these clinical encounters were completed without HCP notification, indicating an ongoing need to ensure continuity of care. Additionally, all 16 patients diagnosed with asymptomatic bacteriuria were discharged with an oral antibiotic, highlighting an opportunity to further optimize antibiotic prescribing prior to discharge. ED pharmacists continue to play an important role in mitigating inappropriate and unnecessary antibiotic use, which will reduce antibiotic-related adverse drug reactions, Clostridioides difficile infection, and antimicrobial resistance.

Limitations

Inconsistent and incomplete documentation of clinical data in the electronic health record made the characterization of patient encounters challenging. Furthermore, ED HCPs varying clinical practices may have impacted the heterogeneity of UTI diagnosis and management at VAGLAHS.

Conclusions

Implementation of an ED pharmacist-driven UTI aftercare program at VAGLAHS reduced unnecessary antimicrobial exposure, improved antibiotic management, and ensured continuity of care postdischarge. Findings from our project implicate possible future pharmacist involvement predischarge, such as targeting inappropriate asymptomatic bacteriuria treatment.^14-16 This pilot program suggested the feasibility of integrating antimicrobial stewardship practices within the ED setting in an ongoing effort to improve the quality of care for veterans.

The emergency department (ED) is estimated to provide half of all medical care in the United States, serving as a conduit between ambulatory care and inpatient settings.¹ According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 11 million antibiotic prescriptions were written in EDs in 2021.² A previous study conducted at a US Department of Veterans (VA) Affairs medical center found that about 40% of all antimicrobial use in the ED was inappropriate.³ The ED is a critical and high-yield space for antimicrobial stewardship efforts.⁴

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common reasons for ED visits.⁴ In 2018, there were about 3 million UTI discharge diagnoses reported in the US.⁵ Diagnosis and management of UTIs can vary depending on patient sex, upper or lower urinary tract involvement, and the severity of the infection.⁶ Most UTIs are uncomplicated and can be safely treated with oral antibiotics at home; however, if mismanaged, they can lead to increased morbidity and mortality.⁶

Antimicrobial prescribing in the ED is predominantly empiric with challenges such as diverse patient needs, rising antimicrobial resistance, and limited microbiologic data at the time of discharge.⁶ The lack of a standardized process for urine culture follow-up after discharge represents another major complicating factor in the outpatient management of UTIs. Studies have shown that ED pharmacists play a vital role in providing quality follow-up care by optimizing antimicrobial use, resulting in improved patient outcomes in various infectious syndromes, including UTIs.^7-13

Program Description

In June 2021, the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS) piloted an ED pharmacist-led aftercare program to optimize postdischarge antimicrobial therapy management of UTIs. After a patient is discharged from the ED, the clinical pharmacist reviews urine culture results, interprets available antimicrobial susceptibility, conducts patient interviews, adjusts for patient-specific factors, and addresses potential antibiotic-associated adverse events. The ED pharmacist is then responsible for managing therapy changes in consultation with an ED health care practitioner (HCP).

Methods

This single center, retrospective chart review included veterans who were discharged with an oral antibiotic for UTI treatment from the VAGLAHS ED and evaluated by clinical pharmacists between June 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. For patients with multiple ED visits, only the initial ED encounter was reviewed. Patients were excluded if they had a complicated UTI diagnosis requiring intravenous antibiotics or if they were admitted to the hospital. Data were generated through the Corporate Data Warehouse by VAGLAHS Pharmacy Informatics Service. Each patient was assigned a random number using the Microsoft Excel formula =RAND( ) and then sorted in chronological order to ensure randomization at baseline prior to data collection.

The primary aim of this quality improvement project was to characterize the impact of ED pharmacist-led interventions by evaluating the proportion of empiric to targeted therapy adjustments, antibiotic therapy discontinuation, and unmodified index treatment. The secondary objectives evaluated time to ED pharmacist aftercare follow-up, days of antibiotic exposure avoided, 30-day ED visits related to a urinary source, and transition of care documentation. Descriptive statistics were performed; median and IQR were calculated in Microsoft Excel.

A total of 548 ED UTI encounters were identified, including 449 patients with an index ED UTI aftercare follow-up evaluation. Of the 246 randomly screened patients, 200 veterans met inclusion criteria. The median age of included patients was 73 years and most (83.0%) were male (Table 1). One hundred thirty-two patients (66.0%) had a cystitis diagnosis, followed by complicated UTI (14.0%) and catheter-associated UTI (11.0%). The most frequently isolated uropathogen was Escherichia coli (30.5%). ß-lactams were prescribed for empiric treatment to 121 patients (60.5%), followed by 36 fluoroquinolones prescriptions (18.0%). The median treatment duration was 7 days.

The median time to ED pharmacist UTI aftercare evaluation was 2 days (Table 2). Sixty-seven cases required pharmacist intervention, which included 34 transitions to targeted therapy (17.0%) and 33 antibiotic discontinuations (16.5%). A total of 144 days of antibiotic exposure was avoided (ie, days antibiotic was prescribed minus days therapy administered). The majority of cases without modification to index therapy were due to appropriate empiric treatment selection (49.0%). Twelve (6.0%) patients had a subsequent urinary-related ED visit within 30 days due to 8 cases of persistent and/or worsening urinary symptoms (66.7%) and 2 cases of recurrent UTI (16.7%).

Discussion

Outpatient antibiotic prescribing for UTI management in the ED is challenging due to the absence of microbiologic data at time of diagnosis and lack of consistent transition of care follow-up.⁶ The VAGLAHS ED UTI aftercare program piloted a pharmacist-driven protocol for review of all urine cultures and optimization of antibiotic therapy.

Most ED UTI discharges that did not require pharmacist intervention had empiric treatment selection active against the clinical isolates. This suggests that the ED prescribing practices concur with theVAGLAHS antibiogram and treatment guidelines. Clinical pharmacists intervened in about one-third of UTI cases, which included modification or discontinuation of therapy. Further review of these cases demonstrated that about half of those with a subsequent 30-day ED visit related to a urinary source had therapy modification. Most patients with a 30-day ED visit had persistent and/or worsening urinary symptoms, prompting further exploratory workup.

Although this project did not evaluate time from urine culture results to aftercare review, the VAGLAHS ED pharmacists had a median follow-up time of 48 hours. This timeline mirrors the typical duration for urine culture results, suggesting that the pilot program allowed for real time pharmacist review and intervention. Consequently, this initiative resulted in the avoidance of 144 unnecessary days of antibiotic exposure.

While the current protocol highlights the work that ED pharmacists provide postdischarge, there are additional opportunities for pharmacist intervention. For example, one-third of these clinical encounters were completed without HCP notification, indicating an ongoing need to ensure continuity of care. Additionally, all 16 patients diagnosed with asymptomatic bacteriuria were discharged with an oral antibiotic, highlighting an opportunity to further optimize antibiotic prescribing prior to discharge. ED pharmacists continue to play an important role in mitigating inappropriate and unnecessary antibiotic use, which will reduce antibiotic-related adverse drug reactions, Clostridioides difficile infection, and antimicrobial resistance.

Limitations

Inconsistent and incomplete documentation of clinical data in the electronic health record made the characterization of patient encounters challenging. Furthermore, ED HCPs varying clinical practices may have impacted the heterogeneity of UTI diagnosis and management at VAGLAHS.

Conclusions

Implementation of an ED pharmacist-driven UTI aftercare program at VAGLAHS reduced unnecessary antimicrobial exposure, improved antibiotic management, and ensured continuity of care postdischarge. Findings from our project implicate possible future pharmacist involvement predischarge, such as targeting inappropriate asymptomatic bacteriuria treatment.^14-16 This pilot program suggested the feasibility of integrating antimicrobial stewardship practices within the ED setting in an ongoing effort to improve the quality of care for veterans.

The emergency department (ED) is estimated to provide half of all medical care in the United States, serving as a conduit between ambulatory care and inpatient settings.¹ According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 11 million antibiotic prescriptions were written in EDs in 2021.² A previous study conducted at a US Department of Veterans (VA) Affairs medical center found that about 40% of all antimicrobial use in the ED was inappropriate.³ The ED is a critical and high-yield space for antimicrobial stewardship efforts.⁴

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common reasons for ED visits.⁴ In 2018, there were about 3 million UTI discharge diagnoses reported in the US.⁵ Diagnosis and management of UTIs can vary depending on patient sex, upper or lower urinary tract involvement, and the severity of the infection.⁶ Most UTIs are uncomplicated and can be safely treated with oral antibiotics at home; however, if mismanaged, they can lead to increased morbidity and mortality.⁶

Antimicrobial prescribing in the ED is predominantly empiric with challenges such as diverse patient needs, rising antimicrobial resistance, and limited microbiologic data at the time of discharge.⁶ The lack of a standardized process for urine culture follow-up after discharge represents another major complicating factor in the outpatient management of UTIs. Studies have shown that ED pharmacists play a vital role in providing quality follow-up care by optimizing antimicrobial use, resulting in improved patient outcomes in various infectious syndromes, including UTIs.^7-13

Program Description

In June 2021, the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS) piloted an ED pharmacist-led aftercare program to optimize postdischarge antimicrobial therapy management of UTIs. After a patient is discharged from the ED, the clinical pharmacist reviews urine culture results, interprets available antimicrobial susceptibility, conducts patient interviews, adjusts for patient-specific factors, and addresses potential antibiotic-associated adverse events. The ED pharmacist is then responsible for managing therapy changes in consultation with an ED health care practitioner (HCP).

Methods

This single center, retrospective chart review included veterans who were discharged with an oral antibiotic for UTI treatment from the VAGLAHS ED and evaluated by clinical pharmacists between June 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. For patients with multiple ED visits, only the initial ED encounter was reviewed. Patients were excluded if they had a complicated UTI diagnosis requiring intravenous antibiotics or if they were admitted to the hospital. Data were generated through the Corporate Data Warehouse by VAGLAHS Pharmacy Informatics Service. Each patient was assigned a random number using the Microsoft Excel formula =RAND( ) and then sorted in chronological order to ensure randomization at baseline prior to data collection.

The primary aim of this quality improvement project was to characterize the impact of ED pharmacist-led interventions by evaluating the proportion of empiric to targeted therapy adjustments, antibiotic therapy discontinuation, and unmodified index treatment. The secondary objectives evaluated time to ED pharmacist aftercare follow-up, days of antibiotic exposure avoided, 30-day ED visits related to a urinary source, and transition of care documentation. Descriptive statistics were performed; median and IQR were calculated in Microsoft Excel.

A total of 548 ED UTI encounters were identified, including 449 patients with an index ED UTI aftercare follow-up evaluation. Of the 246 randomly screened patients, 200 veterans met inclusion criteria. The median age of included patients was 73 years and most (83.0%) were male (Table 1). One hundred thirty-two patients (66.0%) had a cystitis diagnosis, followed by complicated UTI (14.0%) and catheter-associated UTI (11.0%). The most frequently isolated uropathogen was Escherichia coli (30.5%). ß-lactams were prescribed for empiric treatment to 121 patients (60.5%), followed by 36 fluoroquinolones prescriptions (18.0%). The median treatment duration was 7 days.

The median time to ED pharmacist UTI aftercare evaluation was 2 days (Table 2). Sixty-seven cases required pharmacist intervention, which included 34 transitions to targeted therapy (17.0%) and 33 antibiotic discontinuations (16.5%). A total of 144 days of antibiotic exposure was avoided (ie, days antibiotic was prescribed minus days therapy administered). The majority of cases without modification to index therapy were due to appropriate empiric treatment selection (49.0%). Twelve (6.0%) patients had a subsequent urinary-related ED visit within 30 days due to 8 cases of persistent and/or worsening urinary symptoms (66.7%) and 2 cases of recurrent UTI (16.7%).

Discussion

Outpatient antibiotic prescribing for UTI management in the ED is challenging due to the absence of microbiologic data at time of diagnosis and lack of consistent transition of care follow-up.⁶ The VAGLAHS ED UTI aftercare program piloted a pharmacist-driven protocol for review of all urine cultures and optimization of antibiotic therapy.

Most ED UTI discharges that did not require pharmacist intervention had empiric treatment selection active against the clinical isolates. This suggests that the ED prescribing practices concur with theVAGLAHS antibiogram and treatment guidelines. Clinical pharmacists intervened in about one-third of UTI cases, which included modification or discontinuation of therapy. Further review of these cases demonstrated that about half of those with a subsequent 30-day ED visit related to a urinary source had therapy modification. Most patients with a 30-day ED visit had persistent and/or worsening urinary symptoms, prompting further exploratory workup.

Although this project did not evaluate time from urine culture results to aftercare review, the VAGLAHS ED pharmacists had a median follow-up time of 48 hours. This timeline mirrors the typical duration for urine culture results, suggesting that the pilot program allowed for real time pharmacist review and intervention. Consequently, this initiative resulted in the avoidance of 144 unnecessary days of antibiotic exposure.

While the current protocol highlights the work that ED pharmacists provide postdischarge, there are additional opportunities for pharmacist intervention. For example, one-third of these clinical encounters were completed without HCP notification, indicating an ongoing need to ensure continuity of care. Additionally, all 16 patients diagnosed with asymptomatic bacteriuria were discharged with an oral antibiotic, highlighting an opportunity to further optimize antibiotic prescribing prior to discharge. ED pharmacists continue to play an important role in mitigating inappropriate and unnecessary antibiotic use, which will reduce antibiotic-related adverse drug reactions, Clostridioides difficile infection, and antimicrobial resistance.

Limitations

Inconsistent and incomplete documentation of clinical data in the electronic health record made the characterization of patient encounters challenging. Furthermore, ED HCPs varying clinical practices may have impacted the heterogeneity of UTI diagnosis and management at VAGLAHS.

Conclusions

Implementation of an ED pharmacist-driven UTI aftercare program at VAGLAHS reduced unnecessary antimicrobial exposure, improved antibiotic management, and ensured continuity of care postdischarge. Findings from our project implicate possible future pharmacist involvement predischarge, such as targeting inappropriate asymptomatic bacteriuria treatment.^14-16 This pilot program suggested the feasibility of integrating antimicrobial stewardship practices within the ED setting in an ongoing effort to improve the quality of care for veterans.

Veterans have a high burden of digestive diseases, and gastroenterologists are needed for the diagnosis and management of these conditions.^1-4 According to the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Workforce Management and Consulting (WMC) office, the physician specialties with the greatest shortages are psychiatry, primary care, and gastroenterology.⁵ The VHA estimates it must hire 70 new gastroenterologists annually between fiscal years 2023 and 2027 to provide timely digestive care.⁵

Filling these positions will be increasingly difficult as competition for gastroenterologists is fierce. A recent Merritt Hawkins review states, “Gastroenterologists were the most in-demand type of provider during the 2022 review period.”⁶ In 2022, the median annual salary for US gastroenterologists was reported to be $561,375.⁷ Currently, the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has an aggregate annual pay limit of $400,000 for all federal employees and cannot compete based on salary alone.

Retention of existing VA gastroenterologists also is challenging. The WMC has reported that 21.6% of VA gastroenterologists are eligible to retire, and in 2021, 8.2% left the VA to retire or seek non-VA positions.⁵ While not specific to the VA, a survey of practicing gastroenterologists conducted by the American College of Gastroenterology found a 49% burnout rate among respondents.⁸ Factors contributing to burnout at all career stages included administrative nonclinical work and a lack of clinical support staff.⁸ Burnout is also linked with higher rates of medical errors, interpersonal conflicts, and patient dissatisfaction. Burnout is more common among those with an innate strong sense of purpose and responsibility for their patients, characteristics we have observed in our VA colleagues.⁹

As members of the Section Chief Subcommittee of the VA Gastroenterology Field Advisory Board (GI FAB), we are passionate about providing outstanding gastroenterology care to US veterans, and we are alarmed at the struggles we are observing with recruiting and retaining a qualified national gastroenterology physician workforce. As such, we set out to survey the VA gastroenterology section chief community to gain insights into recruitment and retention challenges they have faced and identify potential solutions to these problems.

Methods

The GI FAB Section Chief Subcommittee developed a survey on gastroenterologist recruitment and retention using Microsoft Forms (Appendix). A link to the survey, which included 11 questions about facility location, current vacancies, and free text responses on barriers to recruitment and retention and potential solutions, was sent via email to all gastroenterology section chiefs on the National Gastroenterology and Hepatology Program Office’s email list of section chiefs on January 31, 2023. A reminder to complete the survey was sent to all section chiefs on February 8, 2023. Survey responses were aggregated and analyzed by the authors using descriptive statistics.

The VA gastroenterologist recruitment and retention survey was emailed to 131 gastroenterology section chiefs and completed by 55 respondents (42%) (Figure). Of the responding section chiefs, 36 (65%) reported gastroenterologist vacancies at their facilities. Seventeen respondents (47%) reported a single vacancy, 12 (33%) reported 2 vacancies, 4 (11%) reported 3 vacancies, and 3 (8%) reported 4 vacancies. Of the sites with reported vacancies, 32 (89%) reported a need for a general gastroenterologist, 12 (33%) reported a need for a hepatologist, 11 (31%) reported a need for an advanced endoscopist, 9 (25%) reported a need for a gastroenterologist with specialized expertise in inflammatory bowel diseases, and 1 (3%) reported a need for a gastrointestinal motility specialist.

Numerous barriers to the recruitment and retention of gastroenterologists were reported. Given the large number of respondents that reported a unique barrier (ie, being the only respondents to report the barrier), a decision was made to include only barriers to recruitment and retention that were reported by at least 2 sites (Table). While there were some common themes, the reported barriers to retention differed from those to recruitment. The most reported barriers to recruitment were 46 respondents who noted salary, 23 reported human resources-related challenges, and 12 reported location. Respondents also noted various retention barriers, including 32 respondents who reported salary barriers; 13 reported administrative burden barriers, 6 reported medical center leadership, and 4 reported burnout.

Survey respondents provided multiple recommendations on how the VA can best support the recruitment and retention of gastroenterologists. The most frequent recommendations were to increase financial compensation by increasing the current aggregate salary cap to > $400,000, increasing the use of recruitment and retention incentives, and ensuring that gastroenterology is on the national Educational Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) list, which facilitates student loan repayment. It was recommended that a third-party company assist with hiring to overcome perceived issues with human resources. Additionally, there were multiple recommendations for improving administrative and clinical support. These included mandating how many support staff should be assigned to each gastroenterologist and providing best practice recommendations for support staff so that gastroenterologists can focus on physician-level work. Recommendations also included having a dedicated gastroenterology practice manager, nurse care coordinators, a colorectal cancer screening/surveillance coordinator, sufficient medical support assistants, and quality improvement personnel tracking ongoing professional practice evaluation data. Survey respondents also highlighted specific suggestions for recruiting recent graduates. These included offering a 4-day work week, as recent graduates place a premium on work-life balance, and ensuring gastroenterologists have individual offices. One respondent commented that gastroenterology fellows seeing VA gastroenterology attendings in cramped, shared offices, contrasted with private practice gastroenterologists in large private offices, may contribute to choosing private practice over joining the VA.

Discussion

Gastroenterology is currently listed by VHA WMC as 1 of the top 3 medical specialties in the VA with the most physician shortages.⁵ Working as a physician in the VA has long been recognized to have many benefits. First and foremost, many physicians are motivated by the VA mission to serve veterans, as this offers personal fulfillment and other intangible benefits. In addition, the VA can provide work-life balance, which is often not possible in fee-for-service settings, with patient panels and call volumes typically lower than in comparable private hospital settings. Moreover, VA physicians have outstanding teaching opportunities, as the VA is the largest supporter of medical education, with postgraduate trainees rotating through > 150 VA medical centers. Likewise, the VA offers a variety of student loan repayment programs (eg, the Specialty Education Loan Repayment Program and the EDRP). The VA offers research funding such as the Cooperative Studies Programs or program project funding, and rewards in parallel with the National Institute of Health (eg, career development awards, or merit review awards) and other grants. VA researchers have conducted many landmark studies that continue to shape the practice of gastroenterology and hepatology. From the earliest studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of screening colonoscopy, to the largest ongoing clinical trial in US history to assess the effectiveness of fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) vs screening colonoscopy.^10-12 The VA has also led the field in the study of gastroesophageal reflux disease, hepatitis C treatment, and liver cancer screening.^13-15 VA physicians also benefit from participation in the Federal Employee Retirement System, including its pension system.

These benefits apply to all medical specialties, making the VA a potentially appealing workplace for gastroenterologists. However, recent trends indicate that recruitment and retention of gastroenterologists is increasingly challenging, as the VA gastroenterology workforce grew by 5.0% in fiscal year (FY) 2020 and 1.8% in FY 2021. However, it was on track to end FY 2022 with a loss (-1.1%).⁵ It must be noted that this trend is not limited to the VA, and the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis predicts that gastroenterology will remain among the highest projected specialty shortages. Driven by increased demand for digestive health care services, more physicians nearing traditional retirement age, and substantially higher rates of burnout after the COVID-19 pandemic.¹⁶ All these factors are likely to result in an increasingly competitive market for gastroenterology, highlight the growing differences between VA and non-VA positions, and may augment the impact of differences for the individual gastroenterologist weighing employment options within and outside the VA.

Suboptimal human resources were the second most commonly cited impediment to recruiting gastroenterologists. Many section chiefs expressed frustration with the inefficient and slow administrative process of onboarding new gastroenterologists, which may take many months and not infrequently results in losing candidates to competing entities. While this issue is specific to recruitment, recurring and long-standing vacancies can increase work burdens, complicate logistics for remaining faculty, and may also negatively impact retention. One potential opportunity to improve VHA competitiveness is to streamline the administrative component of recruitment and optimize human resources support. The use of a third-party hiring company also should be considered.

Survey responses also indicated that administrative burden and insufficient support staff were significant retention challenges. Several respondents described a lack of efficient endoscopy workflow and delegation of simple administrative tasks to gastroenterologists as more likely in units without proper task distribution. Importantly, these shortcomings occur at the expense of workload-generating activities and career-enhancing opportunities.

While burnout rates among VA gastroenterologists have not been documented systematically, they likely correlate with workplace frustration and jeopardizegastroenterologist retention. Successful retention of gastroenterologists as highly trained medical professionals is more likely in workplaces that are vertically organized, efficient, and use physicians at the top of their skill level.

Conclusions

The VA offers the opportunity for a rewarding lifelong career in gastroenterology. The fulfillment of serving veterans, teaching future health care leaders, performing impactful research, and having job security is invaluable. Despite the tremendous benefits, this survey supports improving VA recruitment and retention strategies for the high-demand gastroenterology specialty. Improved salary parity is needed for workforce maintenance and recruitment, as is improved administrative and clinical support to maintain the high level of care our veterans deserve.

Veterans have a high burden of digestive diseases, and gastroenterologists are needed for the diagnosis and management of these conditions.^1-4 According to the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Workforce Management and Consulting (WMC) office, the physician specialties with the greatest shortages are psychiatry, primary care, and gastroenterology.⁵ The VHA estimates it must hire 70 new gastroenterologists annually between fiscal years 2023 and 2027 to provide timely digestive care.⁵

Filling these positions will be increasingly difficult as competition for gastroenterologists is fierce. A recent Merritt Hawkins review states, “Gastroenterologists were the most in-demand type of provider during the 2022 review period.”⁶ In 2022, the median annual salary for US gastroenterologists was reported to be $561,375.⁷ Currently, the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has an aggregate annual pay limit of $400,000 for all federal employees and cannot compete based on salary alone.

Retention of existing VA gastroenterologists also is challenging. The WMC has reported that 21.6% of VA gastroenterologists are eligible to retire, and in 2021, 8.2% left the VA to retire or seek non-VA positions.⁵ While not specific to the VA, a survey of practicing gastroenterologists conducted by the American College of Gastroenterology found a 49% burnout rate among respondents.⁸ Factors contributing to burnout at all career stages included administrative nonclinical work and a lack of clinical support staff.⁸ Burnout is also linked with higher rates of medical errors, interpersonal conflicts, and patient dissatisfaction. Burnout is more common among those with an innate strong sense of purpose and responsibility for their patients, characteristics we have observed in our VA colleagues.⁹

As members of the Section Chief Subcommittee of the VA Gastroenterology Field Advisory Board (GI FAB), we are passionate about providing outstanding gastroenterology care to US veterans, and we are alarmed at the struggles we are observing with recruiting and retaining a qualified national gastroenterology physician workforce. As such, we set out to survey the VA gastroenterology section chief community to gain insights into recruitment and retention challenges they have faced and identify potential solutions to these problems.

Methods

The GI FAB Section Chief Subcommittee developed a survey on gastroenterologist recruitment and retention using Microsoft Forms (Appendix). A link to the survey, which included 11 questions about facility location, current vacancies, and free text responses on barriers to recruitment and retention and potential solutions, was sent via email to all gastroenterology section chiefs on the National Gastroenterology and Hepatology Program Office’s email list of section chiefs on January 31, 2023. A reminder to complete the survey was sent to all section chiefs on February 8, 2023. Survey responses were aggregated and analyzed by the authors using descriptive statistics.

The VA gastroenterologist recruitment and retention survey was emailed to 131 gastroenterology section chiefs and completed by 55 respondents (42%) (Figure). Of the responding section chiefs, 36 (65%) reported gastroenterologist vacancies at their facilities. Seventeen respondents (47%) reported a single vacancy, 12 (33%) reported 2 vacancies, 4 (11%) reported 3 vacancies, and 3 (8%) reported 4 vacancies. Of the sites with reported vacancies, 32 (89%) reported a need for a general gastroenterologist, 12 (33%) reported a need for a hepatologist, 11 (31%) reported a need for an advanced endoscopist, 9 (25%) reported a need for a gastroenterologist with specialized expertise in inflammatory bowel diseases, and 1 (3%) reported a need for a gastrointestinal motility specialist.

Numerous barriers to the recruitment and retention of gastroenterologists were reported. Given the large number of respondents that reported a unique barrier (ie, being the only respondents to report the barrier), a decision was made to include only barriers to recruitment and retention that were reported by at least 2 sites (Table). While there were some common themes, the reported barriers to retention differed from those to recruitment. The most reported barriers to recruitment were 46 respondents who noted salary, 23 reported human resources-related challenges, and 12 reported location. Respondents also noted various retention barriers, including 32 respondents who reported salary barriers; 13 reported administrative burden barriers, 6 reported medical center leadership, and 4 reported burnout.

Survey respondents provided multiple recommendations on how the VA can best support the recruitment and retention of gastroenterologists. The most frequent recommendations were to increase financial compensation by increasing the current aggregate salary cap to > $400,000, increasing the use of recruitment and retention incentives, and ensuring that gastroenterology is on the national Educational Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) list, which facilitates student loan repayment. It was recommended that a third-party company assist with hiring to overcome perceived issues with human resources. Additionally, there were multiple recommendations for improving administrative and clinical support. These included mandating how many support staff should be assigned to each gastroenterologist and providing best practice recommendations for support staff so that gastroenterologists can focus on physician-level work. Recommendations also included having a dedicated gastroenterology practice manager, nurse care coordinators, a colorectal cancer screening/surveillance coordinator, sufficient medical support assistants, and quality improvement personnel tracking ongoing professional practice evaluation data. Survey respondents also highlighted specific suggestions for recruiting recent graduates. These included offering a 4-day work week, as recent graduates place a premium on work-life balance, and ensuring gastroenterologists have individual offices. One respondent commented that gastroenterology fellows seeing VA gastroenterology attendings in cramped, shared offices, contrasted with private practice gastroenterologists in large private offices, may contribute to choosing private practice over joining the VA.

Discussion

Gastroenterology is currently listed by VHA WMC as 1 of the top 3 medical specialties in the VA with the most physician shortages.⁵ Working as a physician in the VA has long been recognized to have many benefits. First and foremost, many physicians are motivated by the VA mission to serve veterans, as this offers personal fulfillment and other intangible benefits. In addition, the VA can provide work-life balance, which is often not possible in fee-for-service settings, with patient panels and call volumes typically lower than in comparable private hospital settings. Moreover, VA physicians have outstanding teaching opportunities, as the VA is the largest supporter of medical education, with postgraduate trainees rotating through > 150 VA medical centers. Likewise, the VA offers a variety of student loan repayment programs (eg, the Specialty Education Loan Repayment Program and the EDRP). The VA offers research funding such as the Cooperative Studies Programs or program project funding, and rewards in parallel with the National Institute of Health (eg, career development awards, or merit review awards) and other grants. VA researchers have conducted many landmark studies that continue to shape the practice of gastroenterology and hepatology. From the earliest studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of screening colonoscopy, to the largest ongoing clinical trial in US history to assess the effectiveness of fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) vs screening colonoscopy.^10-12 The VA has also led the field in the study of gastroesophageal reflux disease, hepatitis C treatment, and liver cancer screening.^13-15 VA physicians also benefit from participation in the Federal Employee Retirement System, including its pension system.

These benefits apply to all medical specialties, making the VA a potentially appealing workplace for gastroenterologists. However, recent trends indicate that recruitment and retention of gastroenterologists is increasingly challenging, as the VA gastroenterology workforce grew by 5.0% in fiscal year (FY) 2020 and 1.8% in FY 2021. However, it was on track to end FY 2022 with a loss (-1.1%).⁵ It must be noted that this trend is not limited to the VA, and the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis predicts that gastroenterology will remain among the highest projected specialty shortages. Driven by increased demand for digestive health care services, more physicians nearing traditional retirement age, and substantially higher rates of burnout after the COVID-19 pandemic.¹⁶ All these factors are likely to result in an increasingly competitive market for gastroenterology, highlight the growing differences between VA and non-VA positions, and may augment the impact of differences for the individual gastroenterologist weighing employment options within and outside the VA.

Suboptimal human resources were the second most commonly cited impediment to recruiting gastroenterologists. Many section chiefs expressed frustration with the inefficient and slow administrative process of onboarding new gastroenterologists, which may take many months and not infrequently results in losing candidates to competing entities. While this issue is specific to recruitment, recurring and long-standing vacancies can increase work burdens, complicate logistics for remaining faculty, and may also negatively impact retention. One potential opportunity to improve VHA competitiveness is to streamline the administrative component of recruitment and optimize human resources support. The use of a third-party hiring company also should be considered.

Survey responses also indicated that administrative burden and insufficient support staff were significant retention challenges. Several respondents described a lack of efficient endoscopy workflow and delegation of simple administrative tasks to gastroenterologists as more likely in units without proper task distribution. Importantly, these shortcomings occur at the expense of workload-generating activities and career-enhancing opportunities.

While burnout rates among VA gastroenterologists have not been documented systematically, they likely correlate with workplace frustration and jeopardizegastroenterologist retention. Successful retention of gastroenterologists as highly trained medical professionals is more likely in workplaces that are vertically organized, efficient, and use physicians at the top of their skill level.

Conclusions

The VA offers the opportunity for a rewarding lifelong career in gastroenterology. The fulfillment of serving veterans, teaching future health care leaders, performing impactful research, and having job security is invaluable. Despite the tremendous benefits, this survey supports improving VA recruitment and retention strategies for the high-demand gastroenterology specialty. Improved salary parity is needed for workforce maintenance and recruitment, as is improved administrative and clinical support to maintain the high level of care our veterans deserve.

Veterans have a high burden of digestive diseases, and gastroenterologists are needed for the diagnosis and management of these conditions.^1-4 According to the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Workforce Management and Consulting (WMC) office, the physician specialties with the greatest shortages are psychiatry, primary care, and gastroenterology.⁵ The VHA estimates it must hire 70 new gastroenterologists annually between fiscal years 2023 and 2027 to provide timely digestive care.⁵

Filling these positions will be increasingly difficult as competition for gastroenterologists is fierce. A recent Merritt Hawkins review states, “Gastroenterologists were the most in-demand type of provider during the 2022 review period.”⁶ In 2022, the median annual salary for US gastroenterologists was reported to be $561,375.⁷ Currently, the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has an aggregate annual pay limit of $400,000 for all federal employees and cannot compete based on salary alone.

Retention of existing VA gastroenterologists also is challenging. The WMC has reported that 21.6% of VA gastroenterologists are eligible to retire, and in 2021, 8.2% left the VA to retire or seek non-VA positions.⁵ While not specific to the VA, a survey of practicing gastroenterologists conducted by the American College of Gastroenterology found a 49% burnout rate among respondents.⁸ Factors contributing to burnout at all career stages included administrative nonclinical work and a lack of clinical support staff.⁸ Burnout is also linked with higher rates of medical errors, interpersonal conflicts, and patient dissatisfaction. Burnout is more common among those with an innate strong sense of purpose and responsibility for their patients, characteristics we have observed in our VA colleagues.⁹

As members of the Section Chief Subcommittee of the VA Gastroenterology Field Advisory Board (GI FAB), we are passionate about providing outstanding gastroenterology care to US veterans, and we are alarmed at the struggles we are observing with recruiting and retaining a qualified national gastroenterology physician workforce. As such, we set out to survey the VA gastroenterology section chief community to gain insights into recruitment and retention challenges they have faced and identify potential solutions to these problems.

Methods

The GI FAB Section Chief Subcommittee developed a survey on gastroenterologist recruitment and retention using Microsoft Forms (Appendix). A link to the survey, which included 11 questions about facility location, current vacancies, and free text responses on barriers to recruitment and retention and potential solutions, was sent via email to all gastroenterology section chiefs on the National Gastroenterology and Hepatology Program Office’s email list of section chiefs on January 31, 2023. A reminder to complete the survey was sent to all section chiefs on February 8, 2023. Survey responses were aggregated and analyzed by the authors using descriptive statistics.

The VA gastroenterologist recruitment and retention survey was emailed to 131 gastroenterology section chiefs and completed by 55 respondents (42%) (Figure). Of the responding section chiefs, 36 (65%) reported gastroenterologist vacancies at their facilities. Seventeen respondents (47%) reported a single vacancy, 12 (33%) reported 2 vacancies, 4 (11%) reported 3 vacancies, and 3 (8%) reported 4 vacancies. Of the sites with reported vacancies, 32 (89%) reported a need for a general gastroenterologist, 12 (33%) reported a need for a hepatologist, 11 (31%) reported a need for an advanced endoscopist, 9 (25%) reported a need for a gastroenterologist with specialized expertise in inflammatory bowel diseases, and 1 (3%) reported a need for a gastrointestinal motility specialist.

Numerous barriers to the recruitment and retention of gastroenterologists were reported. Given the large number of respondents that reported a unique barrier (ie, being the only respondents to report the barrier), a decision was made to include only barriers to recruitment and retention that were reported by at least 2 sites (Table). While there were some common themes, the reported barriers to retention differed from those to recruitment. The most reported barriers to recruitment were 46 respondents who noted salary, 23 reported human resources-related challenges, and 12 reported location. Respondents also noted various retention barriers, including 32 respondents who reported salary barriers; 13 reported administrative burden barriers, 6 reported medical center leadership, and 4 reported burnout.

Survey respondents provided multiple recommendations on how the VA can best support the recruitment and retention of gastroenterologists. The most frequent recommendations were to increase financial compensation by increasing the current aggregate salary cap to > $400,000, increasing the use of recruitment and retention incentives, and ensuring that gastroenterology is on the national Educational Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) list, which facilitates student loan repayment. It was recommended that a third-party company assist with hiring to overcome perceived issues with human resources. Additionally, there were multiple recommendations for improving administrative and clinical support. These included mandating how many support staff should be assigned to each gastroenterologist and providing best practice recommendations for support staff so that gastroenterologists can focus on physician-level work. Recommendations also included having a dedicated gastroenterology practice manager, nurse care coordinators, a colorectal cancer screening/surveillance coordinator, sufficient medical support assistants, and quality improvement personnel tracking ongoing professional practice evaluation data. Survey respondents also highlighted specific suggestions for recruiting recent graduates. These included offering a 4-day work week, as recent graduates place a premium on work-life balance, and ensuring gastroenterologists have individual offices. One respondent commented that gastroenterology fellows seeing VA gastroenterology attendings in cramped, shared offices, contrasted with private practice gastroenterologists in large private offices, may contribute to choosing private practice over joining the VA.

Discussion

Gastroenterology is currently listed by VHA WMC as 1 of the top 3 medical specialties in the VA with the most physician shortages.⁵ Working as a physician in the VA has long been recognized to have many benefits. First and foremost, many physicians are motivated by the VA mission to serve veterans, as this offers personal fulfillment and other intangible benefits. In addition, the VA can provide work-life balance, which is often not possible in fee-for-service settings, with patient panels and call volumes typically lower than in comparable private hospital settings. Moreover, VA physicians have outstanding teaching opportunities, as the VA is the largest supporter of medical education, with postgraduate trainees rotating through > 150 VA medical centers. Likewise, the VA offers a variety of student loan repayment programs (eg, the Specialty Education Loan Repayment Program and the EDRP). The VA offers research funding such as the Cooperative Studies Programs or program project funding, and rewards in parallel with the National Institute of Health (eg, career development awards, or merit review awards) and other grants. VA researchers have conducted many landmark studies that continue to shape the practice of gastroenterology and hepatology. From the earliest studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of screening colonoscopy, to the largest ongoing clinical trial in US history to assess the effectiveness of fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) vs screening colonoscopy.^10-12 The VA has also led the field in the study of gastroesophageal reflux disease, hepatitis C treatment, and liver cancer screening.^13-15 VA physicians also benefit from participation in the Federal Employee Retirement System, including its pension system.

These benefits apply to all medical specialties, making the VA a potentially appealing workplace for gastroenterologists. However, recent trends indicate that recruitment and retention of gastroenterologists is increasingly challenging, as the VA gastroenterology workforce grew by 5.0% in fiscal year (FY) 2020 and 1.8% in FY 2021. However, it was on track to end FY 2022 with a loss (-1.1%).⁵ It must be noted that this trend is not limited to the VA, and the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis predicts that gastroenterology will remain among the highest projected specialty shortages. Driven by increased demand for digestive health care services, more physicians nearing traditional retirement age, and substantially higher rates of burnout after the COVID-19 pandemic.¹⁶ All these factors are likely to result in an increasingly competitive market for gastroenterology, highlight the growing differences between VA and non-VA positions, and may augment the impact of differences for the individual gastroenterologist weighing employment options within and outside the VA.

Suboptimal human resources were the second most commonly cited impediment to recruiting gastroenterologists. Many section chiefs expressed frustration with the inefficient and slow administrative process of onboarding new gastroenterologists, which may take many months and not infrequently results in losing candidates to competing entities. While this issue is specific to recruitment, recurring and long-standing vacancies can increase work burdens, complicate logistics for remaining faculty, and may also negatively impact retention. One potential opportunity to improve VHA competitiveness is to streamline the administrative component of recruitment and optimize human resources support. The use of a third-party hiring company also should be considered.

Survey responses also indicated that administrative burden and insufficient support staff were significant retention challenges. Several respondents described a lack of efficient endoscopy workflow and delegation of simple administrative tasks to gastroenterologists as more likely in units without proper task distribution. Importantly, these shortcomings occur at the expense of workload-generating activities and career-enhancing opportunities.

While burnout rates among VA gastroenterologists have not been documented systematically, they likely correlate with workplace frustration and jeopardizegastroenterologist retention. Successful retention of gastroenterologists as highly trained medical professionals is more likely in workplaces that are vertically organized, efficient, and use physicians at the top of their skill level.

Conclusions

The VA offers the opportunity for a rewarding lifelong career in gastroenterology. The fulfillment of serving veterans, teaching future health care leaders, performing impactful research, and having job security is invaluable. Despite the tremendous benefits, this survey supports improving VA recruitment and retention strategies for the high-demand gastroenterology specialty. Improved salary parity is needed for workforce maintenance and recruitment, as is improved administrative and clinical support to maintain the high level of care our veterans deserve.

Trust is built step by step, commitment by commitment, on every level.

Robert C. Solomon¹

The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was created in response to criticism of its predecessors. Since its establishment in 1930, the VA has never been short of critics who denounced its corruption, called for its dismantling in favor of privatization, and derided its incompetence.² Despite multiple scandals that have handed more ammunition to those who object to its continued existence, the VA has not only survived, but thrived. This editorial is written in the form of a debate between exemplar opponents and defenders of the VA on whether it is currently fulfilling its commitment to veterans.

In May 2024, the Veterans Signals survey found that 80.4% of respondents reported trust in the VA, the highest level ever recorded.³ At its 2016 launch, the survey found that only 55% of veterans expressed trust in the VA. The survey was conducted 2 years after the scandal over access to care for veterans in Phoenix. Scores would surely have been even lower than 55% during that period when the critique of the VA—even from those who believe in its mission—was most trenchant.⁴ Administered quarterly, the survey samples > 38,000 of the 9 million enrolled veterans. Veterans surveyed were using services from all 3 branches of the VA: Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration, and National Cemetery Administration. Participants are asked whether they trust the VA to fulfill the country’s commitment to veterans and specifically how they rate the VA in 3 specific criteria: effectiveness, emotional resonance, and overall ease. In the latest survey, 80.5% of veterans rated the VA positively for effectiveness, 78.4% for emotional resonance, and 75.9% for overall ease. Even more impressive is the 91.8% of participants who reported they trust the VA for outpatient health care, capping a 7-year upward trend.³

The paradigmatic VA antagonist will rightly point out the well-known methodological limitations of this type of survey, including self-selection, sampling bias, and especially low response rates. However, VA researchers will counter that the 18% response rate for the latest Veterans Signals survey is higher than the industry average.⁵

VA critics might say that it would not matter if the response rate were 4 times higher; what matters is not what veterans say on a survey but what decisions they make about their care. The VA defender would be constrained to concede that even the most statistically sophisticated survey remains an indirect measure of veteran trust. They could, though, marshal far stronger evidence. Two direct demonstrations published in the literature suggest that veterans do as they say and are acting on their trust in the agency. First, the VA delivered more services, health care, and benefits to veterans during the 2023 fiscal year than ever before. Importantly for Federal Practitioner readers, the 16 million documented health care visits were 3 million more than previous records.⁶ Second, and in some ways even more encouraging for the future of the VA as a health care system, is that due in large part to the passage of the PACT Act, there has been a surge in VA enrollment by veterans. The VA recently announced that in the last year, > 400,000 veterans signed up for its health care and services. Enrollments are 30% more than the previous year and represented the highest figure in the past 5 years, a remarkable 50% increase over 2020 pandemic levels.⁷

VA critics could legitimately rebut this data by asking, “So more veterans are signing up for VA, and you are delivering more care, but what about the quality of that care? Has it improved?” The VA proponent’s rejoinder from multiple converging empirical studies would be a resounding yes. We have space to cite only a few examples of that rigorous recent research. What stands out ethically about these studies is that the VA has a broad program of research into the quality of the care it delivers and then transparently publishes those findings. The VA quality improvement research mission is truly unique and provides a shared open set of data for both critics and defenders to objectively examine VA successes and failures.

Among the most persuasive analysis was a systematic review of 37 studies contrasting VA with non-VA care from 2015 to 2023. The authors examined clinical quality, safety, patient access, experience, cost-efficiency, and equity of outcome. “VA care is consistently as good as or better than non-VA care in terms of clinical quality and safety,” the systematic review authors stated while qualifying that “Access, cost/efficiency, and patient experience between the 2 systems are not well studied.”⁸

A second systematic review looked specifically at similar key areas of quality, safety, access, patient experience, and comparative cost-efficiency for surgical treatment delivered in the VA and the community from 2015 to 2021. Only 18 studies met the inclusion criteria, but as the authors argued:

Based on limited data, these findings suggest that expanding eligibility for veterans to get care in the community may not provide benefits in terms of increasing access to surgical procedures, will not result in better quality, and may result in worse quality of care, but may reduce inpatient length of stay and perhaps cost less.⁹

At this juncture, the faultfinder may become frustrated and resort to a new tactic, challenging the very assumption that is the subject of the debate and demanding proof that there is any connection between veterans’ trust in the VA and their health and well-being. “Fair enough,” the VA side would reply, “here is some research that bolsters that connection.” Kopacz and colleagues examined the relationship between trust and healing at 6 sites and included 427 veterans and active-duty service members with combat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The researchers found that trust and lack thereof are related to several significant mental, social, and physical health outcomes. The authors indicate the need for more research to better understand the importance and impact of trust and healing, but they show it is significant.¹⁰ Finally, veterans recognize the crucial link between trust in the unique expertise of VA practitioners in the treatment of PTSD. In a 2019 study, a majority expressed a preference to receive their PTSD treatment at the VA compared to a smaller group choosing care in the community.¹¹

You be the judge of who won the debate, but knowing the dedication of my fellow federal practitioners, many of you will endorse my sentiment that we all need to stop talking and get back to doing our best to enhance veteran trust and healing; doing our essential part to keep fulfilling our commitment.

Trust is built step by step, commitment by commitment, on every level.

Robert C. Solomon¹

The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was created in response to criticism of its predecessors. Since its establishment in 1930, the VA has never been short of critics who denounced its corruption, called for its dismantling in favor of privatization, and derided its incompetence.² Despite multiple scandals that have handed more ammunition to those who object to its continued existence, the VA has not only survived, but thrived. This editorial is written in the form of a debate between exemplar opponents and defenders of the VA on whether it is currently fulfilling its commitment to veterans.

In May 2024, the Veterans Signals survey found that 80.4% of respondents reported trust in the VA, the highest level ever recorded.³ At its 2016 launch, the survey found that only 55% of veterans expressed trust in the VA. The survey was conducted 2 years after the scandal over access to care for veterans in Phoenix. Scores would surely have been even lower than 55% during that period when the critique of the VA—even from those who believe in its mission—was most trenchant.⁴ Administered quarterly, the survey samples > 38,000 of the 9 million enrolled veterans. Veterans surveyed were using services from all 3 branches of the VA: Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration, and National Cemetery Administration. Participants are asked whether they trust the VA to fulfill the country’s commitment to veterans and specifically how they rate the VA in 3 specific criteria: effectiveness, emotional resonance, and overall ease. In the latest survey, 80.5% of veterans rated the VA positively for effectiveness, 78.4% for emotional resonance, and 75.9% for overall ease. Even more impressive is the 91.8% of participants who reported they trust the VA for outpatient health care, capping a 7-year upward trend.³

The paradigmatic VA antagonist will rightly point out the well-known methodological limitations of this type of survey, including self-selection, sampling bias, and especially low response rates. However, VA researchers will counter that the 18% response rate for the latest Veterans Signals survey is higher than the industry average.⁵

VA critics might say that it would not matter if the response rate were 4 times higher; what matters is not what veterans say on a survey but what decisions they make about their care. The VA defender would be constrained to concede that even the most statistically sophisticated survey remains an indirect measure of veteran trust. They could, though, marshal far stronger evidence. Two direct demonstrations published in the literature suggest that veterans do as they say and are acting on their trust in the agency. First, the VA delivered more services, health care, and benefits to veterans during the 2023 fiscal year than ever before. Importantly for Federal Practitioner readers, the 16 million documented health care visits were 3 million more than previous records.⁶ Second, and in some ways even more encouraging for the future of the VA as a health care system, is that due in large part to the passage of the PACT Act, there has been a surge in VA enrollment by veterans. The VA recently announced that in the last year, > 400,000 veterans signed up for its health care and services. Enrollments are 30% more than the previous year and represented the highest figure in the past 5 years, a remarkable 50% increase over 2020 pandemic levels.⁷

VA critics could legitimately rebut this data by asking, “So more veterans are signing up for VA, and you are delivering more care, but what about the quality of that care? Has it improved?” The VA proponent’s rejoinder from multiple converging empirical studies would be a resounding yes. We have space to cite only a few examples of that rigorous recent research. What stands out ethically about these studies is that the VA has a broad program of research into the quality of the care it delivers and then transparently publishes those findings. The VA quality improvement research mission is truly unique and provides a shared open set of data for both critics and defenders to objectively examine VA successes and failures.

Among the most persuasive analysis was a systematic review of 37 studies contrasting VA with non-VA care from 2015 to 2023. The authors examined clinical quality, safety, patient access, experience, cost-efficiency, and equity of outcome. “VA care is consistently as good as or better than non-VA care in terms of clinical quality and safety,” the systematic review authors stated while qualifying that “Access, cost/efficiency, and patient experience between the 2 systems are not well studied.”⁸

A second systematic review looked specifically at similar key areas of quality, safety, access, patient experience, and comparative cost-efficiency for surgical treatment delivered in the VA and the community from 2015 to 2021. Only 18 studies met the inclusion criteria, but as the authors argued:

Based on limited data, these findings suggest that expanding eligibility for veterans to get care in the community may not provide benefits in terms of increasing access to surgical procedures, will not result in better quality, and may result in worse quality of care, but may reduce inpatient length of stay and perhaps cost less.⁹

At this juncture, the faultfinder may become frustrated and resort to a new tactic, challenging the very assumption that is the subject of the debate and demanding proof that there is any connection between veterans’ trust in the VA and their health and well-being. “Fair enough,” the VA side would reply, “here is some research that bolsters that connection.” Kopacz and colleagues examined the relationship between trust and healing at 6 sites and included 427 veterans and active-duty service members with combat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The researchers found that trust and lack thereof are related to several significant mental, social, and physical health outcomes. The authors indicate the need for more research to better understand the importance and impact of trust and healing, but they show it is significant.¹⁰ Finally, veterans recognize the crucial link between trust in the unique expertise of VA practitioners in the treatment of PTSD. In a 2019 study, a majority expressed a preference to receive their PTSD treatment at the VA compared to a smaller group choosing care in the community.¹¹

You be the judge of who won the debate, but knowing the dedication of my fellow federal practitioners, many of you will endorse my sentiment that we all need to stop talking and get back to doing our best to enhance veteran trust and healing; doing our essential part to keep fulfilling our commitment.

Trust is built step by step, commitment by commitment, on every level.

Robert C. Solomon¹

The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was created in response to criticism of its predecessors. Since its establishment in 1930, the VA has never been short of critics who denounced its corruption, called for its dismantling in favor of privatization, and derided its incompetence.² Despite multiple scandals that have handed more ammunition to those who object to its continued existence, the VA has not only survived, but thrived. This editorial is written in the form of a debate between exemplar opponents and defenders of the VA on whether it is currently fulfilling its commitment to veterans.

In May 2024, the Veterans Signals survey found that 80.4% of respondents reported trust in the VA, the highest level ever recorded.³ At its 2016 launch, the survey found that only 55% of veterans expressed trust in the VA. The survey was conducted 2 years after the scandal over access to care for veterans in Phoenix. Scores would surely have been even lower than 55% during that period when the critique of the VA—even from those who believe in its mission—was most trenchant.⁴ Administered quarterly, the survey samples > 38,000 of the 9 million enrolled veterans. Veterans surveyed were using services from all 3 branches of the VA: Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration, and National Cemetery Administration. Participants are asked whether they trust the VA to fulfill the country’s commitment to veterans and specifically how they rate the VA in 3 specific criteria: effectiveness, emotional resonance, and overall ease. In the latest survey, 80.5% of veterans rated the VA positively for effectiveness, 78.4% for emotional resonance, and 75.9% for overall ease. Even more impressive is the 91.8% of participants who reported they trust the VA for outpatient health care, capping a 7-year upward trend.³

The paradigmatic VA antagonist will rightly point out the well-known methodological limitations of this type of survey, including self-selection, sampling bias, and especially low response rates. However, VA researchers will counter that the 18% response rate for the latest Veterans Signals survey is higher than the industry average.⁵

VA critics might say that it would not matter if the response rate were 4 times higher; what matters is not what veterans say on a survey but what decisions they make about their care. The VA defender would be constrained to concede that even the most statistically sophisticated survey remains an indirect measure of veteran trust. They could, though, marshal far stronger evidence. Two direct demonstrations published in the literature suggest that veterans do as they say and are acting on their trust in the agency. First, the VA delivered more services, health care, and benefits to veterans during the 2023 fiscal year than ever before. Importantly for Federal Practitioner readers, the 16 million documented health care visits were 3 million more than previous records.⁶ Second, and in some ways even more encouraging for the future of the VA as a health care system, is that due in large part to the passage of the PACT Act, there has been a surge in VA enrollment by veterans. The VA recently announced that in the last year, > 400,000 veterans signed up for its health care and services. Enrollments are 30% more than the previous year and represented the highest figure in the past 5 years, a remarkable 50% increase over 2020 pandemic levels.⁷

VA critics could legitimately rebut this data by asking, “So more veterans are signing up for VA, and you are delivering more care, but what about the quality of that care? Has it improved?” The VA proponent’s rejoinder from multiple converging empirical studies would be a resounding yes. We have space to cite only a few examples of that rigorous recent research. What stands out ethically about these studies is that the VA has a broad program of research into the quality of the care it delivers and then transparently publishes those findings. The VA quality improvement research mission is truly unique and provides a shared open set of data for both critics and defenders to objectively examine VA successes and failures.

Among the most persuasive analysis was a systematic review of 37 studies contrasting VA with non-VA care from 2015 to 2023. The authors examined clinical quality, safety, patient access, experience, cost-efficiency, and equity of outcome. “VA care is consistently as good as or better than non-VA care in terms of clinical quality and safety,” the systematic review authors stated while qualifying that “Access, cost/efficiency, and patient experience between the 2 systems are not well studied.”⁸

A second systematic review looked specifically at similar key areas of quality, safety, access, patient experience, and comparative cost-efficiency for surgical treatment delivered in the VA and the community from 2015 to 2021. Only 18 studies met the inclusion criteria, but as the authors argued:

Based on limited data, these findings suggest that expanding eligibility for veterans to get care in the community may not provide benefits in terms of increasing access to surgical procedures, will not result in better quality, and may result in worse quality of care, but may reduce inpatient length of stay and perhaps cost less.⁹

At this juncture, the faultfinder may become frustrated and resort to a new tactic, challenging the very assumption that is the subject of the debate and demanding proof that there is any connection between veterans’ trust in the VA and their health and well-being. “Fair enough,” the VA side would reply, “here is some research that bolsters that connection.” Kopacz and colleagues examined the relationship between trust and healing at 6 sites and included 427 veterans and active-duty service members with combat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The researchers found that trust and lack thereof are related to several significant mental, social, and physical health outcomes. The authors indicate the need for more research to better understand the importance and impact of trust and healing, but they show it is significant.¹⁰ Finally, veterans recognize the crucial link between trust in the unique expertise of VA practitioners in the treatment of PTSD. In a 2019 study, a majority expressed a preference to receive their PTSD treatment at the VA compared to a smaller group choosing care in the community.¹¹

You be the judge of who won the debate, but knowing the dedication of my fellow federal practitioners, many of you will endorse my sentiment that we all need to stop talking and get back to doing our best to enhance veteran trust and healing; doing our essential part to keep fulfilling our commitment.