The Trump administration plans to eliminate hundreds of unfilled positions at Chicago area VA hospitals, including over 400 at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center and 200 at Lovell Federal Health Care Center. This move is part of a broader effort to reduce the federal workforce by cutting obsolete COVID-era roles. However, local healthcare workers express concerns about exacerbating staffing shortages and negatively impacting veteran care. Despite assurances from the Department of Veterans Affairs that patient care will remain unaffected, frontline staff report increased strain and fear the cuts could undermine service quality and employee retention.
