Unions for VA workers have been sounding the alarm about shortages of protective gear and insufficient staffing. Now, NPR has seen internal emails telling some VA staff to use the same surgical mask for up to a week.
from the virus, and NPR has seen internal emails telling VA staff to use the same surgical mask for up to a week.about shortages of protective gear and insufficient staffing. Sharon Lake, a union president at the Lyons VA in New Jersey, says caring for vets is a point of pride for the staff.
"All VA facilities are equipped with essential items and supplies to handle coronavirus cases, and all VA employees have the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment , as per CDC guidelines," VA spokeswoman Christina Noel told NPR. The VA is heavily relying on testing outside its system, which sets a high bar for staff who want to get tested, leaving them to wonder if they might be spreading the disease to their families. The VA has tens of thousands of job vacancies in its health care system, which puts even more pressure on the staff.
It may just be that the VA is feeling the same shortages of staff and masks as the rest of the country's health care system. But Sharon Lake at the New Jersey VA says she thinks the county's largest health care system can do better.
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