East Bay vet worries about impact of Trump administration cuts to the VA system
An East Bay veteran with long-term health issues who depends on his local VA clinic is concerned about how the Trump administration's recent cut will affect both his treatment and his doctors.
77-year-old Craig Pratt of Oakland prioritizes his health at home by trying to exercise every single day.
"Either aerobics exercise like this rowing machine, or strength which includes weights and machines at a smaller gym I belong to," Pratt told CBS News Bay Area.
He leads an active lifestyle, especially with his ongoing medical conditions.
"Heart disease and cancer, given to me at the San Francisco VA medical facility," he said.
Pratt served in the Vietnam War in 1965, and was 17 years old when he joined the Marine Corps.
"We signed up to make sacrifices that even now 50+ years later, have given us some consequences," he said.
He consistently visits the VA clinic in Oakland to be assessed for his exposure to Agent Orange, a chemical herbicide used in the Vietnam War. Pratt shared that he has developed many meaningful relationships with his doctors and healthcare professionals, who are also active or retired military.
"I've never had better healthcare than I did when I sit in front a provider at the VA. They listen. They understand common experiences that me and other veterans had, and they bring enormous dedication," he said.
But the veteran said he is concerned after President Donald Trump announced his plan to cut more than 80,000 jobs within the VA nationwide. Those cuts could come as early as June.
The administration, along with DOGE, said this is all an effort to reduce management and increase workforce efficiency. The VA already let go more than 2,400 employees in February.
"The thought that they're going to have much less staff to work with is very alarming, and really concerning," Pratt said.
CBS News Bay Area spoke with one longtime local VA doctor, who wished to remain anonymous for their and their colleagues' job safety.
"Wonder and worry if we're going to get an email tomorrow that says, 'Thank you for your service and here are your retirement papers. Goodbye.' I don't really know, it's a very uncertain time," the doctor said. "We are so indebted to them for their years of service often when they are very young. And then we see the impacts of their service on their health, both mental and physical, and feel deeply indebted to care for them throughout their lives."
The VA doctor also said that it's more than just a job. The impending cuts would also negatively impact fundamental health research. Many veterans also work in the VA, so this is a bigger punch to the stomach.
"Primarily, I feel very, very concerned for the state of healthcare for this country, and specifically for veterans. And I feel also very concerned for my colleagues who are providing care for them. I feel that they are a very special population of providers and patients. And people who join the VA to care for the VA, they are specifically to serve this population. And I feel concerned for their professional livelihoods," the doctor added.
Pratt is also worried that the future of the VA is in limbo.
"I can't believe that anyone is better at making those decisions than the people who know what it takes to care for veterans," he said.
Pratt adds that only time will tell what's going to happen in the coming months, but in the meantime, he said he will continue to let his doctors and healthcare providers know how much he appreciates their service.
VA press secretary Pete Kasperowicz issued the following statement in response to concerns regarding staffing cuts:
"As we reform VA, we are guided by the fact that even though the Biden Administration astronomically grew the department's budget and number of employees, VA wait times and backlogs increased.
We are trying to fix VA's problems, and our goal is to reduce VA employment to 2019 end-strength numbers of roughly 398,000 employees from our current level of roughly 470,000 employees – a roughly 15 percent decrease.
We will accomplish this without making cuts to health care or benefits to Veterans or VA beneficiaries."
