Disarray at Department of Veterans Affairs imperils patient care, internal documents reveal

Unit closures, reduced hours of operation and exam backlogs reported after Trump administration reductions

The Department of Veterans Affairs, the nation's largest integrated healthcare system, has been plunged into crisis amid canceled contracts, hiring freezes, resignations, layoffs and other moves by the Trump administration and Elon Musk's so-called department of government efficiency" (Doge), internal agency documents obtained by the Guardian show.

The documents paint a grim picture of chaos across the department's sprawling network of 170 veterans affairs (VA) hospitals and more than 1,300 outpatient clinics, which serve 9 million US military veterans.