America's veterans could receive better health care at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities, and taxpayers could see budget savings as a result of a requested Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigation of hiring practices at the VA.

In a letter sent September 20, Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO), along with Veterans' Affairs Committee Ranking Member Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI), requested the GAO investigate the VA's practice of contracting for registered nurses rather than hiring full-time nurses.

"Sometimes government agencies do things that defy common sense. The VA is facing billion-dollar shortfalls and turning away hundreds of thousands of veterans. At the same time, it is potentially wasting millions of dollars hiring contract nurses that cost twice as much as full-time employees," Salazar said. "Colorado's and America's veterans do not deserve to be shortchanged while the American taxpayers are being overcharged - this is simply unacceptable."

Like private sector health care facilities, many VA medical facilities are experiencing a shortage of qualified registered nurses and augment their staff by contracting for registered nurses. The senators maintain, however, that contract or temporary hire nurses are an expensive means of providing VA with a short-term labor supply because of high administrative overhead associated with each hiring. They also raised concerns about the quality of care provided by contract nurses, including whether these contract nurses working in VA medical facilities are being held to the same standards used to evaluate employed registered nurses. In addition, the fluctuations in the VA nursing workforce results in varying patient-to-staff ratios and periodic hiring freezes which directly impact the quality of patient care.

In the letter, Senators Salazar and Akaka ask the GAO to examine the extent and nature of VA hiring of temporary nurses, the costs associated with these hirings, the VA's policy for background and professional credential checks on potential temporary nurses. Senators Salazar and Akaka also asked the GAO to determine the impacts on patient care of the VA's existing hiring practices for temporary nurses.

"The GAO's reputation for unbiased investigation will get us to the bottom of this matter quickly and without partisan wrangling," Salazar said. "We must ensure the best care possible for our 433,000 veterans in Colorado and 21 million veterans nationwide. If we can save the taxpayers money too, that is all the better," he added.

Contact: Cody Wertz, Senator Salazar's Washington office, 202-228-3630.