Secretary Doug Collins Must Finally Fix the VA | Opinion

The new Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins is stepping into one of the most important roles in government—the steward of a system that serves millions of veterans who answered their country’s call. And he does so at a time when the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is under intense scrutiny, with an administration pushing for deep cost-cutting measures. Reform is necessary, but veterans know better than anyone that efficiency cannot come at the expense of care.
For those who have worn the uniform, the transition to civilian life can be isolating. The structure, support, and camaraderie of military service disappear overnight, leaving many veterans to navigate a complex and often unwelcoming system alone. The VA was designed to be that bridge for veterans returning to civilian life. Instead, it has become another battle—a maze of paperwork, long wait times, and bureaucratic obstacles that leave too many veterans stranded.
The stories are everywhere. The veteran in crisis, waiting weeks for a mental health appointment. The aging Marine forced to travel hours to get basic care. And the young soldier, fresh from deployment, trying to rebuild a life while facing daily frustration. It’s not uncommon to wait 38 days for a primary care visit, 26 days for OBGYN, or 16 days for mental health—delays that turn minor ailments into crises that push struggling veterans to the breaking point.
VA Secretary Doug Collins is seen on January 21, 2025, in Washington, D.C. VA Secretary Doug Collins is seen on January 21, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Secretary Collins can change this. He has the power to cut through the red tape—not just in the name of President Donald Trump’s push to shrink Washington’s footprint—but in an effort to make the VA work for those it was built to serve. Veterans don’t need another commission, or another set of talking points. They need action.
Action starts with something simple—making access to care seamless. If airlines can track flights dynamically, and if banks can process millions of transactions instantly, why is it still so difficult for a veteran to schedule an appointment? Secretary Collins must overhaul the system to ensure veterans can access care without jumping through endless hoops.
Technology can connect veterans with nearby appointments while coordinating clinician and facility capacity in real-time. By optimizing resources, we can expand access to veterans without requiring additional doctors or staff—doing more with what we have. But technology alone is not the solution. AI and automation will play an increasing role, but health care is—and always will be—a human-intensive field.
The doctors and nurses who work in VA hospitals aren’t just medical professionals, they are caretakers of a tradition, trained to handle the wounds of war, visible and invisible. From PTSD and traumatic brain injuries to prosthetic care, the VA offers services that private-sector providers simply aren’t equipped to handle. Replacing expertise with algorithms or blindly cutting staff in the name of progress would fail those who rely on the system most.
Secretary Collins has assured veterans that their benefits will not be cut, and that budgets won’t be balanced on the back of veterans. Meanwhile, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—driven by the Silicon Valley mindset of disruption at all costs—continues to loom over federal agencies with a mandate to cut spending. If the VA is to be truly reformed, it must be strengthened and not hollowed out.
For generations, this country has asked men and women to serve, to sacrifice, to lay everything on the line. That sacrifice does not end when the uniform comes off. The promise of the VA is a sacred one, and it is worth fighting for.
Secretary Collins’ mission now is to make the VA a system worthy of those who served it by giving veterans the care they deserve, not in months or years, but now. He must reform it, fix it, streamline it—but never forget who it exists to serve. Because for those of us who have walked this path, who have felt the weight of that transition, who have watched fellow veterans fall through the cracks, the stakes are too high to accept anything less.
For veterans, access to health care isn’t just a policy issue—it’s personal. The Trump administration set out to shake up Washington—will that mean strengthening the VA or dismantling it? Veterans don’t just watch. They vote.
Sean O’Connor is a former Navy lieutenant and founder of DexCare.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.