Page 46 - OTHS-APR2026

PAGE 44 www.OverTheHumpSaver.com April 2026

IS THERE A DOCTOR

IN THE HOUSE? BY CHUCK N. BAKER

n the song “Good
I Lovin’” by the Rascals,
the singer calls for a
doctor by vocalizing
“Doctor, doctor, Mr.
M.D.” In other words,
he calls for a medical professional
three times in one sentence. Of
course it’s only a song, but in real life
veterans in the VA may soon have to
actually call for more doctors than
one, because there are fewer and
fewer M.D.’s available to take care of
the men and women who served in
our military.

According to reporters in the New
York Times, the VA has eliminated
thousands of medical positions that
were left vacant after a wave of resig-
nations and retirements in 2025. department is working much better requiring human ingenuity or creativ-
under President Trump. And further, ity, or precision.
According to research by the New the measure of the VA’s success
York Times, more that 1,500 doctors should be how well it performs, and I’m not a doctor, but I understand
and 4,900 nurses have not been not how many people it employs. The that if a veteran feels he or she has
replaced. The article reported that measure of success is high, according a medical problem, the general rule
the reductions have come after years to the VA. Again, speaking for myself, is if it’s a life-threatening emergency,
of growth supported by both political when I have occasionally been treat- go to the ER. If not life-threatening,
parties. While I have no scientific ev- ed at the local VA, the doctors have consider going to urgent care. If mild
idence regarding that last comment, been available and have been help- symptoms, the patient should call the
I have my personal doubts about ful. Admittedly however, it has been doctor (or VA medical clinic) they are
“years of growth.” several years since I was last seen by assigned to.
an MD at the VA.
Although I do not seek regular Again speaking for myself as a
medical attention at the local VA, I Some people have reported that the Vietnam War veteran, it was my ob-
do on occasion go there for specific much ballyhooed AI can substitute servation that when Washington sent
treatment. In conversations over the for the services of an actual MD. its armies to fight, the leaders forget
years, many of the medical profes- Other reports in the venerable New that additional health care would be
sionals have told me that they have York Times have noted that AI tech- required to take care of returning
had difficulty hiring doctors. One of nology has helped radiologists iden- veterans. It took years for the VA to
the main reasons concerns salaries. tify anomalies in images that human catch up. Time will tell how the VA
It’s no secret that for several years users have missed. But others have will react to those who return from
wages in the private sector have accused AI of providing erroneous current wars and conflicts.
been higher than paychecks from the information.
government.
AI technology has been shown to
A spokesman for the VA was quot- be useful to take over some tasks
ed in the article saying that the from humans, but not in situations