Veterans Affairs and DHS face scrutiny over heavy reliance on contract nurses

Legislators pressed Department of Veterans Affairs and DHS officials about the high use of contract nursing personnel and what the agencies are doing to recruit and retain state employees.

Wayne Ruthven, chief of staff for the Department of Veterans Affairs, told the committee the VA's direct‑care state employee rate runs in the mid‑thirties to mid‑forties but has been as high as roughly 70% contract staffing at points in the past. Ruthven said the department aims to employ state workers when possible but must use agency contract personnel to fill gaps. He described retention steps including a special compensation award that provides RNs and LPNs an extra $5,000 a year as a recruiting and retention tool (paid half up front and half after a retention period).

Committee members asked DHS for comparable data across facilities; Melissa Weatherton confirmed DHS would provide figures for all facilities and Jay Hill explained that some amendments move funding among staffing vendors, making single‑contract totals fluctuate. Representative Painter asked agencies to provide year‑to‑date contract nursing expenditures and a breakdown of positions and pay.

Why it matters: High reliance on contract nursing has budgetary implications and can affect continuity of care; legislators said they want a clearer picture of year‑to‑date contract spending, the mix of positions filled by contracts, and whether alternative staffing strategies are achieving intended savings.

What’s next: DHS and VA agreed to provide requested data to committee staff for review.