House Officers at Michigan Medicine rotate at the Ann Arbor VA hospital frequently. The HOA Board wrote the below letter to our elected representatives and publicly opposes the cuts to the VA system under the current presidential administration.

The Board of the University of Michigan House Officers Association (HOA) stands in support of our veterans and for maintaining a high level of care at Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) hospitals. 

A significant number of House Officers at Michigan Medicine rotate at the Ann Arbor VA hospital. In fact, the opportunity to work with our veterans is what draws some of our members to choose Michigan Medicine for their residency over other programs. It is a population with its own specialized needs and requires dedicated staff - many of whom are veterans themselves. Given the sacrifices the VA patients made for our country, they deserve more than just our thanks, but the peace of mind that comes with highly trained and specialized care in a system designed to meet their needs. 

It is appalling to the HOA Board that the current administration has focused directly on the VA system as a place for misguided and egregious cuts. The loss of so many dedicated professionals in the VA health system will have an unacceptable negative impact on our veterans and their families, treating those who were willing to put their lives on the line for our country like a line on a spreadsheet.

We demand that these cuts be reversed and that medical professionals across the country call out these shameful attacks on our veterans and support their care.

The Huron Valley Area Labor Federation (HVALF) will also be holding a rally in support of VA patients and employees on Saturday, 3/29 from 3pm-5pm. Please attend if you are able and want to show support. The HVALF has asked for RSVPs so if you are sure you would like to attend please fill out this form.