The Veterans Health Administration is looking to raise\xa0workforce productivity, after a record year of hiring, and increase the number of health care appointments available to patients.\n\u201cWe now have the end-strength to be able to increase productivity across the system, and provide more care out of the direct care system,\u201d VA Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal told reporters in a briefing on Monday.\nVHA hired more than 61,000 employees last year, far exceeding some of its workforce goals for fiscal 2023.\n\u201cBecause of that, the goal this year is not going to be to increase total employees on board except for very critical staffing areas like mental health,\u201d Elnahal said. \u201cBut pretty much for every other category of staff that we have, we think we have what we need to meet that demand. It\u2019s on us to increase productivity commensurate with our staffing level, to make sure that we are able to provide accessible care.\u201d\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices