In the VA specifically there is a shortage of doctors , so the VA has been be pushing for several years to be able to use advanced practice nurses in place of many doctors, I see it as just another way our Veterans are getting screwed and let down by the nation they served, the only thing that has advanced is battlefield medicine , more severely injured people who can have there life saved and then be put back in service,in a lot of cases if you don't have a life threatening wound they are told here's some ibuprofen go rest under that tree for an hour, and it's only going to get worse with the president elects admissions that his campaign promises to get Veterans to vote for him , he has no plans to honor them .if you go AWOL from the military ,they damn sure will track you down ,but magicaly after there service to the country the government can't keep track of them when they become homeless it's a freaking sin ,we need to focus more on insuring the well being of our Veterans and less on which hell hole we are going to send them to fight and die for the countries benefit.