Will Veterans Affairs layoffs impact Myrtle Beach, SC employees, residents? What we know.
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In recent weeks President Donald Trump’s administration has announced more layoffs in the Veteran Affairs Department.
At this time, it is still unclear which VA clinics will be impacted by the 80,000 layoffs, and how exactly these layoffs could effect the physical and mental healthcare veterans receive.
Director of Public Information for the South Carolina Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Brandon Wilson, said his office does not oversee federal VA employees. As a result, he could not answer how these layoffs could impact South Carolina veterans.
In Myrtle Beach, the VA Clinic holds a special history since its on The Market Common. After the area’s former Air Force Base was decommissioned, developers and city officials have spent decades building a residential and commercial community in its place. A large part of the is the VA Clinic.
Four years ago, the VA opened a new outpatient center in The Market Common.
According to a press release at the time, the new clinic is 84,000 square feet with 200 clinical treatment rooms and is “a much-needed increase in size to provide the primary care, mental health and specialty services Grand Strand Veterans need.”
“The VA has been caring for Veterans in the Myrtle Beach area for nearly 20 years at the two previous clinic locations on Phillis Boulevard and Johnson Avenue,” the release states.
In 2021 when the new clinic was opened, the VA said Horry County was home to more than 27,000 veterans.
Chief of Stakeholder Relations, Public Affairs and Congressional Relations for the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System in Charleston said in an emailed statement that the Myrtle Beach services are provided by 217 Community-Based Outpatient Clinic employees who provide care for 16,800 veterans at that site.
In a four minute long video, sent by the spokesperson in Charleston, Secretary of the VA Doug Collins makes remarks about the future of the agency.
In the video Collins says the agency’s goal is to reduce employment to 2019 levels, or from 470,000 employees to roughly 398,000.
“We’re going to accomplish this without making cuts to healthcare or benefits to Veterans and VA beneficiaries,” Collins says in the video. “VA will always fulfill its duty to provide Veterans, families, caregivers and survivors the healthcare and benefits they have earned.”
Collins goes on to say that the federal government doesn’t exist to employ people, but to serve the people.
Horry County’s Veteran Services Officer, Ronald Elvis, also did not reply to The Sun News’ request for comment before publication.
This story was originally published March 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
