I have seen some of those bureaucratic VA docs, but I have also had some excellent doctors at the Portland, Oregon VA, especially the Orthopedics surgeons. Over 30 years being treated there I have had 4 outstanding surgeons who in addition to being the head of their departments at the VA were also head of their departments at the U of O Medical School. I have had over 15 surgeries there in that time on my hands. Their surgeons are amazing for the most part!
I also had one surgeon who was a total @$$ and not even a good surgeon. I would say he had the personality of a Pit Bull with PMS, but that is not fair to Pits.

He did a wrist prosthesis (artificial wrist) that never stopped hurting, to the point I asked to have it amputated. He told me there was nothing wrong with it. I went over his head to the Director of Patient Services (I think that was his title) and he sent me to another doctor who fused my left wrist. It won’t move, but it doesn’t hurt as much any more.
The VA is a bureaucracy. While a bureaucracy can do certain things with an acceptable level of effectiveness, providing medical care is not one of them! IMHO