Recommendations
2079
| ID | Report Number | Report Title | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16-00969-257 | Combined Assessment Program Summary Report - Evaluation of Emergency Airway Management in Veterans Health Administration Facilities | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Network and facility senior managers, ensure facilities’ policies include plans for managing difficult airways.
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2 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Network and facility senior managers, ensure that facility clinical managers provide all required initial training for designated employees who will perform airway management and ensure initial competency assessment includes all required testing and demonstration and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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3 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Network and facility senior managers, ensure that facility clinical managers include all required elements in airway management competency reassessments and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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4 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Network and facility senior managers, require that facility clinical managers ensure competent clinicians provide emergency airway management during all hours of patient care unless the facility is exempt and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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5 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Network and facility senior managers, ensure that facility clinical managers conduct root cause analyses when clinicians without demonstrated airway management competency perform emergency intubations and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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6 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Network and facility senior managers, require that facility clinical managers ensure scopes of practice for non-licensed independent practitioners who perform airway management include a statement related to airway management and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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7 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Network and facility senior managers, require that facility Chiefs of Staff ensure clinicians complete required training and experience within a short timeframe after recommending airway management privileges and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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| 15-04987-198 | Inspection of VA Regional Office Montgomery, AL | Review | ||
1 We recommended the Montgomery VA Regional Office Director develop and implement a plan to ensure staff take timely actions on reminder notifications to request medical reexaminations.
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2 We recommended the Montgomery VA Regional Office Director conduct a review of the 15 temporary 100 percent disability evaluations remaining from our inspection universe as of August 11, 2015, and take appropriate actions.
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3 We recommended the Acting Under Secretary for Benefits implement a time frame in which staff are required to schedule medical reexaminations to ensure accurate benefits payments to veterans.
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4 We recommended the Montgomery VA Regional Office Director implement a plan to prioritize actions related to benefits reductions to minimize improper payments to veterans.
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| 16-00110-246 | Combined Assessment Program Review of the Cheyenne VA Medical Center, Cheyenne, Wyoming | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 We recommended that facility clinical managers consistently review Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation data every 6 months and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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2 We recommended that Physician Utilization Management Advisors document their decisions in the National Utilization Management Integration database and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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3 We recommended that facility managers ensure medical waste/biohazard containers are properly covered and monitor compliance.
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4 We recommended that the facility develop a policy that addresses temporary bed locations.
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5 We recommended that the facility revise the Radiation Safety Program policy to include a computed tomography quality control program with annual monitoring by a medical physicist and image quality monitoring, protocol monitoring and a method for identifying and reporting excessive doses to the Radiation Safety Officer, a process for managing/reviewing protocols and procedures to follow when revising protocols, and radiologist review of appropriateness of orders and specification of protocol prior to scans.
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6 We recommended that employees consistently use the required advance directive note titles and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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7 We recommended that the facility implement a process for responding to referrals from the Veterans Crisis Line and tracking patients who are at high risk for suicide.
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8 We recommended that the facility implement a process to follow up on high-risk patients who missed mental health appointments and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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9 We recommended that the facility ensure new clinical employees complete suicide risk management training within the required timeframe and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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10 We recommended that clinicians ensure patients and/or caregivers receive a copy of the Suicide Prevention Safety Plan and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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11 We recommended that treatment teams review patients’ high-risk flags at least every 90 days and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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| 16-00107-256 | Combined Assessment Program Review of the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, Virginia | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 We recommended that facility clinical managers ensure completion of at least 75 percent of all utilization management reviews and that facility managers monitor compliance.
2 We recommended that facility managers ensure floors in patient care areas are clean and monitor compliance.
3 We recommended that employees promptly remove outdated commercial supplies from patient care areas and that facility managers monitor compliance.
4 We recommended that employees promptly remove expired medications from patient care areas and that facility managers monitor compliance.
5 We recommended that facility managers ensure operating rooms are clean and monitor compliance.
6 We recommended that the facility repair or replace damaged furniture in the operating rooms.
7 We recommended that the facility revise the competency assessment policy for employees who prepare compounded sterile products to include the required intervals for gloved fingertip sampling.
8 We recommended that the facility revise the compounded sterile products safety policy to include verification of all finished compounded sterile products by a pharmacist.
9 We recommended that facility managers ensure employees perform and document cleaning of storage shelving and bins in all compounding areas and monitor compliance.
10 We recommended that clinicians provide discharge instructions to patients and/or caregivers.
11 We recommended that the facility implement a plan for transition to the allowed note titles.
12 We recommended that employees screen inpatients to determine whether they have advance directives and document the screening and that facility managers monitor compliance.
13 We recommended that employees use the required advance directive note titles and that facility managers monitor compliance.
14 We recommended that the facility ensure new clinical employees complete suicide risk management training within 90 days of being hired and that facility managers monitor compliance.
15 We recommended that the facility ensure the mammography services policy includes all required elements.
16 We recommended that the Controlled Substances Coordinator ensure all required non-pharmacy areas with controlled substances are inspected and monitor compliance.
17 We recommended that the facility strengthen processes to ensure weekly inventories of automated dispensing machines are consistently conducted and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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| 16-00016-241 | Review of Community Based Outpatient Clinics and Other Outpatient Clinics of Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, Virginia | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 We recommended that contracted Environmental Management Service employees at the Fredericksburg VA Clinic receive annual training on the Exposure Control Plan for Bloodborne Pathogens.
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2 We recommended that the clinic manager ensures that Fredericksburg VA Clinic contracted Environmental Management Service employees receive the required hazardous communications training.
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3 We recommended that the clinic manager reviews the Fredericksburg VA Clinic's hazardous materials inventory twice within a 12-month period.
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4 We recommended that the Fredericksburg VA Clinic manager provides feminine hygiene products and disposal bins in women's public restrooms.
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5 We recommended that clinicians document verbal informed consent for Home Telehealth services.
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6 We recommended that providers sign Home Telehealth assessments and treatment plans.
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7 We recommended that clinicians document monthly monitoring notes for each month of Home Telehealth program participation.
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8 We recommended that the Facility Director ensures that the facility¿s written policy for the communication of laboratory results includes all required elements.
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9 We recommended that clinicians consistently notify patients of their laboratory results within 14 days as required by VHA.
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10 We recommended that clinicians consistently document in the electronic health record all attempts to communicate with the patients regarding their laboratory results.
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11 We recommended that acceptable providers perform and document suicide risk assessments for all patients with positive PTSD screens.
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12 We recommended that providers complete diagnostic evaluations for patients with positive PTSD screens.
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| 15-04695-231 | Combined Assessment Program Review of the Kansas City VA Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 We recommended that Physician Utilization Management Advisors consistently document their decisions in the National Utilization Management Integration database and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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2 We recommended that the facility replace missing/stained ceiling tiles in patient care areas.
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3 We recommended that facility managers ensure all patient care areas have secure storage for protected health information.
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4 We recommended that the facility assess the possible subfloor penetration and replace missing and broken floor tiles.
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5 We recommended that facility managers ensure employees perform and document daily floor and monthly storage shelving cleaning in all compounding areas and monitor compliance.
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6 We recommended that clinicians validate patient and/or caregiver understanding of the discharge instructions provided.
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7 We recommended that a medical physicist inspect computed tomography scanners that had repairs or modifications that affected dose or image quality before return to clinical service and document the inspection and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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8 We recommended that employees hold advance directive discussions requested by inpatients and document the discussions and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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9 We recommended that the facility ensure new clinical employees complete suicide risk management training within the required timeframe and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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10 We recommended that clinicians include contact numbers of family or friends for support in Suicide Prevention Safety Plans and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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| 15-02781-153 | Review of Alleged Noncompliance With Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act on MyCareer@VA Web Site | Audit | ||
1 We recommended the Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration correct all Section 508 compliance issues with the MyCareer@VA Web site and seek certification of Section 508 compliance from the appropriate component within VA Section 508.
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2 We recommended the Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration develop and implement a process to ensure their products conform with Section 508 requirements prior to their deployment, which includes defining what support is required to document a product¿s compliance with Section 508 requirements.
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3 We recommended the Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration provide and require training for all individuals involved in developing and maintaining products to ensure they are aware of the requirements and expectations for conformance with Section 508 requirements.
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4 We recommended the Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology strengthen policy to ensure Electronic and Information Technology products are compliant with Section 508 prior to their deployment, which includes providing an expectation of when to establish compliance, how to document compliance, and what specifically constitutes compliance with Section 508.
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| 16-00104-230 | Combined Assessment Program Review of the Fargo VA Health Care System, Fargo, North Dakota | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 We recommended that facility managers ensure competency assessment for employees who prepare compounded sterile products includes gloved fingertip sampling.
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2 We recommended that facility managers ensure all compounded sterile product labels contain the preparer and checker initials and the beyond use date.
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3 We recommended that physicians consistently document discharge progress notes or instructions that include all required elements and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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4 We recommended that employees ask inpatients whether they would like to discuss creating, changing, and/or revoking advance directives and that facility manager’s monitor compliance.
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5 We recommended that the facility ensure new clinical employees complete suicide risk management training within the required timeframe and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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6 We recommended that clinicians include documentation of assessment of available lethal means and how to keep the environment safe in Suicide Prevention Safety Plans and that facility managers monitor compliance.
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| 15-01227-129 | Audit of VA's Conference Management for Fiscal Year 2014 | Audit | ||
1 We recommended the Interim Assistant Secretary for Management update existing guidance to address if and when a Conference Package may be used to summarize the budgets for multiple events and how to present the budget for each event to ensure adequate line item detail for each event.
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2 We recommended the Interim Assistant Secretary for Management update existing guidance to address how to present line item detail of expenditures in the Final Conference Reports if the approved Conference Package was for multiple events to ensure traceability to source documents.
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3 We recommended the Interim Assistant Secretary for Management establish review procedures that ensure Conference Packages and Final Conference Reports comply with law and VA policy and report the results to the Deputy Secretary or VA Chief of Staff.
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4 We recommended the Interim Assistant Secretary for Management update existing policy to provide adequate accountability to ensure that VA organizations comply with conference policies.
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5 We recommended the Interim Assistant Secretary for Management update existing policy to reinstate the Conference Certifying Official as the reviewer of the Conference Package instead of the Responsible Conference Executive.
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6 We recommended the Interim Assistant Secretary for Management update existing policy to reinstate the Corporate Travel Reporting Office review of Conference Packages with a budget of $100,000 or more before submitting the package for Deputy Secretary or Secretary approval.
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| 14-04897-221 | Healthcare Inspection – Quality of Mental Health Care Concerns, VA Long Beach Healthcare System, Long Beach, California | Hotline Healthcare Inspection | ||
1 We recommended that the System Director ensure that primary care providers follow established guidelines for referral of patients with chronic pain as required by VA policy.
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15039