Recommendations
2079
| ID | Report Number | Report Title | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13-03213-152 | Audit of VHA's Mobile Medical Units | Audit | ||
1 We recommended the Under Secretary for Health withhold funding for new mobile medical units until a comprehensive assessment is conducted to assess factors, such as the current composition of the mobile medical unit fleet, services provided, operational days and costs, and the effect on rural veterans’ access to health care.
Closure Date:
2 We recommended the Under Secretary for Health assign responsibility for developing mobile medical unit policies, objectives, and strategy, and for providing program oversight.
Closure Date:
3 We recommended the Under Secretary for Health assign responsibility for maintaining operational data on mobile medical units to ensure mobile medical unit resources can be used as part of VHA’s emergency preparedness plan.
Closure Date:
4 We recommended the Under Secretary for Health publish necessary policy and guidance to provide for effective and efficient mobile medical unit operations.
Closure Date:
5 We recommended the Under Secretary for Health implement a mechanism to ensure that mobile medical unit-specific operations and financial data, such as patient workload, services provided, and costs, are collected in the Veterans Health Administration’s Decision Support System.
Closure Date:
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| 14-00895-163 | Healthcare Inspection - VA Patterns of Dispensing Take-Home Opioids and Monitoring Patients on Opioid Therapy | National Healthcare Review | ||
1 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health ensure that the practice of prescribing acetaminophen is in compliance with acceptable standards.
Closure Date:
2 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health ensure that VA's practice of routine and random urine drug tests prior to initiating and during take-home opioid therapy to confirm the appropriate use of opioids is in alignment with acceptable standards.
Closure Date:
3 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health ensure that follow-up evaluations of patients on take-home opioids are performed timely.
Closure Date:
4 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health ensure that opioid patients with active (not in remission) substance use receive treatment for substance use concurrently with urine drug tests.
Closure Date:
5 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health ensure that VA's practice of prescribing and dispensing benzodiazepines concurrently with opioids is in alignment with acceptable standards.
Closure Date:
6 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health ensure that medication reconciliation is performed to prevent adverse drug interactions.
Closure Date:
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| 14-00236-153 | Community Based Outpatient Clinic and Primary Care Clinic Reviews at James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center, Altoona, Pennsylvania | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 We recommended that fire drills are performed every 12 months at the Johnstown CBOC.
Closure Date:
2 We recommended that medications are secured and only accessible by those individuals who either dispense or administer medications at the State College CBOC and that compliance is monitored.
Closure Date:
3 We recommended that processes are strengthened to ensure women veterans can access gender-specific restrooms without entering public areas at the Johnstown CBOC.
Closure Date:
4 We recommended that CBOC/Primary Care Clinic Registered Nurse Care Managers receive motivational interviewing training within 12 months of appointment to Patient Aligned Care Teams.
Closure Date:
5 We recommended that staff document that medication reconciliation was completed at each episode of care where the newly prescribed fluoroquinolone was administered, prescribed, or modified.
Closure Date:
6 We recommended that staff consistently provide written medication information that includes the fluoroquinolone.
Closure Date:
7 We recommended that staff provide medication counseling/education that includes the fluoroquinolone.
Closure Date:
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| 13-00054-148 | Combined Assessment Program Summary Report – Evaluation of Quality Management in Veterans Health Administration Facilities Fiscal Year 2013 | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Networks and facility senior managers, ensures that completed improvement actions related to protected peer review are reported to the Peer Review Committee.
Closure Date:
2 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Networks and facility senior managers, ensures that facility observation bed processes are guided by comprehensive policies and that usage is monitored.
Closure Date:
3 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Networks and facility senior managers, ensures that reviews of inpatients’ continuing stays are consistently completed.
Closure Date:
4 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Networks and facility senior managers, ensures that facilities’ scanning processes are guided by comprehensive policies, that medical information is properly scanned into patients’ electronic health records, and that compliance is monitored.
Closure Date:
5 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Networks and facility senior managers, re-emphasize the requirements for thorough review of individual resuscitation episodes.
Closure Date:
6 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Networks and facility senior managers, ensures that facilities’ transfusion committees meet at least quarterly; include clinical representation from Medicine, Surgical, and Anesthesia Services; and review all required elements.
Closure Date:
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| 14-01288-145 | Combined Assessment Program Summary Report - Construction Safety at 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 leaders, ensures that inspections are completed at the designated frequency and by required members, that all required elements are documented, and that construction sites comply with applicable VA and Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements.
Closure Date:
2 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Network and facility leaders, ensures that contractor tuberculosis risk assessments are conducted.
Closure Date:
3 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Network and facility leaders, ensures that facilities establish Construction Safety Committees; develop and implement written policies addressing committee responsibilities; assure required committee membership and participation; and ensure meeting minutes include consistent documentation of inspection results, follow-up actions to resolve unsafe conditions, and tracking of actions to completion.
Closure Date:
4 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Network and facility leaders, ensures that Infection Control Committee meeting minutes include consistent documentation of construction-related infection control surveillance activities and any necessary follow-up actions to identified trends or problems.
Closure Date:
5 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Network and facility leaders, ensures that designated facility staff receive required initial and biennial construction safety training.
Closure Date:
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| 13-00589-137 | Audit of the Non-Recurring Maintenance Program | Audit | ||
1 We recommend the Under Secretary for Health establish a process to track VA medical facilities' expenditure of NRM funds toward addressing the maintenance backlog.
Closure Date:
2 We recommend the Under Secretary for Health establish procedures to ensure VA medical facilities projects address the Facility Condition Assessment deficiencies as approved under the Strategic Capital Investment Plan.
Closure Date:
3 We recommend the Under Secretary for Health establish procedures to identify non-recurring maintenance projects that are not meeting milestones to ensure that timely corrective actions are taken.
Closure Date:
4 We recommend the Under Secretary for Health develop clearly defined criteria for assigning risk levels to building infrastructure systems reviewed by Facility Condition Assessment contractors.
Closure Date:
5 We recommend the Executive in Charge for the Office of Management and Chief Financial Officer increase financial accountability by implementing standardized accounting procedures for tracking NRM projects' financial performance.
Closure Date:
6 We recommend the Principal Executive Director, Office of Acquisition, Logistics and Construction instruct contract engineers to assign risk levels to identified maintenance deficiencies based on VHA criteria.
Closure Date:
7 We recommend the Principal Executive Director, Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction review Facility Condition Assessment estimating processes and procedures to ensure compliance with industry best practices.
Closure Date:
8 We recommend the Principal Executive Director, Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction review historical project costs to determine an effective adjustment factor to better estimate contract costs to complete the repair of identified maintenance deficiencies.
Closure Date:
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| 14-00689-142 | Combined Assessment Program Review of the Orlando VA Medical Center, Orlando, Florida | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 We recommended that processes be strengthened to ensure that FPPEs for newly hired licensed independent practitioners are completed within the timeframe required by facility bylaws.
Closure Date:
2 We recommended that processes be strengthened to ensure that EOC Committee and Administrative Executive Committee minutes reflect sufficient discussion of deficiencies, corrective actions taken, and tracking of actions to closure.
Closure Date:
3 We recommended that processes be strengthened to ensure that medication/supply carts are secured at all times and that compliance be monitored.
Closure Date:
4 We recommended that processes be strengthened to ensure that Nursing Service is represented at Radiation Safety Committee meetings.
Closure Date:
5 We recommended that managers initiate timely actions to address deficiencies identified during annual physical security surveys.
Closure Date:
6 We recommended that processes be strengthened to ensure that pharmacy inspections are consistently completed on the same day they were initiated and that compliance be monitored.
Closure Date:
7 We recommended that processes be strengthened to ensure that monthly MH RRTP self-inspections, daily public area inspections and bed checks, and weekly contraband inspections are completed and documented and that compliance be monitored.
Closure Date:
8 We recommended that processes be strengthened to ensure that medications in resident rooms on the MH RRTP units are secured and daily inspections for this are documented and that compliance be monitored.
Closure Date:
9 We recommended that processes be strengthened to ensure that written agreements acknowledging MH RRTP resident responsibility for medication security are documented and that compliance be monitored.
Closure Date:
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| 13-01819-133 | Healthcare Inspection - Improper Procurement and Billing Practices for Anesthesiology Services, George E. Wahlen VA Healthcare System, Salt Lake City, Utah | Hotline Healthcare Inspection | ||
1 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health develop and implement a plan of action to ensure that VA purchase of medical services from affiliated academic institutions is in compliance with VA Directive 1663 and procurement laws and regulations.
Closure Date:
2 We recommended that the Under Secretary for Health ensure that VA prohibits the use of purchase orders to obtain contract provider services unless the purchase orders contain the required clauses identified in the report.
Closure Date:
3 We recommended that the Veterans Integrated Service Network Director ensure that the procurement of specialized medical services is in accordance with VA Directive 1663.
Closure Date:
4 We recommended that the Veterans Integrated Service Network Director ensure that Interim Contract Authority is appropriately granted and used as outlined in VA Directive 1663.
Closure Date:
5 We recommended that the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System Director develop and implement as necessary an alternate source plan for the provision of anesthesiology services that complies with VA Directive 1663.
Closure Date:
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| 14-01104-134 | Healthcare Inspection – Alleged Excessive Wait for Emergency Care and Staff Disrespect, VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System, Las Vegas, Nevada | Hotline Healthcare Inspection | ||
1 We recommended that the Facility Director ensure that action plans are developed and implemented to facilitate meeting and maintaining the facility's target of not more than 10 percent of emergency department patients should experience a length of stay exceeding 6 hours.
Closure Date:
2 We recommended that the Facility Director ensure that nursing staff reassess emergency department patients according to facility policy.
Closure Date:
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| 14-00227-131 | Community Based Outpatient Clinic and Primary Care Clinic Reviews at Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 We recommended that staff consistently complete diagnostic assessments for patients with a positive alcohol screen.
2 We recommended that staff consistently document the offer of further treatment to patients diagnosed with alcohol dependence.
3 We recommended that managers ensure that patients with excessive persistent alcohol use receive brief treatment or are evaluated by a specialty provider within 2 weeks of the screening.
4 We recommended that staff document that medication reconciliation was completed at each episode of care where the newly prescribed fluoroquinolone was administered, prescribed, or modified.
5 We recommended that staff consistently provide written medication information that includes the fluoroquinolone.
6 We recommended that staff provide medication counseling/education that includes the fluoroquinolone.
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