Recommendations
2065
| ID | Report Number | Report Title | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-02339-35 | VA Needs to Comply Fully with the Geospatial Data Act of 2018 | Audit | ||
1 The acting assistant secretary for Enterprise Integration, in conjunction with the assistant secretary for Information and Technology, complies with requirement 3 in section 759(a) of the Geospatial Data Act to establish mandatory VA wide policies and responsibilities to promote the integration of geospatial data.
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2 The assistant secretary for Information and Technology, in conjunction with the director of Enterprise Records Service, establishes a process to ensure geospatial data and activities are included on VA record schedules that have been approved by the National Archives and Records Administration in accordance with requirement 4 of the law.
Closure Date:
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| 18-01321-56 | Thoracic Surgery Quality of Care Issues and Facility Leaders’ Response at the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center in Bay Pines, Florida | Hotline Healthcare Inspection | ||
1 The Under Secretary for Health designates a thoracic specialty leader who has the authority to review all aspects of the personnel and management actions and can provide unbiased, authoritative, and timely guidance to facilities on the most clinically sound course of action when a thoracic surgeon’s practice or outcomes are under review, in order to ensure that VA provides high quality care.
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2 The Under Secretary for Health outlines general parameters and triggers for when facilities without local thoracic surgery expertise engage the thoracic specialty leader and how the thoracic specialty leader’s decisions and guidance will be documented.
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3 The Under Secretary for Health clarifies Veterans Health Administration policy regarding providers’ responsibilities to document complications in operative reports.
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4 The Under Secretary for Health reevaluates the eligible and mandatory assessment surgery cases reported to the National Surgery Office to determine if thoracic cases should be included in the list of mandatory assessment cases, and modifies the list as appropriate.
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5 The Under Secretary for Health defines expectations for peer review committee members whose cases are being reviewed to leave the room during those deliberations, provides guidance on how that recusal is to be annotated in the Peer Review Committee minutes, and updates Veterans Health Administration policy, as needed.
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6 The C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center Director enhances processes to identify the existence of omissions or misrepresentations in operative note documentation and takes action based on identified deficiencies, if any.
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7 The C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center Director takes action to ensure that the surgeon is aware of, and complies with, expectations for professional communications and supporting staff to report adverse events and close calls.
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8 The C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center Director ensures the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center Surgical Work Group provides oversight as required by Veterans Health Administration policy and monitors for compliance.
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9 The C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center Director confirms processes are in place to ensure providers’ clinical privileges are specific to the facility and service, and are based on each provider’s clinical competence, and monitors for compliance.
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10 The C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center Director reviews whether the cases reflected in tables 1 and 2 in this report meet criteria for institutional disclosure and takes action as appropriate.
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| 20-02359-52 | Deficiencies in Privileging a Urologist to Practice and Medication Management Processes at the VA Central Iowa Health Care System in Des Moines | Hotline Healthcare Inspection | ||
1 The VA Central Iowa Health Care System Director ensures sustained compliance of providers who order controlled substances maintaining an individual Drug Enforcement Administration registration.
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2 The VA Central Iowa Health Care System Director ensures verbal medication orders given in the operating room comply with Veterans Health Administration and VA Central Iowa Health Care System policies to permit verbal orders in emergent situations.
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3 The VA Central Iowa Health Care System Director ensures operating room verbal medication orders are entered in the Computerized Patient Record System pharmacy package in accordance with Veterans Health Administration and VA Central Iowa Health Care System policies.
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4 The VA Central Iowa Health Care System Director ensures that verbal medication orders given in the operating room are reviewed by a pharmacist in accordance with VA Central Iowa Health Care System policy.
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5 The VA Central Iowa Health Care System Director ensures that controlled substance inspections include verification of medication orders for controlled substances removed from the operating room automated dispensing cabinet.
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| 20-01521-48 | Deficiencies in Inpatient Mental Health Care Coordination and Processes Prior to a Patient’s Death by Suicide, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia, Missouri | Hotline Healthcare Inspection | ||
1 The Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital Director strengthens the processes for collaboration between Inpatient Mental Health Unit staff and Vet Center providers for shared patients including for collateral information and discharge planning.
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2 The Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital Director ensures that Inpatient Mental Health Unit staff collaboratively develop safety plans with patients, including asking the patient directly about access to lethal means.
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3 The Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital Director continues to monitor the communication of suicide risk assessment results in the hand-off process across clinical settings and takes action as necessary.
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4 The Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital Director monitors compliance with Mental Health Treatment Coordinator standard operating procedures to ensure that Inpatient Mental Health Unit staff assign a Mental Health Treatment Coordinator, as required.
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5 The Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital Director ensures that issue briefs are comprehensive and accurate.
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6 The Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital Director conducts a full review of the patient’s final episode of care and determines whether an institutional disclosure is warranted.
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7 The Under Secretary for Health disseminates written guidance broadly to Veterans Health Administration stakeholders to ensure that Vet Center staff are included in the root cause analysis process for suicide-related events of shared patients.
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| 20-02774-26 | Added Measures Could Reduce Veterans’ Risk of COVID-19 Exposure in Transitional Housing | Review | ||
1 Issue guidance to medical facility staff on how the COVID 19 At Risk Veteran Report should be used to help service providers identify high risk veterans and educate those veterans on the need for extra precautions.
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2 Ensure medical facility staff are monitoring and assisting with the service providers’ implementation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, including updates.
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3 Identify service providers that have not fully implemented the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s six feet social distancing guidelines, particularly for sleeping and meal areas, and encourage them to implement alternative measures or use VA options to help mitigate space limitations.
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4 Monitor the availability of personal protective equipment at service providers’ residences, and help develop contingency plans in the event of a prolonged pandemic or surge.
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| 20-00132-28 | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 The Medical Center Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures the Quality, Safety, Value, and Innovation Council monitors implemented improvement actions.
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2 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that all applicable deaths that occur within 24 hours of admission are peer reviewed.
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3 The Medical Center Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that root cause analyses include all required review elements and are properly documented in the VHA Patient Safety Information System.
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4 The Medical Center Director determines the reasons for noncompliance and ensures the Patient Safety Manager or designee provides feedback to staff who submit patient safety incidents that result in a root cause analysis.
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5 The Medical Center Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that provider exit review forms are completed within seven calendar days of licensed healthcare professionals’ departure from the medical center.
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6 The Medical Center Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures the Chief of Police conducts a physical security evaluation of the Emergency Department.
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7 The Assistant Director determines the reasons for noncompliance and ensures signage is in place for all areas where biohazards are present.
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8 The Assistant Director determines the reasons for noncompliance and ensures that occupational exposure to hazardous materials is minimized in decontamination areas.
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9 The Associate Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that a safe and clean environment is maintained throughout the Athens VA Clinic.
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10 The Associate Director determines the reasons for noncompliance and ensures that the medication room and housekeeping supply closet at the Athens VA Clinic are secured at all times.
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11 The Medical Center Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that personally identifiable information is protected at the Athens VA Clinic.
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12 The Chief of Staff determines the reasons for noncompliance and ensures that policies and procedures are in place for 24 hours a day, 7 days per week gynecological care.
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13 The Chief of Staff determines the reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that each community-based outpatient clinic has at least two designated women’s health primary care providers or arrangements for leave coverage when only one designated provider is available.
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14 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures the medical center has a designated women’s health clinical liaison at each community-based outpatient clinic.
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15 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that standard operating procedures align with manufacturers’ instructions for use.
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16 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that the Sterile Processing Services Chief reports the annual risk analysis results to the Veterans Integrated Service Network Sterile Processing Services Management Board.
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17 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services evaluates and determines additional reasons for noncompliance and make certain that the Sterile Processing Services staff properly store high-level disinfected endoscopes.
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18 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that all new employees complete Level 1 training within 90 days of hire.
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19 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that the Sterile Processing Services staff receive properly completed competency assessments prior to reprocessing reusable medical equipment.
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20 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that Sterile Processing Services staff receive monthly continuing education.
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| 20-01480-31 | Surgical Service Care Deficiencies in the Critical Care Unit at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia | Hotline Healthcare Inspection | ||
1 The Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center Director evaluates the effectiveness of the current algorithms for critical care unit nurses and surgical intensivists involving post-operative patients and communication with tele-intensive care unit staff during off-hours, and takes action as indicated.
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2 The Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center Director confirms the current on-call policy is evaluated and modified as appropriate to include specific telemedicine intensive care unit processes.
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3 The Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center Director ensures development of a written plan to address responsibilities of medicine and surgery staff caring for post-operative patients in the Critical Care Unit.
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4 The Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center Director requires critical care unit staff receive training on patient safety reporting and review processes, and monitors compliance.
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5 The Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center Director ensures the coordination between the facility quality management and telemedicine intensive care unit staff on required patient care reviews, and evaluates compliance.
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6 The Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center Director requires that current and new critical care unit staff receive telemedicine intensive care unit initial orientation and competency training, and monitors compliance.
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7 The Veterans Integrated Service Network 10 Telemedicine Intensive Care Unit Program Medical Director requires telemedicine intensive care unit staff training on patient safety reporting and patient care review processes, and monitors compliance.
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8 The Veterans Integrated Service Network 10 Telemedicine Intensive Care Unit Program Medical Director ensures the telemedicine intensive care unit and facility quality management staff coordinate on required patient care reviews, and evaluates compliance.
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| 20-00130-25 | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia, South Carolina | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that service chiefs’ reprivileging recommendations are based on ongoing professional practice evaluation activities and licensed independent practitioner files contain properly completed evaluation forms with supporting data.
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2 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that the Medical Executive Board’s decision to recommend continuation of privileges is based on complete ongoing professional practice evaluation results.
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3 The Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that provider exit review forms are completed within seven calendar days of licensed health care professionals’ departure from the medical center.
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4 The Associate Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that staff dispose of contaminated instruments and used medications appropriately.
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5 The Associate Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures managers remove patient care supplies from shipping cartons and all corrugated boxes prior to putting items in clean storage areas.
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6 The Associate Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that staff secure protected health information when transporting laboratory specimens from the clinic to the medical center.
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7 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that providers complete an aberrant behavior risk assessment that includes a history of substance abuse, mental health problems or disorders, and aberrant drug-related behaviors on all patients prior to initiating long- term opioid therapy.
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8 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that providers obtain and document informed consent for patients prior to initiating long-term opioid therapy.
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9 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures providers conduct follow-up assessments that include adherence to the plan of care and effectiveness of interventions within three months of initiating long-term opioid therapy.
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10 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that mental health providers collaborate with the Suicide Prevention Coordinator after unsuccessful contact attempts with patients flagged as high risk for suicide who miss mental health appointments and properly document those efforts.
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11 The Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures all staff complete annual suicide prevention refresher training
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12 The Chief of Staff determines the reasons for noncompliance and ensures that gynecological care coverage is available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.
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13 The Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that required members are appointed and attend Women Veterans Health Committee meetings.
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14 The Associate Director Patient Care/Nursing Service evaluates and determines the reasons for noncompliance and ensures that high-level disinfected endoscopes are stored properly.
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| 20-00608-29 | Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Claims Processing Training and Guidance Need Improvement | Review | ||
1 Determine the actions needed to ensure staff understand evidence-gathering and verification of stressor requirements for posttraumatic stress disorder claims, and monitor the results to ensure effectiveness once those actions are implemented.
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2 Assess whether reorganizing or amending material in the Veterans Benefits Administration’s Manual M21-1, Adjudication Procedures Manual, related to the development of claims involving entitlement to service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder is needed for accurate processing.
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| 19-09161-02 | Management and Oversight of the Electronic Wait List for Healthcare Services | Audit | ||
1 The Under Secretary for Health has oversight controls developed and implemented to monitor all facilities’ patient care requests that are identified as “unable to schedule” to ensure patients across the Veterans Health Administration are scheduled in a timely manner.
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2 The Under Secretary for Health ensures standard operating procedures are being implemented so that facility employees routinely review and act on patient care requests identified as “unable to schedule” in the consult toolbox.
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3 The Under Secretary for Health makes certain that facility leaders clearly define and oversee procedures on routinely reviewing, monitoring, and addressing transfer entries on the Light Electronic Administrative Framework.
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14957