Recommendations
2079
| ID | Report Number | Report Title | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19-07543-178 | Inadequate Care by a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist and a Primary Care Provider at the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System in Nashville | Hotline Healthcare Inspection | ||
1 The Veterans Integrated Service Network Director conducts a comprehensive review of the patient’s care including collaboration among Patient Aligned Care Team members and takes action as indicated.
Closure Date:
2 The Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Director ensures facility staff are aware of and follow Veterans Health Administration Directive 1088, Communicating Test Results to Providers and Patients, specifically the requirement for the ordering clinician to communicate all test results to patients.
Closure Date:
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| 19-09436-185 | Deficiencies in Evaluation, Documentation, and Care Coordination for a Bariatric Surgery Patient at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System in Pennsylvania | Hotline Healthcare Inspection | ||
1 The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Director considers developing a facility policy for bariatric surgery to include preoperative medical and mental health evaluations.
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2 The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Director ensures that bariatric patients receive all preoperative medical and mental health evaluations and monitors compliance.
Closure Date:
3 The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Director reviews the documentation error noted in this report and takes action as appropriate.
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4 The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Director provides education to staff on how to correct documentation errors and the requirement to follow facility policy.
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5 The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Director ensures interdisciplinary discussions about preoperative bariatric patients are documented in the electronic health record and monitors compliance.
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6 The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Director considers a programmatic review of the Bariatric Surgery Program to ensure patients receive a comprehensive preoperative evaluation and postoperative follow-up care.
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| 20-00067-172 | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain, Michigan | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 The Chief of Staff determines the reason(s) for noncompliance and ensures that ongoing professional practice evaluations include service-specific criteria.
Closure Date:
2 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reason(s) for noncompliance and makes certain that Medical Executive Committee minutes consistently reflect the review of professional practice evaluation results.
Closure Date:
3 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reason(s) for noncompliance and ensures that clinicians complete a behavioral risk assessment that includes a history of substance abuse, psychological disease, and aberrant drug-related behaviors on all patients prior to initiating long-term opioid therapy.
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4 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reason(s) for noncompliance and makes certain that healthcare providers consistently conduct urine drug testing for patients prior to initiating or continuing long-term opioid therapy and periodically thereafter.
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5 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reason(s) for noncompliance and makes certain that healthcare providers consistently obtain and document informed consent for patients prior to initiating long-term opioid therapy.
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6 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures healthcare providers follow up with patients within the required time frame after initiating long-term opioid therapy.
Closure Date:
7 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reason(s) for noncompliance and makes certain that the Pain Committee monitors the quality of pain assessment and the effectiveness of pain management interventions.
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8 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reason(s) for noncompliance and ensures the Women Veterans Program Manager is full-time and free of collateral duties.
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9 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services evaluates and determines any additional reason(s) for noncompliance and makes certain that the Chief of Sterile Processing Services reports the annual risk analysis results to the VISN Sterile Processing Services Management Board.
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10 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services evaluates and determines additional reason(s) for noncompliance and ensures that Sterile Processing Services staff complete competency assessments that include at least two methods of verification for reprocessing reusable medical equipment.
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11 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services evaluates and determines additional reason(s) for noncompliance and ensures Sterile Processing Services staff receive monthly continuing education.
Closure Date:
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| 19-07281-105 | VA Should Examine Options to Expand Retail Pharmacy Drug Discounts | Review | ||
1 The OIG recommended the Under Secretary for Health conduct a formal analysis of VHA’s Office of Community Care prescription drug programs to determine what steps VA would need to take to require drug manufacturers to provide Big 4 prices for covered prescription drugs purchased for CHAMPVA and any other VA Community Care programs that use a retail pharmacy.
Closure Date:
2 The OIG recommended the Under Secretary for Health collaborate with the Office of Regulatory and Administrative Affairs and, if determined appropriate, pursue any proposed statutory or other changes needed to provide VA with the appropriate legal authority to purchase all prescription drugs through retail pharmacies at the Big 4 prices.
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| 18-06501-158 | Attorney Misconduct, Inadequate Supervision, and Mismanagement in the Office of General Counsel | Administrative Investigation | ||
1 The Acting VA General Counsel confers with the Designated Agency Ethics Official and the Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration to determine whether any remaining administrative action should be taken with respect to the Attorney’s conduct.
Closure Date:
2 The Acting VA General Counsel confers with the Designated Agency Ethics Official to determine whether VA should take any further action with respect to the Attorney’s representation of private parties in matters currently pending in U.S. federal court in which the United States is a party or has a direct and substantial interest to address any other government ethics issues.
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3 The Acting VA General Counsel determines what, if any, obligation the Office of General Counsel has with respect to reporting the Attorney’s conduct to the relevant disciplinary authority under Rule 8.3 of the New York Rules of Professional Conduct or any other governing authority.
Closure Date:
4 The Acting VA General Counsel determines the appropriate action to take, if any, with respect to Mr. Hogan’s failure in his official duties to take appropriate action.
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5 The Acting VA General Counsel determines the appropriate action to take, if any, with respect to the Deputy Chief Counsel’s failure in his official duties to take appropriate action.
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6 The Acting VA General Counsel confers with VA’s Designated Agency Ethics Official to revise its November 8, 2019 memorandum. The revision should at a minimum (a) emphasize all criminal conflict of interest statutes relevant to outside employment, (b) ensure appropriate time for supervisory review of confidential financial disclosure reports to identify potential conflicts or other issues, (c) identify the official responsible for ensuring that the annual risk assessment focused on outside activities is completed on an annual basis to assist Chief Counsel in identifying employees with outside employment, (d) engage employees with outside employment in formal discussions regarding applicable ethical rules and the consequences of noncompliance, and (e) document the annual meetings and formal discussions they have with employees.
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7 The Acting VA General Counsel confers with VA’s Designated Agency Ethics Official to determine whether VA should consider implementing a supplemental agency regulation requiring VA employees, or any category of employees, to disclose and obtain prior approval before engaging in any outside activities for which they receive compensation in accordance with 5 C.F.R. § 2635.803.
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| 18-06292-117 | Overtime Use in the Office of Community Care to Process Non-VA Care Claims Not Effectively Monitored | Audit | ||
1 The Office of Community Care completes a review of the OIG identified employees who had no claims processing production or activity in the Fee Basis Claims System during overtime hours to determine whether the employees’ conduct requires disciplinary or other corrective action, as appropriate.
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2 The Office of Community Care establishes and implements controls for Payment Operations and Management supervisors to effectively monitor and assess staff productivity during overtime hours to mitigate the risk of overtime abuse.
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3 The Payment Operations and Management directorate clarifies and communicates nurse productivity standards and requirements.
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4 The Payment Operations and Management directorate develops and implements formal guidance for its staff on the appropriate use of overtime, and the controls needed for monitoring compliance.
Closure Date:
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| 19-06870-175 | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System in Topeka | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 The System Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures specific action items are documented in Quality, Safety, and Value Board minutes when problems or opportunities for improvement are identified.
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2 The Chief of Staff determines the reason(s) for noncompliance and ensures that peer reviewers consistently use at least one of the nine aspects of care for evaluations and address the initial screener’s concern.
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3 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that all applicable deaths within 24 hours of admission are peer reviewed.
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4 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that final peer reviews are completed within 120 calendar days from the date it is determined a peer review is required and any necessary extensions are approved in writing by the System Director.
Closure Date:
5 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that a summary of the Peer Review Committee’s analyses is reviewed quarterly by the Medical Executive Board.
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6 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that physician utilization management advisors consistently document their decisions in the National Utilization Management Integration database.
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7 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures all required representatives consistently participate in interdisciplinary reviews of utilization management data.
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8 The System Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that root cause analyses include all required review elements and be properly documented in the VHA Patient Safety Information System.
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9 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures clinical managers define in advance, communicate, and document expectations for focused professional practice evaluations in the provider profiles.
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10 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that service chiefs include the minimum required gastroenterology- and pathology-specific criteria for focused professional practice evaluations of licensed independent practitioners.
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11 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that reprivileging decisions are based on service-specific ongoing professional practice evaluation data.
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12 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that providers with similar training and privileges complete ongoing professional practice evaluations of licensed independent practitioners.
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13 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that Medical Executive Board meeting minutes consistently reflect the review of professional practice evaluation results in the decision to recommend continuation of privileges.
Closure Date:
14 The System 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’ departing the healthcare system and include the signature of the first- or second-line supervisor in the properly designated area.
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15 The Associate Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures employees’ ability to access safety data sheet information.
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16 The Associate Director determines the reasons for noncompliance and ensures that clean/sterile storerooms are secured.
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17 The Associate Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures damaged wheelchairs are repaired or removed from service.
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18 The Associate Director determines the reason(s) for noncompliance and ensures areas are consistently stocked with medical supplies typically needed to meet patient care needs.
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19 The Assistant Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that panic alarms are tested and that deficiencies identified from the testing are addressed, including staff education.
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20 The Associate Director determines the reason(s) for noncompliance and ensures that deficiencies observed during Comprehensive Environment of Care Rounds are correctly documented in the Comprehensive Environment of Care Assessment and Compliance Tool and followed until completion.
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21 The Associate Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that Wyandotte County VA Clinic managers maintain a safe and clean environment by addressing the deficiencies identified by the inspection.
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22 The Associate Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that personally identifiable information is protected when transporting information or specimens from the clinics.
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23 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that healthcare providers consistently conduct urine drug testing as required for patients on long-term opioid therapy.
Closure Date:
24 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that healthcare providers obtain and document informed consent consistently for patients who are initiating long-term opioid therapy.
Closure Date:
25 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures healthcare providers follow up with patients within three months after initiating long-term opioid therapy.
Closure Date:
26 The System Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that the Suicide Prevention Coordinator ensures completion of at least five outreach activities each month.
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27 The Chief of Staff evaluates and determines reasons for noncompliance and ensures that mental health providers consistently contact or attempt to contact patients flagged as high risk for suicide who miss mental health or substance abuse appointments and properly document those efforts.
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28 The Chief of Staff evaluates and reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that the mental health provider and the Suicide Prevention Coordinator collaborate to determine next steps for patients flagged as high risk for suicide when attempted contact is unsuccessful after missed mental health or substance abuse appointments.
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29 The Chief of Staff determines the reason(s) for noncompliance and ensures that Suicide Prevention Safety Plans include an assessment of patients’ access to opioids and a discussion of safety and overdose risks.
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30 The System Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that each CBOC has at least two designated women’s health primary care providers or arrangements for leave coverage when CBOCs have only one designated provider.
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31 The System Director evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that required members consistently attend the Women Veterans Health Committee that meets at least quarterly and reports to executive leaders.
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32 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that the Sterile Processing Service Chief maintains an accurate file for all reusable equipment that includes current manufacturers’ instructions for use.
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33 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that standard operating procedures are kept current and maintained as required, which includes alignment with manufacturers’ guidelines and instructions for use, review at least every three years, and update when there is a change in process or the manufacturer’s instructions for use.
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34 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and makes certain that the Sterile Processing Services Chief consistently performs an annual risk analysis and reports the analysis to the Veterans Integrated Service Network Sterile Processing Service Management Board.
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35 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that annual airflow testing is conducted in all areas where reusable medical equipment is reprocessed.
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36 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures that endoscopes are stored properly.
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37 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services evaluates and determines reasons for noncompliance and ensures that all current Sterile Processing Services employees complete Level 1 training and all new employees complete Level 1 training within 90 days of hire.
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38 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services evaluates and determines reasons for noncompliance and ensures that the Chief of Sterile Processing Services documents completion of competencies for staff prior to performance of reprocessing duties.
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39 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services evaluates and determines any additional reasons for noncompliance and ensures Sterile Processing Services staff receive monthly continuing education.
Closure Date:
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| 19-07827-182 | Deficiencies in Virtual Pharmacy Services in the Care of a Patient | Hotline Healthcare Inspection | ||
1 The Under Secretary for Health ensures a review of the pharmacy care provided for the patient and consult with the Human Resources Department regarding administrative action, if warranted.
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2 The Under Secretary for Health develops a standardized Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture menu for Meds by Mail Virtual Pharmacy Services clinical pharmacists and ensures training and access to clinical information to perform the functional statement duties.
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3 The Under Secretary for Health ensures consistency between Virtual Pharmacy Services Meds by Mail clinical pharmacists’ functional statements and position responsibilities.
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4 The Under Secretary for Health evaluates the Meds by Mail Virtual Pharmacy Services performance metrics, determines a reasonable productivity benchmark, and establishes additional metrics as appropriate.
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5 The Under Secretary for Health establishes program management and quality assurance objectives for Virtual Pharmacy Services that define the reporting frequency and structure, and monitors compliance with contract terms.
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| 19-05798-107 | VA Police Information Management System Needs Improvement | Audit | ||
1 The OIG recommends that the Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness in consultation with the Under Secretary for Health evaluate the appropriateness of having the Law Enforcement Training Center serve as the manager of the records management systems for VA police.
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2 The OIG recommended the Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness in consultation with the Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology, as well as the Under Secretary for Health establish a working group of subject matter experts and evaluate whether the Report Exec system meets the needs of VA police. The group should evaluate if the system meets police needs and whether contract requirements have been fully achieved, then develop a strategy to ensure that police units at all medical facilities have a reliably performing records management system to report and track activities.
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3 The OIG recommended the Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness in consultation with the Principal executive Director for the Office of Acquisition, Logistics and Construction; the Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology; and the Under Secretary for Health develop and implement a plan describing how, when, and to whom information about issues for the police records management system will be disseminated and resolved.
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4 The OIG recommended the Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness, in consultation with the Under Secretary for Health, update security and law enforcement program procedures to ensure they meet information management needs and requirements.
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5 The OIG recommended the Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness in consultation with the Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology and Principal Executive Director for the Office of Acquisition, Logistics and Construction initiate an agreement with the contractor to ensure information security measures are in place for the VA police records that were stored on the contractor’s server to prevent unauthorized use and their proper disposal.
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6 The OIG recommended the Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness in consultation with the General Counsel and the Assistant Secretary for Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection determine the appropriate administrative action to take, if any, against personnel involved in bypassing the requirement that the Report Exec system be hosted at the Austin Information Technology Center and the VA information security process be completed before operation.
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7 The OIG recommended the Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology in coordination with the Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness ensure an Information Security Officer is consistently responsible for the Report Exec system and properly notified.
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| 18-00711-106 | Financial Controls and Payments Related to VA-Affiliated Nonprofit Corporations: Middle Tennessee Research Institute | Audit | ||
1 The VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS) director ensures the Middle Tennessee Research Institute’s Board of directors establishes procedures to verify adequate supporting documentation prior to approval of expenditures.
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2 The OIG recommended that the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS) director ensure the MTRI board of directors establishes procedures that require staff to verify supporting documentation before approving expenditures.
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3 The OIG also recommended that the system director should establish procedures to ensure the R&D Budget Office supervisor conducts required periodic reviews of VA-affiliated nonprofit corporation invoices that staff have authorized for payment.
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15039