Recommendations
2079
| ID | Report Number | Report Title | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17-01007-01 | Inadequate Governance of the VA Police Program at Medical Facilities | Audit | ||
1 Clarify program responsibilities between the Veterans Health Administration and theOffice of Operations, Security, and Preparedness, and evaluate the need for a centralizedmanagement entity for the security and law enforcement program across all medicalfacilities.
2 Ensure police staffing models are implemented for determining facility-appropriate levelsfor officers at medical facilities.
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3 Make certain medical facilities use strategies to address police staffing challenges such ashaving documented recruitment plans for police officer positions that include adetermination of the need for special salary rates and incentives.
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4 Assess the staffing levels for the Office of Security and Law Enforcement policeinspection program, and authorize and provide sufficient resources to conduct timelyinspections of police units at medical facilities to help identify program complianceissues.
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5 Ensure procedures are developed for appropriately handling VA police investigations of medical facility leaders.
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| 17-02163-23 | Provider Assignment and Dermatology Consult Scheduling Delays at the Joint Ambulatory Care Center, Pensacola, Florida | Hotline Healthcare Inspection | ||
1 The Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System Director ensures that patients are assigned primary care providers, as required by Veterans Health Administration policy, and that the assignments are monitored for compliance.
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2 The Gulf Coast Veterans Health System Director ensures that patients with Joint Ambulatory Care Center dermatology consults are scheduled as required by Veterans Health Administration policy and within the Veterans Health Administration consult timeframe, and that the scheduling process is monitored for compliance.
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3 The Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System Director ensures that system managers review dermatology and non-VA care scheduling staffing levels, and develop an action plan to address recommendations, if any, from the staffing level reviews.
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4 The Gulf Coast Veterans Health System Director takes appropriate action as related to Patient B’s physicians’ improper electronic health record documentation as discussed in this report.
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| 18-01142-25 | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program Review of the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 The Chief of Staff ensures that service chiefs communicate to the Peer Review Committee the completion of individual improvement actions and monitors compliance.
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2 The Chief of Staff ensures that all Focused Professional Practice Evaluations include clearly delineated timeframes and monitor compliance.
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3 The Chief of Staff ensures that clinical managers consistently collect and maintain Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation data and monitors compliance.
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4 The Associate Director ensures that staff store clean and dirty equipment separately and monitors compliance.
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5 The Associate Director ensures the mental health unit seclusion room toilet is shatterproof.
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6 The Associate Director ensures that environment of care rounds are conducted as required at the McComb Community Based Outpatient Clinic and monitors compliance.
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7 The Associate Director ensures that staff at the McComb Community Based Outpatient Clinic remove all expired, damaged, and/or contaminated medications and monitors compliance.
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8 The Associate Director ensures the McComb Community Based Outpatient Clinic managers maintain a safe and clean environment and monitors compliance.
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9 The Associate Director ensures that shelving is clean and bottom storage shelves are solid at the McComb Community Based Outpatient Clinic and monitors compliance.
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10 The Chief of Staff ensures that providers complete suicide risk assessments within the required timeframe for patients with positive posttraumatic stress disorder screens and monitors compliance.
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11 The Chief of Staff ensures that acceptable providers offer and refer patients with positive posttraumatic stress disorder screens for further diagnostic evaluations and monitors compliance.
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| 18-01144-24 | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program Review of the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center, Spokane, Washington | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 The Chief of Staff ensures the interdisciplinary group or committee that reviews utilization management data includes representatives from social work and the Chief Business Office revenue utilization review and monitors compliance.
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2 The Chief of Staff ensures Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluations utilize assessments by providers with similar training and privileges and monitors compliance.
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3 The Associate Director ensures managers clearly mark and securely store medical biohazardous waste and monitors compliance.
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4 The Associate Director ensures the Police and Security Operations document response time to panic alarm testing at the locked mental health unit and monitors compliance.
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5 The Associate Director ensures that the Emergency Management Plan is reviewed annually and monitors compliance.
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6 The Facility Director ensures that the Quality Council maintains oversight of all geriatric evaluation program performance improvement activities and monitors compliance.
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7 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services ensures that all registered nurses involved in managing central lines receive the required central line-associated bloodstream infection prevention education and monitors compliance.
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| 18-01145-26 | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program Review of the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System, North Las Vegas, Nevada | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 The Chief of Staff ensures clinical managers initiate Focused Professional Practice Evaluations that include clearly delineated timeframes and monitors compliance.
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2 The Associate Director ensures the VA Police regularly test panic alarms at the Northwest Las Vegas VA Clinic and monitors compliance.
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3 The Associate Director ensures the VA Police test panic alarms and document response time to alarm testing in the locked mental health unit and monitors compliance.
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4 The Facility Director ensures that all deficiencies identified on the Annual Physical Security Survey are addressed and monitors compliance.
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5 The Facility Director ensures controlled substance monthly inspection dates are randomly selected to avoid distinguishable patterns and monitors compliance.
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6 The Facility Director ensures that controlled substances inspectors perform reconciliation of controlled substance refills to automated dispensing cabinets in patient care areas and returns to pharmacy stock and monitors compliance.
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7 The Facility Director ensures that controlled substances inspectors complete routine monthly controlled substance inspections and monitors compliance.
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8 The Facility Director ensures that Geriatrics and Extended Care Service leaders conduct and report geriatric evaluation program performance improvement activities to an appropriate leadership board and monitors compliance.
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| 16-00862-179 | VA’s Oversight of State Approving Agency Program Monitoring for Post-9/11 GI Bill Students | Audit | ||
1 The Under Secretary for Benefits negotiates an amendment to State Approving Agency contracts to clarify requirements for program approvals and require, subject to the availability of resources, quarterly samples and reviews and evaluations of supporting documentation for State Approving Agency approvals to ensure approved programs meet Title 38 of the United States Code requirements.
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2 The Under Secretary for Benefits negotiates amendments to State Approving Agency contracts that, subject to available resources, require the State Approving Agencies to periodically reapprove programs and evaluate program changes and other operational changes, such as advertisement practices, that may affect a program’s continued eligibility and compliance with Title 38 of the United States Code.
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3 The Under Secretary for Benefits refers schools identified during the audit with potentially erroneous, deceptive, or misleading advertising practices to the Federal Trade Commission for it to decide whether any further reviews or actions are needed.
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4 The Under Secretary for Benefits revises and strengthens compliance surveys to improve the assessment of program eligibility and compliance survey quality reviews to include the review of supporting documentation and an independent assessment of the quality of the completed compliance surveys.
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5 The Under Secretary for Benefits negotiates an amendment to the State Approving Agency contracts to establish quality assurance metrics and ensure the Veterans Benefits Administration collects and uses quality assurance data from its reviews of the State Approving Agencies’ approvals, monitoring, and compliance surveys in its annual evaluations of the State Approving Agencies.
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6 The Under Secretary for Benefits assesses whether funding for State Approving Agencies is sufficient to ensure the adequate review, approval, and monitoring of programs, in conjunction with the establishment of a contract to update the State Approving Agency funding allocation model.
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| 18-01137-15 | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program Review of the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, Texas | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 The Chief of Staff ensures Service Chiefs include clearly delineated timeframes in practitioners’ Focused Professional Practice Evaluation competency reviews and monitors compliance.
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2 The Chief of Staff ensures Service Chiefs present the results of completed Focused Professional Practice Evaluations to the Medical Staff Executive Council to recommend continuing the initially granted privileges and monitors compliance.
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3 The Chief of Staff ensures Service Chiefs include service-specific data in Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluations and monitors compliance.
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4 The Chief of Staff ensures that the Chief, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service, includes the required pathology-specific criteria, as applicable, in pathology practitioners’ Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluations and monitors compliance.
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5 The Associate Director ensures personal protective equipment is readily accessible and monitors compliance.
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6 The Assistant Director–Waco ensures that a clean environment is maintained throughout the Facility and monitors compliance.
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7 The Associate Director and Assistant Director–Austin ensure that prescribed sleep apnea equipment is furnished timely to patients and monitor compliance.
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8 The Associate Director ensures VA Police and Security Service regularly test panic alarms and take follow-up actions for identified deficiencies at the Austin Community Based Outpatient Clinic and monitors compliance.
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9 The Associate Director ensures VA Police and Security Service regularly test panic alarms and take follow-up actions for identified deficiencies at the Waco campus locked mental health unit and monitors compliance.
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10 The Assistant Director–Waco ensures that the Emergency Operations Plan is reviewed annually by the Emergency Management Committee and approved by executive leadership and monitors compliance.
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11 The Facility Director ensures that the Controlled Substance Coordinator completes monthly summary of findings and quarterly trend reports and monitors compliance.
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12 The Facility Director ensures that Controlled Substances Inspectors are appointed in writing prior to performing inspector duties and monitors compliance.
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13 The Facility Director ensures that Controlled Substances Inspectors complete routine monthly controlled substances inspections and monitors compliance.
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14 The Facility Director ensures that Controlled Substances Inspectors verify drugs held for destruction during monthly inspections at the Waco inpatient pharmacy and monitors compliance.
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15 The Facility Director ensures Controlled Substances Inspectors complete pharmacy prescription pad inventories during monthly pharmacy inspections at the Waco outpatient pharmacy and monitors compliance.
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16 The Facility Director ensures that Controlled Substances Inspectors verify evidence of written prescriptions for non-electronic controlled substance orders during monthly area inspections at the Temple outpatient pharmacy and monitors compliance.
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17 The Chief of Staff ensures providers or designees communicate mammogram results to patients and monitors compliance.
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18 The Associate Director for Patient Care Services ensures that all registered nurses involved in managing central lines receive the required central line-associated bloodstream infection prevention education and monitors compliance.
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| 18-01152-14 | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program Review of the VA Maine Healthcare System, Augusta, Maine | Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program | ||
1 The Facility Director ensures the Patient Safety Manager or designee provides feedback about root cause analysis actions to the reporting individuals or departments and monitors compliance.
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2 The Chief of Staff ensures that the Clinical Executive Board reviews and evaluates licensed independent practitioners’ initial and re-privileging requests prior to making recommendations to the Facility Director and monitors compliance.
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3 The Chief of Staff ensures that clinical managers complete all required elements for Focused Professional Practice Evaluations for the determination of practitioners’ privileges and monitors compliance.
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4 The Chief of Staff ensures that clinical managers consistently collect and review Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation data and monitors compliance.
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5 The Associate Director ensures all staff are educated on how to access safety data sheet information and monitors compliance.
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6 The Facility Director ensures that Controlled Substance Inspectors conduct monthly controlled substance inspections and monitors compliance.
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7 The Associate Director ensures that geriatric evaluation performance improvement activities are reviewed by a Facility leadership board and monitors compliance.
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| 18-02210-19 | Patient and Radiation Safety Concerns at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, Michigan | Hotline Healthcare Inspection | ||
1 The John D. Dingell VA Medical Center Director ensures that radiologic equipment receives the required inspection and testing by a qualified medical physicist, and monitors compliance.
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2 The John D. Dingell VA Medical Center Director ensures providers and radiology technicians complete fluoroscopy training as required, and monitors for compliance.
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3 The John D. Dingell VA Medical Center Director ensures clinical privileges are granted in accordance with policy, and monitors for compliance.
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4 The John D. Dingell VA Medical Center Director ensures that the radiology department conform to radiation safety standards as outlined through the National Health Physics Program and fully address any recommendations and violations, and monitors to completion.
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5 The John D. Dingell VA Medical Center Director ensures that the Radiation Safety Committee minutes reflect actions taken to address National Health Physics Program recommendations and violations, and monitors compliance.
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6 The John D. Dingell VA Medical Center Director ensures that the Radiation Safety Officer and Radiation Safety Committee initiate and utilize the Veterans Health Administration required tracking matrix to track unresolved action items to completion, and monitors compliance.
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| 18-00031-05 | Accuracy of Claims Involving Service-Connected Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis | Audit | ||
1 The Under Secretary for Benefits implements a plan to improve the decisions and additional reviews of claims involving service-connected Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and monitors these claims to ensure staff demonstrate proficiency.
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2 The Under Secretary for Benefits implements a plan to ensure veterans with service-connected Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis receive notice regarding additional special monthly compensation benefits that may be available.
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15039