Follow-Up Audit of VHA's Part-Time Physician Time and Attendance

This follow-up audit assessed the effectiveness of implementation actions from two prior OIG audits that identified weaknesses in VHA’s management controls over part-time physicians’ time and attendance. Implementation of prior recommendations has reduced the number of days part-time physicians might not be meeting their employment obligations. We noted a decrease in the percentage of days with no evidence of VA activity: from 33 percent in 2003 to 11 percent in 2010. Also, only 3 percent of part-time physicians were not on duty as required—a drop from prior audits, which reported 11 and 8 percent respectively. We found VHA abolished written physician service agreements and other controls were not implemented, such as monitoring the type of time logged, validating attendance according to current procedures, and timely and accurately recording actual hours. We recommended VHA reinstitute written agreements for all part-time physicians, require management establish oversight on time and attendance, and clarify standard operating procedures for time and attendance monitors. VHA agreed with our findings and recommendations.