Combined Assessment Program Review of the New Mexico VA Health Care System, Albuquerque, New Mexico

The purpose of the review was to evaluate selected operations, focusing on patient care administration and quality management (QM). During the review, OIG provided crime awareness briefings to 361 employees. This review focused on 10 operational activities. The facility complied with selected standards in the following three activities: (1) environment of care, (2) medication management, and (3) polytrauma. The facility’s reported accomplishment was the initiation of weekly wound rounds in the spinal cord injury unit, resulting in cost saving measures. OIG made recommendations for improvement in the following seven activities: (1) moderate sedation, (2) point-of-care testing, (3) colorectal cancer screening, (4) mental health treatment continuity, (5) coordination of care, (6) nurse staffing and (7) QM.