Combined Assessment Program Review of the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, Nebraska

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 106 employees. This review focused on 10 operational activities. The facility complied with selected standards in the following four activities: (1) medication management, (2) mental health treatment continuity, (3) point-of-care testing, and (4) polytrauma. The facility’s reported accomplishments were the medical malpractice tort claim system redesign process and the initiation of multidisciplinary bedside rounds to improve patient understanding of the plan of care. OIG made recommendations for improvement in the following six activities: (1) QM, (2) environment of care, (3) coordination of care, (4) colorectal cancer screening, (5) moderate sedation and (6) nurse staffing.