Healthcare Inspection - Alleged Quality of Care Issues Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, North Chicago, Illinois

The VA Office of Inspector General Office of Healthcare Inspections conducted an inspection to determine the validity of multiple allegations regarding the quality of care in the mental health, and two medical specialty clinics at Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, Chicago, IL. The complainant alleged that a patient did not have drug screens completed prior to being prescribed narcotics and that the patient’s death was not properly reported and investigated. The OIG substantiated the allegation that urine drug screens were not performed. We found that the case was properly reported and investigated; however, the peer reviewer of the case was not certified in pain management. We did not substantiate the other allegations related to MH providers issuing narcotics outside the narcotic agreement, the contract physician self-referred, or the physician in a specialty clinic taking multiple weeks of annual leave and that manager’s were aware that multiple patients did not receive care during that time. We recommended that the Medical Center Director ensure that (1) patients with narcotic agreements are appropriately monitored for compliance with prescription medications and (2) a physician certified in pain management review this case.