Healthcare Inspection Alleged Residency Training Issues in Nuclear Medicine Service Northport VA Medical Center Northport, New York

The VA Office of Inspector General, Office of Healthcare Inspections conducted an inspection to determine the validity of five allegations regarding Nuclear Medicine Service at the Northport VA Medical Center (the medical center), Northport, NY. As a result of our inspection, the Medical Center Director discontinued the nuclear medicine residency training program in June 2010 and removed the two unlicensed trainee physicians. In addition, the Veteran’s Health Administration (VHA) Office of Academic Affiliations discontinued funding nuclear medicine resident positions at the medical center. We recommended that (1) VA leadership conduct an administrative review of the information flow, decision making, and approval process that allowed for the unaccredited nuclear medicine residency training program to continue operating and to take appropriate administrative action against responsible officials; (2) VHA establish a process to validate residency program data submitted by VA facilities and to verify the accreditation status of programs prior to funding allocations; and, (3) VA leadership communicate the relevant facts of this issue to the appropriate New York State Medical Licensing authority.