Healthcare Inspection Alleged Substandard Quality of Care in the Cardiothoracic Surgery Program Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center Milwaukee, Wisconsin

This review was done in response to allegations that after and due to removal of a nurse practitioner (NP) from the Cardiothoracic (CT) Surgery Service at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, cardiac surgical mortality increased and patient waiting times for a CT Surgery Service appointment increased. We did not substantiate that the increase in patient deaths was related to the removal of a NP from CT Surgery Service. We did not substantiate that there was an increase in patient wait times for CT Surgery clinic appointments after the removal of the NP. We found that the CT Surgery Service had added an additional NP, totaling two NPs for the program to share coordination of care responsibilities. We found that patients requiring CT Surgery clinic appointments received them within 1–30 days over 99 percent of the time in fiscal year 2008. We made no recommendations.