Healthcare Inspection Tracking of Medical License Expiration Dates

This review evaluated the systems and processes designed to ensure that physicians’ medical licenses were current and in good standing in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) medical facilities. We determined that the processes used to capture and monitor medical license expiration dates were inconsistent and fragmented across VHA medical facilities. VHA guidance lacked defined and specific requirements for monitoring license expiration dates and for communicating and following up to ensure timely renewal of licenses. We made two recommendations for improvement. The Under Secretary for Health agreed with the findings and conclusions and provided acceptable improvement plans.