VA Medical System Concerns Should Caution Veterans
December 12, 2017
High quality medical care is something that veterans should be able to rely on. Recently, the Government Accountability Office released findings that should lead veterans to be cautious regarding their medical care. The findings indicate that the VA fails to report 90% of poor-performing doctors to national and state databases. These databases aim to create employment histories in order to prevent other hospitals from hiring doctors guilty of misconduct.
These findings were based on data from five hospitals from 2013-2017. While only nine health care workers should have been reported since 2014, the VA has around 150 hospitals nationwide. It is not unreasonable to assume, or at least raise concern, that there are potentially hundreds of health care workers that should be reported.
VA policy indicates that any medical professional who leaves their position while under review for misconduct is to be reported to the national database. However, it appears the VA has left this obligation up to local hospital directors. The GAO found, as a result, that VA officials were generally unaware of the policies requiring the reports.
Additionally, the GAO found that the VA failed to properly document the complaints that can ultimately lead to reports. The five hospitals combined for 148 complaints that should have been reviewed after concern was raised by patients. The hospitals failed to provide documentation for around half of those cases.
Since the findings, VA officials promise to review their procedure and to make all the necessary changes to mend the process. Changes are slated to be in place within a year.