New report faults follow-up on problems at Veterans Health Administration
Efforts to address serious management problems at the Veterans Health Administration have been flawed, according to a government report requested by a state congressman.
Mismanagement was spotlighted two years ago amid scandals over the manipulation of patient wait times and other failures to provide timely care to veterans.
The report is the first in series of Government Accountability Office studies U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, has called for to track how the agency is following through on internal and congressional recommendations to improve.
This report found that “despite several critical internal and external reviews, VHA does not have a process that ensures that recommendations … are evaluated to determine appropriate actions and that any such actions are implemented.” Thus, the VHA cannot ensure it is making the appropriate decisions and holding officials accountable for taking action, according to the report.
Kilmer said earlier reviews cost $68 million, yet the “majority of recommendations did not see the light of day. That is not fair to veterans or the staffers who conducted these reviews — and not fair to the taxpayers who paid for them.”
Kilmer last year introduced legislation to improve management of the VHA that would include creation of a position for a “management and accountability” ombudsman.
Source: Seattle Times