Healthcare Inspection – Psychiatry Partial Hospitalization Program and Management Concerns, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota

OIG conducted an inspection in response to allegations received by Congressman Tim Walz concerning the Psychiatry Partial Hospitalization program and management concerns at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN. We did not substantiate the allegation that patients in the Psychiatry Partial Hospitalization program who were diagnosed in the community, military, or through the compensation and pension process with mental health, substance use, or post-traumatic stress disorder diagnoses were given activities such as additional psychological testing to prove their admitting diagnoses were wrong. Since the complainant was anonymous, we were unable to clarify the allegation or identify specific patients or services that may have been the subject(s) of the complaint. We could not substantiate the allegation that psychologists were performing inappropriate psychological testing on patients in the Psychiatry Partial Hospitalization program to meet productivity numbers. We found an increase in the administration of psychological testing from quarter 2 of fiscal year (FY) 2014 to quarter 3 of FY 2014; however, full implementation of psychological testing did not begin until quarter 4 of FY 2014. We could not substantiate the allegation that supervisory staff were absent in their leadership roles and were not trained in the areas they supervised.