Healthcare Inspection - Effectiveness of Actions to Correct Dental Instrument Reprocessing Deficiencies, St. Louis VA Medical Center, St. Louis, Missouri

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) Office of Healthcare Inspections conducted a review to follow-up on our report, Follow-Up Evaluation of Dental Instrument Reprocessing Deficiencies, St. Louis VA Medical Center, St. Louis, Missouri (Report No. 10-03346-152, April 5, 2012). The purpose was to determine whether the adverse conditions identified have been resolved and whether OIG’s recommendations were implemented. In the past several months, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) and facility managers have taken multiple corrective actions and many of the conditions identified in the April 2012 OIG report have been resolved. Supply Processing Service (SPS) leadership positions have been filled, SPS has moved into its fully-renovated state-of-the-art space, and communication and oversight processes are improving. The facility has made vast improvements in its RME-related policies and practices over the past 6 months and the central issue of patient safety during dental procedures has been addressed. While we identified some additional improvement opportunities, facility and VISN managers have verbalized their commitment to ongoing compliance with VHA requirements. Therefore, we consider the recommendations from the April 2012 report closed.