Vet Center Inspection of Continental District 4 Zone 2 and Selected Vet Centers

Report Information

Issue Date
Report Number
20-04051-287
VISN
State
District
Continental
VA Office
Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
Report Author
Office of Healthcare Inspections
Report Type
Vet Center Inspection Program
Report Topic
Suicide Prevention
Major Management Challenges
Leadership and Governance
Recommendations
20
Questioned Costs
$0
Better Use of Funds
$0
Congressionally Mandated
No

Summary

Summary

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) Vet Center Inspection Program provides a focused evaluation of aspects of the quality of care delivered at vet centers. This report focuses on Continental district 4 zone 2 and four selected vet centers: Alexandria in Louisiana and Houston Southwest, Laredo, and Mesquite in Texas. The OIG inspection focused on six review areas: leadership and organizational risks; quality reviews; COVID-19 response; suicide prevention; consultation, supervision, and training; and environment of care. Generally, district leaders were knowledgeable about quality improvement principles and implemented district-wide quality improvement programs in response to VA All Employee Survey results. District 4 zone 2 Vet Center Service Customer Feedback survey results exceeded national scores. The OIG conducted an analysis of vet center quality reviews required to ensure compliance with policy and procedures. The OIG made three recommendations for clinical and administrative quality reviews and two recommendations for critical incident quality reviews. The COVID-19 response review showed district leaders adjusted and figured out what needed to be done to ensure vet centers remained operational. Employees’ response to an OIG questionnaire indicated district leaders and vet center directors were prepared and provided communication to ensure employee and client safety. The suicide prevention review included a zone-wide evaluation of electronic client records, and a focused review of the four selected vet centers. The OIG issued eight recommendations—seven specific to electronic client records and one for selected vet centers’ suicide prevention and intervention processes. The consultation, supervision, and training review evaluated the four selected vet centers, identified concerns with external clinical consultation, supervision, and training, and issued four recommendations. The environment of care review evaluated the four selected vet centers and made three recommendations. The OIG issued a total of 20 recommendations for improvement.

Open Recommendation Image, SquareOpenClosed and Implemented Recommendation Image, CheckmarkClosed-ImplementedNot Implemented Recommendation Image, X character'Closed-Not Implemented
No. 1
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director determines reasons administrative quality reviews were not completed, ensures completion, and monitors compliance.
No. 2
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director evaluates the administrative quality review report approval process to determine if a timeliness measure is needed and takes actions as indicated.
No. 3
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director determines reasons administrative quality review remediation plans did not include documentation of deficiency resolution and the time frame of resolution, takes indicated actions to ensure completion, and monitors compliance.
No. 4
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director determines reasons why critical incident quality reviews (currently known as morbidity and mortality reviews) for serious suicide attempts were not completed, ensures completion, and monitors compliance.
No. 5
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director determines reasons for non-participation with the root cause analysis investigation for shared clients with the support Veterans Affairs medical facility and establishes processes to ensure required vet center participation.
No. 6
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director ensures the intake portion of the psychosocial assessment is completed and monitors compliance across all zone vet centers.
No. 7
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director ensures lethality risk assessments are completed and monitors compliance across all zone vet centers.
No. 8
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director, in collaboration with Readjustment Counseling Service Central Office, evaluates the limitations of current tools and tracking methods including why completion dates are not available in RCSnet and ensures compliance with standards for timely completion of intake assessments, military histories, and lethality risk assessments.
No. 9
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director ensures clinical staff consult and coordinate care with the support VA medical facility for shared clients flagged as high risk for suicide and monitors compliance across all zone vet centers.
No. 10
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director ensures clinical staff follow confidentiality requirements when consulting and coordinating care with the support VA medical facility for shared clients flagged as high risk for suicide and monitors compliance across all zone vet centers.
No. 11
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director ensures clinical staff consult with the vet center director, external clinical consultant, or VA suicide prevention coordinator following a client’s lethality status change as required and monitors compliance across all zone vet centers.
No. 12
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director ensures clinical staff complete crisis reports as required and monitors compliance across all zone vet centers.
No. 13
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director, in collaboration with the support VA medical facility clinical or administrative liaisons, determines the reasons for noncompliance with staff participation on mental health councils at Alexandria, Houston Southwest, Laredo, and Mesquite Vet Centers and takes actions as indicated to ensure compliance with Readjustment Counseling Service requirements.
No. 14
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director determines reasons a process for completing and tracking four hours of external clinical consultation per month did not occur at the Alexandria, Houston Southwest, Laredo, and Mesquite Vet Centers, ensures vet center directors implement processes, and monitors compliance.
No. 15
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director determines reasons for noncompliance with staff supervision provided by the vet center directors at the Alexandria, Houston Southwest, Laredo, and Mesquite Vet Centers, ensures staff supervision occurs as required, and monitors compliance.
No. 16
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director verifies and determines reasons for noncompliance with monthly RCSnet chart audits at the Alexandria, Houston Southwest, Laredo, and Mesquite Vet Centers, ensures chart audits are completed as required, and monitors compliance.
No. 17
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director determines reasons why completed trainings are not being recorded for employees at the Alexandria, Laredo, and Mesquite Vet Centers, ensures all staff complete mandatory trainings, and monitors compliance.
No. 18
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director evaluates and determines reasons for noncompliance with tactile (braille) signage at the Alexandria, Houston Southwest, Laredo, and Mesquite Vet Centers and ensures all exit doors are compliant with Architectural Barriers Act requirements.
No. 19
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director reviews reasons for noncompliance related to the Mesquite Vet Center’s emergency and crisis plan not containing all required components and ensures compliance.
No. 20
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director reviews reasons for noncompliance with securing confidential and sensitive information at the Houston Southwest Vet Center and ensures all vet center employees safely and securely store personally identifiable information.