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Vet Center Inspection of Pacific District 5 Zone 1 and Selected Vet Centers

Report Information

Issue Date
Report Number
21-01805-286
VISN
State
District
Pacific
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
23
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 Pacific district 5 zone 1 and four selected vet centers—Bellingham and Tacoma in Washington, Central Oregon in Bend, and Wasilla in Alaska. 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. Overall, district leaders had a good understanding about quality improvement principles and implemented district-wide quality improvement programs in response to VA All Employee Survey results. District 5 zone 1 Vet Center Service Customer Feedback survey results were favorable in five of six areas. 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 one recommendation for critical incident quality reviews. The COVID-19 response review showed district leaders were as prepared as possible and able to enact emergency plan procedures to ensure vet centers remained operational. Employees’ response to an OIG questionnaire reflected that communication from district leaders and vet center directors was adequate to ensure the safety of clients and staff. 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 11 recommendations addressing eight zone-wide and three selected vet centers’ suicide prevention and intervention processes. The consultation, supervision, and training review evaluated the four selected vet centers, identified concerns with clinical liaison, external clinical consultation, supervision, monthly audits, and training, and issued five recommendations. The environment of care review evaluated the four selected vet centers and made three recommendations. The OIG issued 23 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 clinical quality review remediation plans were not completed, ensures completion, and monitors compliance.
No. 2
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director determines reasons administrative quality review remediation plans were not completed, ensures completion, and monitors compliance.
No. 3
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director evaluates the process for resolution of administrative quality review deficiencies and initiates action as necessary.
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 ensures the intake portion of the psychosocial assessment is completed and monitors compliance across all zone vet centers.
No. 6
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director ensures lethality risk assessments are completed on the first clinical visit and monitors compliance across all zone vet centers.
No. 7
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. 8
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. 9
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director verifies clinical staff follow confidentiality requirements when consulting and coordinating care with the support VA medical facility for shared clients at 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 confirms clinical staff make timely notification to the suicide prevention coordinator at the support Veterans Affairs medical facility for clients with significant safety risks 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 the mental health council for the Central Oregon Vet Center 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 for noncompliance with High Risk Suicide Flag SharePoint site requirements and the tracking of continuity of care for clients with a high risk suicide flag at the Bellingham Vet Center, takes action to ensure requirements are met, and monitors compliance.
No. 15
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director determines reasons the Bellingham Vet Center did not have a written crisis plan, ensures requirements related to crisis plans are met and monitors compliance.
No. 16
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director determines reasons for noncompliance with the appointment of a clinical liaison at the Tacoma Vet Center, ensures assignment of a liaison, and monitors compliance.
No. 17
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 Bellingham, Central Oregon, Tacoma, and Wasilla Vet Centers, ensures Vet Center Directors implement processes, and monitors compliance.
No. 18
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director determines reasons for noncompliance with staff supervision provided by vet center directors at the Bellingham, Central Oregon, Tacoma, and Wasilla Vet Centers, ensures staff supervision occurs as required, and monitors compliance.
No. 19
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 Bellingham, Central Oregon, Tacoma, and Wasilla Vet Centers, ensures chart audits are completed as required, and monitors compliance.
No. 20
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director determines reasons employees at the Bellingham, Central Oregon, Tacoma, and Wasilla Vet Centers did not complete required trainings, ensures all staff complete mandatory trainings, and monitors compliance.
No. 21
Closed and Implemented Recommendation Image, Checkmark
to Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
The District Director evaluates and determines reasons for noncompliance with a presentable exterior at the Wasilla Vet Center and ensures all exterior grounds are in good repair.
No. 22
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 Bellingham, Central Oregon, Tacoma, and Wasilla Vet Centers and ensures all exit doors are compliant with Architectural Barriers Act requirements.
No. 23
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 Bellingham and Tacoma Vet Centers and ensures all vet center employees safely and securely store protected health information.