VA Health Care Still Sucks (Huntsville, Alabama, Edition)

The main investigation into the
house of horrors that is the Veterans Health Administration
continues to focus on scheduling shenanigans and the denial of care
to ailing veterans thereby. But those who actually get on a waiting
list and then make it to the front have plenty of reason for
complaint, too. A Veterans Administration Inspector General’s
report
released last week found that an outpatient facility in
Huntsville, Alabama, is the latest disappointment the VA has to
offer—with “disappointment” meant as a euphemism for shoddy care
delivered with an abusive attitude.

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) Office of Healthcare
Inspections conducted an inspection to assess the merit of
allegations concerning the quality of care provided by a primary
care provider (PCP) and staff safety at the community based
outpatient clinic (CBOC) located in Huntsville, AL. The CBOC is
associated with the Birmingham VA Medical Center (facility).

We substantiated the PCP did not consistently document opioid
medication management, did not consistently document and respond to
patients’ abnormal test results, and on one occasion, entered a
derogatory comment in the electronic health record (EHR).

That’s only the beginning. While the report could not
substantiate all of the complaints made about the provider
and the facility, it did find the provider performing procedures
“which he/she was not privileged to perform,” mismanagement of
non-VA medical records, and a lack of policies for pain management
and mental health emergencies.

Granted, every organization has its failures, but the the
Department of Veterans Affairs has a
history of sub-standard care. Its failures have been
documented by journalists
as well as its own
Inspector General.

Veterans may be languishing on the VA’s waiting list, but making
it to the front of the line is no treat.