Mismanagement at the VA: where's the problem?

• Main Author: Robbins RA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Arizona Thoracic Society 2011-11-01
• Series: Southwest Journal of Pulmonary and Critical Care
• Subjects: Office of Inspector General; Veterans Administration; clinical decisions; mismanagement; ventilator weaning
• Online Access: http://www.swjpcc.com/editorial/2011/11/25/mismanagement-at-the-va-wheres-the-problem.html?SSScrollPosition=193

No abstract available. Article truncated at 150 words. At the time I retired from my last Veterans Administration (VA) position there was an ongoing investigation into alleged mismanagement of non-VA fee care funds at this hospital. The VA Office of Inspector General (VAOIG) report of this investigation was released on November 8, 2011 (1). The VAOIG report is reflective of a wide-ranging problem of administrators making what are fundamentally clinical decisions and not allowing clinicians to determine the best allocation of resources - issues that are not unique to the VA. The VAOIG’s report substantiated that the hospital experienced a budget shortfall of $11.4 million in 2010, 20 percent of the 2010 Non-VA Fee Care Program funds. According to the VAOIG report highlights, “The shortfall occurred because the hospital lacked effective pre-authorization procedures for Long Term Acute Hospital fee care. Additionally, staff did not monitor inpatient fee care patients to determine if the patients could receive services in …