Disir
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- Sep 30, 2011
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Employees at the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System kept an unauthorized, off-the-books waiting list for some Omaha mental health appointments, according to documents obtained by The World-Herald.
The secret list dodged requirements the Department of Veterans Affairs issued in July 2016 setting strict rules for establishing and maintaining waiting lists, according to a memo from the system’s compliance officer to Director Don Burman dated Aug. 11. The compliance officer’s audit included two whistleblower complaints made about lists for appointments at the VA’s mental health psychotherapy clinic in Omaha.
The VA declined to answer questions about the audit but issued a statement acknowledging the investigation and stating that no veterans were harmed.
“Although no adverse patient outcomes occurred, some veterans waited longer for psychotherapy treatment,” the statement said.
Local VA officials would not say how many local veterans were impacted, or why or by whom the lists were kept. Nor would they say how many employees were involved or what disciplinary action was taken against them.
“Employees involved with this situation were held accountable; however, none was terminated from employment,” the statement said. It said the situations brought to its attention had been fixed.
Nebraska-Western Iowa VA kept secret waiting list for some mental health appointments
I think why and by whom are really important to know.
The secret list dodged requirements the Department of Veterans Affairs issued in July 2016 setting strict rules for establishing and maintaining waiting lists, according to a memo from the system’s compliance officer to Director Don Burman dated Aug. 11. The compliance officer’s audit included two whistleblower complaints made about lists for appointments at the VA’s mental health psychotherapy clinic in Omaha.
The VA declined to answer questions about the audit but issued a statement acknowledging the investigation and stating that no veterans were harmed.
“Although no adverse patient outcomes occurred, some veterans waited longer for psychotherapy treatment,” the statement said.
Local VA officials would not say how many local veterans were impacted, or why or by whom the lists were kept. Nor would they say how many employees were involved or what disciplinary action was taken against them.
“Employees involved with this situation were held accountable; however, none was terminated from employment,” the statement said. It said the situations brought to its attention had been fixed.
Nebraska-Western Iowa VA kept secret waiting list for some mental health appointments
I think why and by whom are really important to know.
