Report Analyzes Tracking of Medical License Expiration in VHA Facilities

A November 29, 2010 report from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General reports that the processes used to monitor medical license expiration dates among Veterans Health Administration (VHA) were "inconsistent and fragmented." The report attributes this to the fact that the facilities were not provided with specific guidance on how to monitor license expiration dates and communicate with professionals whose licenses were approaching expiration.

The report recommends that the VHA provide facilities with detailed guidance outlining the actions that should be taken to monitor license expiration dates. It also recommends that facilities re-evaluate their practices based on this guidance when it is provided and that they alter their practices to conform with the VHA guidance.

The full report can be found here:
http://www4.va.gov/oig/54/reports/VAOIG-09-01275-35.pdf


Source: va.gov

VA Hospitals Implementing Airline Safety Tips

A study of over 108 Veterans Health Administration Hospitals showed an increased drop in patient deaths in facilities that implemented error prevention strategies created by airlines and NASA. Of the 108 facilities, the 74 that implemented the strategies had an 18 percent drop in deaths, compared to a 7 percent drop in facilities that did not implement them.

The Medical Team Training program was targeted at surgical teams, encouraging communication among members of the team, challenging each other to abide by safety practices, and encouraging the use of checklists in preoperative and postoperative briefings. Miscommunication among team members was identified by the aviation industry as a large factor contributing to errors.

The full study can be found in the October 20 Journal of the American Medical Association.


Source: Bloomberg Businessweek
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/644661.html

VA Limiting Surgeries to Improve Care and Quality

Officials at the Department of Veterans' Affairs have announced that surgeries at some VA facilities will be limited based on the agency's "surgery complexity initiative." The initiative grades VA hospitals based on their medical staffing, equipment, and diagnostic capabilities. The complexity of surgical procedures are compared against the grade received by a facility to determine if the facility is capable of performing certain procedures.

66 facilities have been approved to perform complex procedures (cardiac, brain pancreas surgeries, etc.). 33 have been approved for intermediate procedures (joint replacement, colon ressections, etc.). 13 facilities are limited to standard procedures (hernia repair, ear, nose, and throat surgeries, etc.).

The VA said that they will assist with transportation to facilities if a patient needs to go to a distant hospital for a procedure due to the limitations. The VA said that this system is part of its response to improve quality after problems were discovered at the VA hospital in Marion, IL.


Source: Army Times
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/05/military_VA_surgeries_050610w/