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VA Health Care: Steps Taken to Improve Practitioner Screening, but Facility Compliance with Screening Requirements Is Poor

GAO-06-544 Published: May 25, 2006. Publicly Released: Jun 15, 2006.
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Highlights

In March 2004, GAO reported on gaps in VA's requirements for screening the professional credentials and personal backgrounds of health care practitioners (GAO-04-566). GAO found that VA's requirements did not ensure thorough screening of VA practitioners. VA concurred with four recommendations GAO made to improve practitioner screening. GAO was asked to determine the extent to which (1) VA has taken steps to improve practitioner screening by implementing GAO's recommendations and (2) VA facilities are in compliance with VA's practitioner screening requirements. GAO reviewed VA's current practitioner screening policies to determine if gaps remain, interviewed VA officials, and sampled about 60 practitioner files at each of seven VA facilities selected based on size and geographic location.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Veterans Affairs To better ensure the safety of veterans receiving health care at VA medical facilities, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should expand the Office of Human Resource Management oversight program to include a review of VA facilities' compliance with screening requirements for all types of salaried and nonsalaried health care practitioners.
Closed – Implemented
VA has partially implemented our recommendation--its Office of the Medical Inspector has developed a compliance assessment tool which it planned to pilot test at the Baltimore VA medical center in July 2007, then refine the tool and use it at eight other medical centers. VA's Office of Human Resources Management plans to continue to review facility compliance with VA's personnel screening requirements as part of its on-site HR inspections. However, until VA has completed its pilot and refinement of the assessment tool, we are unable to determine whether this will completely satisfy our recommendation. We have not been given updated information from VA on this recommendation. Update from July 2009: The Office of the Medical Inspector (OMI) reviewed compliance with credentialing requirements in fiscal year 2007 and analyzed the data to publish a White Paper in fiscal year 2009, recommending that a plan of action be developed to ensure compliance with all credentialing requirements. VA's office of Human Resources Management, Oversight and Effectiveness Service (OES) have made compliance with screening requirements a standard part of their review of facilities' human resources programs, and assessed 14 facilities in fiscal year 2006, 16 in fiscal year 2007, and 16 in fiscal year 2008. Additionally, VHA's System-wide Ongoing Assessment Review Strategy (SOARS) program includes background checks, personnel suitability, and credentialing in their site visit assessment process. OES will be giving the responsibility of the suitability program to the Office of Security and Law Enforcement.
Department of Veterans Affairs To better ensure the safety of veterans receiving health care at VA medical facilities, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should standardize a method for documenting facility officials' review of fingerprint-only background investigation results and decisions regarding suitability to work in VA medical facilities.
Closed – Implemented
VA implemented this recommendation when it issued VA directive and handbook 0710 on May 18, 2007, standardizing operating procedures for its personnel screening process. The requirement includes use of VA's Screening Checklist to document that required screening activities have been completed and to initiate and adjudicate background investigations in a timely manner. VA medical facility officials also are required to establish local policies and procedures to ensure that personnel screenings are properly accomplished and to conduct quarterly file reviews to determine screening compliance.

Full Report

Office of Public Affairs

Topics

Background investigationsFingerprintsHealth care personnelHiring policiesInternal controlsNoncompliancePhysiciansProfessional licensesPersonnel qualificationsMedical facilities