VA Health Care: Inadequate Enforcement of Federal Ethics Requirements at VA Medical Centers
HRD-93-39
Published: Apr 30, 1993. Publicly Released: May 14, 1993.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed whether the part-time employment of Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) medical center managers at medical schools complies with federal ethics laws and regulations, focusing on whether: (1) part-time employment creates a conflict of interest; and (2) part-time-employed VA managers participate in VA management activities involving the medical schools.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Veterans Affairs | The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, after consultation with the Office of Government Ethics, should direct the VA ethics officer to revise VA policies governing the types of dual employment activities that medical center managers may engage in under federal ethics laws and regulations. |
VA does not agree with the recommendation and plans no action. VA stated that its policies already prohibited conflict-of-interest situations. VA stated that the problem was one of enforcement not inadequate policies.
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| Office of the Under Secretary for Health | The Under Secretary for Health should establish procedures to enforce the revised policies developed by the ethics officer, including those for reviewing and approving managers' outside employment. These procedures should require part-time managers, as well as full-time managers, to receive VA approval for outside employment before engaging in such employment. |
VA does not agree with the recommendation. VA stated that the restrictions on part-time managers regarding outside employment would be subjecting them to requirements with which no other federal part-time employees must comply and would seriously jeopardize VA's ability to recruit part-time medical staff, which would result in a corresponding loss to quality patient care.
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| Office of the Under Secretary for Health | As part of each outside employment request, the Under Secretary for Health should require that each manager include information on the: (1) extent and nature of the medical centers' contracting relationship with prospective outside employers; and (2) manager's involvement with any VA contract-related activities that may have an impact on the medical school. |
VA concurred with the recommendation and stated that VHA Directive 10-93-35, dated March 24, 1993, "Outside Professional Activities", requires all employee requests for approval to engage in outside professional activities to include information on both the employer's involvement in VA contracts with the prospective employer and the extent and nature of those contracts.
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Topics
Conflict of interestsEthical conductHealth care personnelHealth care servicesInternal controlsLabor legislationMedical schoolsPostemployment restrictionTemporary employmentVeterans hospitals