Alleged Irregularities at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, Manhattan, New York
Highlights
GAO was requested to review the Veterans Administration's (VA) investigation of alleged irregularities involving the surgical service at the Manhattan VA Medical Center. The review focused on the adequacy of the investigations conducted by the VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and whether the Manhattan VA Medical Center has corrected the problems identified by OIG. The allegations included charges that: (1) surgical, therapeutic, or diagnostic procedures were being performed without informed patient consent; and (2) surgical procedures were being performed on weekends by medical school residents without an attending physician present, which resulted in amputations, loss of life, and lack of documentation of the events.