Posted on 11/30/2015 10:45:16 AM PST by huldah1776
The Department of Veterans Affairs network of health systems faces "crises in leadership and culture" in addition to other systematic problems, according to an independent assessment released Friday.
The flaws rampant in VA hospitals demand a "system-wide reworking" of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
The independent review was mandated by the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act signed into law by President Obama in 2014 following revelations about secret waitlists at VA hospitals that led to dozens of veteran deaths.
The report sheds light on the "systemic, critical problems" currently facing the VA's integrated health care system.
"The assessments...provided evidence that the organization is plagued by many problems: growing bureaucracy, leadership and staffing challenges, and an unsustainable trajectory of capital costs," the review reads.
The study was conducted by Grant Thornton LLP, McKinsey & Company, the RAND Corporation, and MITRE. The researchers probed hospital care, medical services, and other types of care at VA facilities. The study included interviews with VA employees, visits to 87 separate VA facilities, and analysis of data from the VHA, among other sources of information.
The report focuses on the leadership challenges at VA facilities bred in an environment in which employees lack trust and feel reluctant to speak up about problems.
"VHA leaders operate within a challenging and disempowering environment that discourages emerging leaders from seeking promotion within the organization," the report explains. "A misalignment of accountability and authority exists within a broader VHA culture characterized by risk aversion and lack of trust."
Visits to VA facilities revealed that employees consistently hold back on reporting potential problems.
"At almost every facility visited, at least one leader interviewed mentioned that risk aversion and a reluctance to 'speak up' were a significant issue," the researchers write.
Leadership at VA hospitals is also characterized by unclear roles and responsibilities among staff.
"A general lack of clarity around roles and responsibilities contributes to poor coordination across entities and levels, resulting in duplication, communication breakdowns, and functional responses too slow to meet mission needs," the assessment says.
The report also cites major problems with VA resources, operational and support functions, and business data and tools.
While the document offers specific methods to reform the VHA, the researchers say the administration is "not well positioned to succeed in the transformation."
The House in July passed the VA Accountability Act of 2015, which would give VA Secretary Robert McDonald the power to remove or demote a VA employee because of performance or misconduct. However, Rep. Jeff Miller (R., Fla.), who introduced the legislation, has said McDonald refuses to support the bill. President Obama has also threatened to veto it, calling the legislation "counterproductive."
CEO of Concerned Veterans for America Pete Hegseth described the assessment released Friday as "bullet-proof, professional and independent evidence that we need real reform at the VA."
A letter written by a panel of health experts involved in the research sent to VA Secretary McDonald stressing the need for solutions to the VA "crises" is also included in the independent assessment.
"The Congress and the VA must solve the VHA crises in leadership and culture, establish and empower the governance structure, and provide the VHA with core tools essential for any modern continuously-improving, value- based, health care system," the letter reads.
The VA-commissioned assessment comes on the heels of two critical VA inspector general reports, one pointing to massive money waste by the VA in developing its electronic claims system and the second exposing significant mismanagement at the Veteran Health Administration's Health Eligibility Center.
The assessment shows a systemic failure. So now it is official.
VA Pays 200 Million for Nearly 1000 Veteran's Wrongful Deaths
Oh, forgot to mention that too many veteran’s lives are at stake for us to wait until we have a President that is capable of saying, “You’re FIRED!”
Well, Duh. It’s the govt. Only the buttlickers and sycophants are promoted into management. The few competent people are left at lower positions because they are the only ones who get anything done. You end up with a few overworked people, surrounded by layabouts and “managed” by the most criminally inclined of the bunch.
The VA? Can anyone cite any part of the government that’s NOT suffering from a leadership crisis?
“The VA? Can anyone cite any part of the government that’s NOT suffering from a leadership crisis?”
NO! And what needs to happen is that thousands of “government employes” need to be prosecuted and sent to jail. But I’d bet we don’t have enough vacant prison space to house all of them.
I’ve had nothing but good results from the VA.
LOL, good point.
From what I’ve observed indirectly, 40+ years is of Cluster Fracking has evidently produced quite a quite a bit of “midst”.
I am truly glad you are doing well and the VA gave you good results. There will always be mistakes but there are too many.
thank you. I appreciate your kindness.
“I’ve had nothing but good results from the VA.”
I guess it depends on the facility, because there is surely a lot of evidence that overall, the VA has NOT given vets good healthcare. FWIW, my father was a WWII vet, and he received excellent care at the Palo Alto, CA Veterans Hospital. At the time, almost 40 years ago, they were allied with Stanford Medical Center and drew on that facility’s medical staff for cancer treatment. Unfortunately, my dad still died within two years of diagnosis, but the VA doctors at the time did all that they could.
sorry for your loss.
Yes and I’ve said it a million times. Mid management is the biggest problem in the VA. The Congress can pass all the reforms in the world and the top brass can send out directives all day long but if the middle management ignores it nothing changes. Middle management bureaucrats run every agency of this country and write most of the rules and regulations. The best thing for the VA is to clean out the middle management and get new people.
The VA is a corrupt scheme to funnel dollars appropriated for veterans’ medical care into the pockets of people whose principal professional activity is unrelated to caring for veterans.
It’s a 40-year long bipartisan scandal, and it’s time to end it.
The best thing for the VA would be to be totally shut down. Its just another money wasting offense to taxpayers especially veterans. There are other ways we can help the vets get the medical care they were promised.
I’m glad you did because its the truth. My BIL is very high up in the Civil Service. (total conservative) and he told me a long time ago that its a myth that Congress makes the laws. Middle management bureaucrats make most of the laws that we all have to live with in this country. He’s right.
By the way...was anything changed or anyone fired for murdering Veterans through neglect? I believe they are continuing to do this. Ghouls.
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