By William Cole
wcole@staradvertiser.com
An inspection of Department of Veterans Affairs clinics on Oahu and some neighbor islands was conducted last week and “there were no scheduling practice issues brought to light,” said Patricia Matthews, spokeswoman for the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System.
"As far as the access review and scheduling practices, we had a positive review," Matthews said Wednesday.
VA Secretary Eric Shinseki ordered the nationwide audit of VA health care facilities by the Veterans Health Administration to ensure understanding of, and compliance with, appointment policies.
The news came as the VA Office of Inspector General released an interim report over allegations of gross mismanagement and criminal misconduct by VA senior leadership at the Phoenix Health Care System. The result there was systemic patient safety problems and possible wrongful deaths.
More members of Congress, including Arizona Sen. John McCain, called for Shinseki’s ouster after the report’s release.
The Phoenix probe found 1,700 veterans waiting for a primary care appointment who were not on the official electronic wait list.
"(These) veterans were and continue to be at risk of being forgotten or lost in Phoenix Health Care System’s convoluted scheduling process," the IG report said.
A direct consequence was that Phoenix system leadership "significantly understated" the wait times.
"Our reviews have identified multiple types of scheduling practices that are not in compliance with VHA policy," the report said. "Since the multiple lists we found were something other than the official (electronic wait list), these additional lists may be the basis for allegations of creating ‘secret’ wait lists."
Multiple lists reportedly covered up lengthy wait times for medical care.
The IG report said investigations at a "growing number" of VA medical facilities "have confirmed that inappropriate scheduling practices are systemic throughout VHA."
The VA said the "patient access" audit conducted last week in Hawaii is different from IG investigations being conducted or scheduled as surprise visits at 42 VA medical facilties by "rapid response" teams.
No such visit had been made to Hawaii as of Wednesday.
Shinseki, a retired Army general from Kauai, said in a statement that the IG findings were "reprehensible." He said he was ordering the Phoenix system to immediately triage each of the 1,700 veterans identified as not being properly scheduled so they can now get timely care.
The VA chief said he had placed the Phoenix VA leadership on administrative leave.
McCain released a statement Wednesday saying it was "totally unacceptable for our veterans to be ‘forgotten or lost’ by the VA."
McCain added: "I believe that now is the time for Secretary Shinseki — a career soldier, a Vietnam combat veteran and a man whose career of service I have long admired — to step down from his post."
VA clinics visited by the access review team in Hawaii last week included the Spark M. Matsunaga medical center on the grounds of Tripler Army Medical Center and the Leeward center on Oahu, and facilities on Maui and Kauai and in Hilo and Kona on Hawaii island, Matthews said.
The VA Pacific Islands Health Care System provides a broad range of medical care services to an estimated 129,000 veterans throughout Hawaii and the Pacific Islands.
