Healthcare Inspection: Evaluation of Emergency Departments and Urgent Care Clinics in Veterans Health Administration Facilities

摘要

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG), Office of Healthcare Inspections completed an evaluation of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) emergency departments (EDs) and urgent care clinics (UCCs). The purposes of this evaluation were to determine whether VHAs EDs and UCCs: (a) had the appropriate resources and clinical services to provide all aspects of emergency care, including mental health care; (b) were clean, safe, and well maintained; (c) coordinated consultations and patient transfers appropriately; (d) had sufficient nurse staffing, as required by local policy; and (e) had trained staff with documentation of current competencies and clinical privileges. We performed the review at 46 VHA medical facilities during Combined Assessment Program (CAP) reviews conducted from July 1, 2008, through June 30, 2009. The facilities we visited represented a mix of facility size, affiliation, geographic location, and Veterans Integrated Service Networks. Our review focused on compliance with selected requirements from two VHA policies related to the uniform delivery of timely and quality emergency and urgent care. We analyzed results and reported deficiencies in each facility CAP report. We had findings at 40 (87 percent) of the 46 facilities reviewed, resulting in 66 recommendations.