Photo by Laura Segall/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) — The Department of Veterans Affairs announced on Tuesday that changes have been made after the agency received criticism from an internal watchdog.
On June 23, the Office of Special Counsel sent a letter to President Obama regarding the VA, recommending an immediate review and briefing of the Office of the Medical Inspector’s operation, process and structure. The OMI had allegedly been playing down the effect of treatment errors and appointment delays.
“At VA, we depend on VA employees and leaders to put the needs of Veterans first and honor VA’s core values of Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence,” said acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Sloan Gibson. “Given recent revelations by the Office of Special Counsel, it is clear that we need to restructure the Office of medical Inspector to create a strong internal audit function which will ensure issues of care quality and patient safety remain at the forefront.”
The VA said it will also appoint an interim Director of OMI from outside the current office, and all calls to OMI in the immediate future will be referred to the Office of Inspector General.
Gibson decried “intimidation or retaliation…against any employee who raises a hand to identify a problem, make a suggestion, or report what may be a violation in law, policy, or our core values.”
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