VA’s cancellation of 250K imaging exams threatens lives of U.S. veterans
The U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs inspector general is auditing mass cancellations at eight VA medical centers across the country to determine if the VA processed and managed radiology requests in a timely and appropriate manner since 2016, USA Today reported on Oct. 1.
The hospitals are in Tampa and Bay Pines, Florida; Salisbury, North Carolina; Cleveland; Dallas; Denver; Las Vegas; Los Angeles and Iowa City.
In 2016, hospitals were told to contacting patients' multiple times before cancellations and in 2017, were required review by a radiologist or the ordering provider before canceling. The VA told USA Today many of the orders were outdated or duplicative.
“The agency [VA] said it welcomes the oversight and is working with the inspector general to improve cancellation guidelines further. VA officials said its efforts to close the loop on test orders with physicians and veterans surpasses private sector practices,” according to the article.
However, Laurence Meyer, MD, the chief physician overseeing specialty care for the national VA, noted he was informed that “a few places haven’t been following the directive as intended.”
Read USA Today’s entire article below.
A recent graduate from Dominican University (IL) with a bachelor’s in journalism, Melissa joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering all aspects of health imaging. She’s a fan of singing and playing guitar, elephants, a good cup of tea, and her golden retriever Cooper.