The Veterans Affairs Department found several issues at two medical facilities after an evaluation by the department’s Office of Inspector General.
At the Hampton VA Medical Center in Virginia, four out of the ten patients on the “high risk for suicide list” did not receive weekly mental health evaluations, investigators said. 11 other patients not at high risk for suicide also did not receive timely medical follow-ups, the inspector general said.
And at the Northport VA Medical Center in New York, investigators found that the facility expert panel in charge of nurse staffing levels didn’t include staff from several areas of the hospital, as required, and that nine of the 11 members hadn’t completed the required training to serve on the panel.
Officials at both hospitals said they are working to correct the problems.