Report: Familiar, ‘enduring’ problems plague VA health system

[nitpicker]

http://www.stripes.com/news/report-familiar-enduring-problems-plague-va-health-system-1.311293

Report: Familiar, ‘enduring’ problems plague VA health system
By Heath Druzin
Stars and Stripes
Published: October 30, 2014

WASHINGTON — Overworked staff, inefficient hiring practices and inadequate technology continue to play havoc with patient scheduling at VA health centers, according to a new report — findings very similar to those in a 2008 study that the VA never acted on.

The reporting, done by the Northern Virginia Technology Council between Sept. 15 and Oct. 29, outlines persistent problems in both the work culture and scheduling practices of the VA less than two weeks before VA Secretary Bob McDonald’s self-imposed Veterans Day deadline to implement major reforms to the scandal-plagued agency.

Compounding the many problems already brought to light by whistleblowers, the report says overwork is causing excessive turnover, a problem compounded by a slow hiring process, which leads to inexperienced employees having trouble with the scheduling system.

Perhaps the most damning aspect of the report is reference to a 2008 study by Booz Allen Hamilton that found many of the same problems, and was apparently ignored.
(snip)

The report was required as part of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014, passed to overhaul the VA. It was based on visits to two Virginia VA health care centers, but Kilberg said she believes the findings and recommendations can be applied nationally.
(snip)

Among the report’s 11 recommendations:
◾ The VA should redesign the human resources and recruitment process. Specifically, hiring is done too slowly due to an inefficient process and staffing problems.
◾ VA should prioritize recruitment, retention and training for clerical and support staff. The VA hires reactively instead of pro-actively and many employees quit because they are overworked, causing high turnover.
◾ The VA needs to pay people more to better compete with the private sector for employees.
◾ The VA needs to replace antiquated scheduling technology and make better use of available technology.
(snip)

[merrily]

1. Old saying: Where there's a will, there's a way.

I very much doubt a consulting firm was needed to come up with things like the VA needs more people, better people and modern technology.

Thanks, nitpicker.