Veterans Administration Undertakes Major Credentials Review

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the Department of Veterans Affairs has limited the surgical privileges of three doctors at the troubled Marion VA Medical Center in southern Illinois, and it is reviewing the credentials of 17,000 other health-care providers for veterans across the country.

Testifying before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, VA officials called their response to the Marion deaths "swift" and their credentialing process for doctors "the envy of the health-care industry." But the top official present, Dr. Gerald Cross, also expressed "some concerns" about the agency's ability to keep tabs on doctors once they've been granted privileges to treat VA patients.

The hearings followed questions about the VA's physician credentialing procedures first raised in a Tribune story in September about deaths at the Marion VA hospital. The story revealed that Dr. Jose Veizaga-Mendez, a surgeon with a troubling professional history, was operating on veterans at the hospital for more than a year after surrendering his license in Massachusetts during a disciplinary proceeding.

Read the Full Text: Marion woes spur VA to widen probe

Collecting, analyzing and tracking the credentials of thousands of health care providers stationed all over the country is no small task. The VA uses an internally developed software program called VetPro to track the professional credentials of its healthcare providers.  Although I have not personally seen the program, I've heard good things about it. 

I have no information other than the public reports about what may have happened at Marion VA Medical Center, and Dr. Jose Veizaga-Mendez, but it's good to see that the VA is taking the matter seriously. 

Credentials verification is an onerous, sometimes tedious job.  It requires exceptional attention to detail as well as the ability to understand the needs of the organization and interact well with its leaders.  Every healthcare organization must take a solid look at its credentialing and privileging process periodically, including development of education for top leaders to make sure they understand the importance of their role.  The process is literally the foundation for patient safety in the organization.

   

Comments

[Gene]

I am very pleased to see the Veterans Administration is revisiting their policy on qualifications to be a member of the treatment team at V.A. facilities. In my time referring veterans to the system I have observed some practitioners who were not competent to work and who would have been unable to practice for any other health care system. I hope there is a coherent plan which is quickly implemented to require proof of competence in the future.

Gene