Inefficient scheduling systems, poor filing protocol and mismanaged clerical staffing have led to long wait times for imaging services at the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix.
The hospital, which was the scrutiny of a national scandal over long wait times at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities, was the subject of an internal VA probe investigating the reasons for the wait times. A report issued Feb. 26 found the employees use a Microsoft Outlook calendar program for scheduling, which does not meet VA security requirements.
The investigation also found that some radiology clerks were locked out of the scheduling system, causing radiology appointments to disappear from patient appointment lists. Administrators mismanaged the clerical staff, leading to interruptions in coverage, and employees stored imaging files incorrectly, making them more difficult to open. None of the findings were linked directly to deaths or negative health affects in the report.
Investigators found that the department was understaffed, leading to long waits for patients as they called in and nobody answered the phones. Approximately 30 percent of calls went unanswered or messages were ignored, according to the report.
The imaging film and files have been moved to the radiology file rooms, but all other solutions were forthcoming, and the VA plans to follow up with the corrective actions, according to the report.