Physician Shortage of over 50% at Alabama VA Hospital Delayed Veterans’ Access to Specialized Care
March 24, 2021
OSC) today alerted the President and Congress that a significant shortage of physicians at a VA hospital in Montgomery, Alabama impeded veterans’ access to specialized medical care.
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) today alerted the President and Congress that a significant shortage of physicians at the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System (CAVHCS) in Montgomery, Alabama, impeded veterans' access to specialized medical care. A whistleblower disclosed to OSC that this physician shortage resulted in a disproportionate number of patients being referred to non-VA providers. The agency substantiated the whistleblower's claims, finding that CAVHCS had a physician vacancy rate over 50 percent and the facility's Community Care Office became so overwhelmed that patients often waited months for specialty care referrals. The investigation found that due to staffing shortages, CAVHCS was unable to provide specialty services in Dermatology, Gastroenterology, Nephrology, Neurology, Oncology, Ophthalmology, and Rheumatology.
The whistleblower, a former nephrologist at the facility, provided revealing comments about the human cost of CAVHCS' deficiencies, recounting a situation where a patient with progressive kidney failure was unable to receive appropriate care at the facility as his condition worsened. The whistleblower stated that because the Community Care Office was unable to facilitate treatment by a private nephrologist, the patient ultimately had to seek care at an emergency room and required dialysis.
The VA made a significant number of recommendations to both the facility and the Veterans Integrated Service Network that supervises CAVHCS. These recommendations focus on sustaining the progress that the Community Care Office has made in scheduling timely appointments and hiring additional physicians. The report noted that by the start of FY2020, the Community Care Office had implemented a variety of improvements and was scheduling all appointments expeditiously. The VA is also working to implement a recruitment strategy to bring on executive leadership for the facility and to fill priority vacancies.
“I commend the whistleblower for bringing these allegations forward to ensure CAVHCS patients are receiving timely and appropriate medical care," said Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner. “While physician staffing presents an ongoing challenge, I am encouraged by the positive steps the VA and CAVHCS have taken to remediate these problems."