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VA Inspector General Discovers Major Problems with Patient Care at the VA Medical Center in Marion, Illinois

A recent inspection conducted by the VA Office of Inspector General revealed major deficiencies in surgical care provided at the VA Medical Center in Marion, Illinois. Among other things, a team of inspectors from the Veterans Health Administrations (VHA’s) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) discovered a mortality rate that was over four times the expected rate for the patient population receiving surgical care at the VAMC at Marion, Illinois. Significant deficiencies were noted in the quality of the medical center leadership, the peer review and physician privileging process as well as other Quality Management (QM) processes. The two-day audit by the Office of Inspector General determined that the surgical specialty care provided at the Marion VAMC “was in disarray.”

The complete report of the inspecting team’s findings can be found at VA Office of the Inspector General.