Report Summary

Title: Healthcare Inspection – Laboratory Processing Delays and Environmental Safety Concerns, VA North Texas Health Care System, Dallas, Texas
Report Link: http://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-13-00636-104.pdf
Report Number: 13-00636-104
Issue Date: 2/5/2013
City/State: Dallas, TX
VA Office: Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
Report Author: Office of Healthcare Inspections
Report Type: Healthcare Inspections
Release Type: Unrestricted
Summary: The VA Office of Inspector General Office of Healthcare Inspections conducted an inspection to determine the validity of allegations regarding laboratory processing delays and environmental safety concerns at the VA North Texas Health Care System, Dallas, TX. A complainant alleged that:
Specimen containers have unreadable labels that cannot be matched to the paperwork received. A patient went to a private provider for a Papanicolaou (Pap) test because of delays receiving results through the VA, and the test was positive for cancer. Service leadership took no action when the Pap test delays were reported. The ventilation system in the Histology laboratory is not adequate. Chemicals and explanted pacemakers are not appropriately stored and disposed of. Food and drinks are stored in refrigerators meant for laboratory items. We did not substantiate any of the allegations. We found proper procedures in place for specimen labeling, processing, and documentation of records.
We made no recommendations.