Article 56.  Reform of the OIG provides Solution to Fixing the VA

Bureaucracies with systemic problems such as the VA DO NOT REFORM THEMSELVES.  The VA has been in need of reform for years but the VA has not been able to rein-in its problems. This has occurred  primarily because the VA does not have the expertise or a method for fixing them on a mass scale.  My proposal as an independent consultant demonstrates the necessary reforms to the VA that the current management is incapable of doing.

From the Office of the Inspector General OIG May 28, 2014

Veterans Health Administration  - Interim Report -

Review of Patient Wait Times, Scheduling Practices,

and Alleged Patient Deaths at the Phoenix Health Care System

http://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-14-02603-178.pdf

This report demonstrates that the OIG does have the capability to investigate thoroughly wrong doing at the Phoenix VA Medical Facilities and is expanding its investigation to other VA Medical facilities.  Other reports have been made in the past but no action to correct the finding were taken.  The interim report has released the following findings:  
"Allegations at the Phoenix HCS include gross
mismanagement of VA resources and criminal 
misconduct by VA senior hospital leadership, 
creating systemic patient safety issues and 
possible  wrongful deaths."

"The issues identified in current allegations are not new. Since 2005, the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) has issued 18 reports that identified, at both the national and local levels, deficiencies in scheduling resulting in lengthy

waiting times and the negative impact on patient care. As required by the Inspector General Act of 1978, each of the reports listed was issued to the VA Secretary and the Congress and is publicly available on the VA OIG website. These reports are identified in Appendix D. (of this report)."

"While conducting our work at the Phoenix HCS 
our on-site OIG staff and OIG Hotline received 
numerous allegations daily of mismanagement,
inappropriate hiring decisions, sexual harassment,
and bullying behavior by mid- and senior-level 
managers at this facility. We are assessing the 
validity of these complaints and if true, the impact
to the facility’s senior leadership’s ability to make 
effective improvements to patients’ access to care."

Comment by Lawrence Rosier:
The VA OIG clearly has the capacity to investigate and get to the bottom of the problems at VA Medical facilities. This brings up the problem that all OIGs have; they are not independent from the Bureaucracy they represent.  Bureaucracies can easily ignore any findings of wrongdoing by the OIG. See my solution Article 52.  Establishment of a Government Wide United States Inspector General's Office.

The real problem is that Departmental Bureaucratic Leaders can not and do not know how to fix systemic problems prompting them to ignore their OIGs reports of wrongdoing.  It Should be pointed out that OIG reports are also made available to Congress suggesting that Congress does not know how to fix these problems either.  Over the Years the situation in a toxic bureaucracy like the VA simply gets worse. 

FORTUNATELY WE NOW KNOW HOW TO FIX SYSTEMIC BUREAUCRATIC PROBLEMS
 The proposed reform of the OIG allows the use of OIG personnel in the Pilot implementation of VA reforms bringing sweeping changes throughout the VA. Authorizing Lawrence Rosier Consulting to implement a Pilot Demonstration implementation of the General Reform Model developed by Lawrence Rosier Principal Consultant at the Phoenix VA Hospital facility.

The approach uses proven industry methods such as Enterprise Lean developed by Toyota bundled in the General Reform Model.  The General Reform Model: empowers VA Employees through Lean Teams; determines the actual cost and staffing required to meet appointment standards; changes the current Bureaucratic management to a Team Managed organization; and replaces incompetent and corrupt managers.

This is a low cost solution available now which can yield results in the Phoenix VA Hospital in three months with full implementation within six months to a year. The process develops management data that can be applied in all VA hospitals with cultural changes that can be replicated in all VA Hospitals permanently fixing VA problems.