Malpractice

[Berta]

Carlie's recent posts here on Malpractice revealed to me-after many many attempts to get info from the VA under FOIA/PRivacy Act-just where this information can be found.

I have already posted info that VHA MUST send malpractice info as to the doctor's etc involved to the National Practitioner Data Bank.

This is information that is supposed to be genrated by the VHA to NPDB when a FTCA VA settlement has been made over the malpractice.

That leaves put the many vets who have proved malpractice under Section 1151 without filing FTCA claims.

But- within M-2 PArt 1 Chapter 35, under 35.13

there are not only mandatory risk events that must be reported to the VACO , but also that patients who might not know they have been malpracticed on must be advised ,(35.09)but also under 35.13 it clearly states that:

the Offices of Quality Management (VA) and the OGC (VA)

"have implemented a sharing agreement ewth the Armed Forces Institute of PAthology to analyze VA tort claims systemwide beginning October 1, 1992."

So that means that not only does the VA have to record incidents of malpractice ,there are different ways they have to report the circumstances.

There have been vets here at hadit affected by malpractice and like me they must wonder what follow up the VA really did to ensure that negligent doctors dont so it again-to another veteran.

It looks to me as though the OMI and the OIG do not monitor these events unless the VA itself has taken the steps to properly record them.

Carlie posted the NPDB directive from the VA and also I think she posted these regs from M-2.

I believe that since VA cannot account for their suicide rate-I bet they are not accounting properly for their malpractice rate and worse, their doctors are getting away with it without the proper sanctions the VA has to take.

[Pete53]

Malpractice at VA or any other Hospital is often covered up.Its a system designed to protect Doctors and Hospitals. If you don't believe me watch 60 minutes for 1 year and I bet that they will show at least half a dozen stories of bad medicine covered up.