Healthcare Inspection Customer Care and Satisfaction Southern Arizona VA Health Care System Tucson, Arizona

The VA Office of Inspector General Office of Healthcare Inspections conducted an inspection to determine the validity of allegations regarding customer care and satisfaction at the Casa Grande Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Casa Grande, AZ. The CBOC is part of the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System in Tucson, AZ. The complainants specifically alleged that: A licensed practical nurse (LPN) did not document vital signs taken in the medical record and then referred the patient to a local emergency room. A provider did not appropriately examine two patients. CBOC front desk staff and management harass and treat patients rudely. There are increased complaints from patients regarding telephone wait times to speak with pharmacy representatives. CBOC staff harass a patient by intercepting the patient’s calls to providers and the patient is abandoned because phone calls are not returned from the patient’s primary care physician (PCP) and psychiatrist. We substantiated that a patient presented to the CBOC for evaluation of bleeding, and an LPN took the patient’s vital signs but did not document them in the medical record. We did not substantiate that the LPN referred the patient to a local emergency room, that two patients received inappropriate examinations, that CBOC staff harass or treat patients rudely, that patient complaints about speaking with pharmacy representatives have increased, or that CBOC staff harassed a patient and CBOC providers have abandoned the patient. The facility took steps to correct documentation issues at the CBOC. Therefore, we made no recommendations.