Healthcare Inspection Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service Records Review Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina

OIG conducted an inspection of the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) at the Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC. Specifically, OIG reviewed the potential loss of veterans’ Home Improvement and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant records that contained Personally Identifiable Information, which may have caused undue delays in providing these critical modifications to veteran’s homes. OIG was unable to determine the exact number of HISA records missing but estimate that as many as 90 records are missing. OIG found numerous discrepancies in the oversight and administration of the HISA program, which contributed to the lack of management control over this program. The review found that facility managers did not place appropriate emphasis on protecting, investigating, and reporting lost or stolen files that contained PII. More than 3 weeks passed from the discovery of the lost records to notification of appropriate authorities. Since the discovery of the missing files, personnel and leadership changes in the prosthetics department have been addressed. The Durham VA Medical Center is implementing changes to improve the delivery of services and bring PSAS into compliance with VHA directives. The HISA committee is functioning and other internal controls are being enforced.