BOSTON — An inspection report released Thursday by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General found instances of expired hand sanitizer, dirty equipment being stored with clean equipment, and rusty poles used to hold I.V. bags at VA Boston Healthcare locations.
The report made 11 recommendations related to patient safety and the hospital environment for VA Boston.
“The OIG found multiple issues with cleanliness that had previously been identified in oversight reports,” the report reads. In addition to expired hand sanitizer and rusty I.V. poles, the inspection found dust on a refrigerator that held patient food, dirty ventilation grills, and stained and dusty ceiling tiles.
“The OIG also observed dusty bed and examination table frames, dirty ice machines with one past due for routine sanitation, bottom storage shelves which were too close to the floor, and items stored in corrugated boxes,” the report found. “Additionally, the OIG found deficiencies with medication storage including unlicensed personnel access to medication, lack of temperature and humidity monitoring for medication storage areas, and unapproved rooms being used for medication storage. Lack of appropriate medication security and storage can compromise patient safety”
The report looked at five areas within VA Boston Healthcare Systems: Culture, Environment of Care, Patient Safety, Primary Care, and Veteran-Centered Safety Net.
Of the 11 recommendations, 10 were related to issues like cleanliness and medication storage, or the Environment of Care. One recommendation under Patient Safety pertained to how test results are communicated to patients.
The OIG had no recommended changes for the other three categories.
“The OIG report is based on an inspection that took place nearly a year ago in August 2024,” VA Boston spokesperson Winfield Danielson III said in a statement to Boston 25 News. “Since then, VA Boston Healthcare System has been working to address the issues raised in the report and is well on its way to complying with all of the recommendations. In the meantime, surveys continue to show more than 95% of our patients say they trust VA Boston to provide high-quality health care.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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