FederalDaily.com > Lawmakers Concerned About VA Health Services

FederalDaily - June 20, 2006

Lawmakers Concerned About VA Health Services

Members of the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations expressed continued concern in recent days over flawed operating room procedures at several hospitals run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Twice last winter, at the same VA hospital in Tampa, Fla., VA surgeons mistakenly implanted unsterilized cranial plates in patients. Months later, the VA admitted that “improperly cleaned” biopsy devices had been used at a VA hospital in Augusta, Maine. Inadequate device labels may have played a role. In addition, the VA neglected to implement criminal background checks, credentialing procedures despite numerous requests by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Rep. Michael Bilirakis, R-Fla., stated, “The bottom line is that for years we have tried to make progress, just as we have tried with information technology, and nothing of consequence has taken place.” Look for more on the VA and recent GAO reports in the upcoming issue of FEND.

DoD Releases Internal Iraqi Detainee Abuse Findings

The Department of Defense (DoD) “did not find any instances of abuse” in Iraq during a 2004 internal investigation, officials said Saturday. The report was released as the result of a Freedom of Information Act request by the American Civil Liberties Union. In particular, the DoD investigation reviewed three specific allegations against the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Arabian Peninsula. However, Army Brig. Gen. Richard Formica, who headed the investigation, made eight recommendations for the task force to implement. According to an official familiar with the report, all of the recommendations have been implemented, including updated authorized interrogation methods. The DoD official said that initially the task force adopted policies included in DoD’s September 2003 guidance—but those policies were removed the following month. “When we discovered the error, we corrected it immediately,” the official said.

Teleworking Not Fully Embraced by Many Agencies

Teleworking is a low priority for many federal agencies despite the potential savings, according to a recent study ordered by the General Services Administration. Booz Allen Hamilton, the author of the study, noted that many agencies are not investing much of their infrastructure into teleworking technology. As a result employees are sometimes left to use their own computer equipment in order to telework, the report said. In addition, teleworking employees often have “limited access” to agency systems, hindering their ability to work remotely. The study recommended that federal agencies examine the potential financial and nonfinancial benefits and incorporate teleworking into strategic enterprise planning. These findings come on the heels of a June 15 conference in Washington, D.C., to encourage federal teleworking efforts. Coverage of the event will be in the next issue of FEND.

OPM Kicks Off “Reality TV” Ad Campaign for Fed Jobs

The Office of Personnel Management this weekend began pitching federal job openings with the agency’s first-ever TV ads—each of which stars a federal worker. OPM hopes the “reality TV” spots will boost the allure of federal jobs and speed recruiting of new workers to staunch the loss of expertise already under way with a growing wave of retiring Baby Boomers. The campaign, which began Sunday in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, is aimed at attracting especially highly-qualified prospects to the most skilled jobs. The ads are “making people aware of the opportunities that can be found for those wanting to serve their country and make a difference," OPM Director Linda Springer said.

Watch What You Forward In Your Office E-mail

The Office of Special Counsel prevailed in two cases last week to strictly enforce Hatch Act prohibitions against workplace political activity by federal civil service employees. In each case, the crackdown was directed at illicit e-mail missives. In one case (Special Counsel v. Morrilla) a fed fired off a fawning invitation—to 300 fellow feds at their work e-mail addresses—to a Halloween party for Rep. Tim Holden (D-Pa.). In another case (Special Counsel v. Davis and Sims), one worker e-mailed to colleagues a photo of President Bush along with glowing praise, while a second employee had sent out a pro-Kerry e-mail. In every case, the Merit Systems Protection Board ruled that these acts constituted banned political activity—upholding a 60-day suspension in the Morrill case and remanding the other to a judge for re-adjudication.