Audit: Inadequate background checks found at 2nd VA hospital

BECKLEY, W.Va. (AP) — An audit of personnel review procedures at hospitals in West Virginia that serve veterans has found problems at a second facility.

The full audit of Veterans Health Administration personnel procedures came after an initial review found that the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg failed to complete a timely background check of a former nursing assistant who admitted to killing seven older veterans at the hospital with injections of insulin.

A report released Thursday by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General said it also found inadequate background checks at the Beckley VA Medical Center, The Exponent Telegram reported.

In some cases, suitability checks were not initiated, and some were not fingerprinted, the report said. In other cases, background investigations were discontinued in error or not completed in the required timeframe, according to the report. There was no evidence of patient harm from the issues.

The Veterans Affairs Administration agreed with three recommendations to improve procedures, the newspaper reported. They include an audit of background investigations for Beckley personnel, establishing a plan to conduct compliance checks at other facilities, and evaluating and allocating staff as needed.