Washington – An internal audit by the VA found that staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Rochester "felt pressure to manipulate" appointment data to hide delays in medical care for veterans.
The audit's findings reveal why the Minneapolis VA Health Care System and the Rochester clinic were among 112 VA facilities around the country flagged this summer for additional scrutiny.
Former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki ordered the nationwide review after coverups of extended wait times were discovered at some facilities.
The Minneapolis VA oversees a network of 13 clinics in western Wisconsin and Minnesota, including the Rochester location. Officials there are awaiting a final report from the VA Office of the Inspector General in Washington, D.C., before taking action.
"When there's a further level of review, we will then take the appropriate … suggested or needed actions," said Patrick Kelly, director of the Minneapolis VA system.
The VA has urged caution in interpreting the findings. The initial report, though, was enough to spur investigations into whether hospital administrators ordered the manipulation of data to inflate performance numbers, which were tied to bonuses. The VA moved this week to fire six employees at sites in Wyoming and Colorado.
Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, said new VA Secretary Robert McDonald must "root out bad actors" in the system.
"The audit information is troubling, but not shocking given the culture we've uncovered at VA in recent months and the pressure to hit unrealistic wait-time goals," said Walz, whose First District includes Rochester.