The Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Hospital has been cleared in three cases where it was alleged to have manipulated patient appointments and wait times.

The results of the three Minnesota cases were part of a massive release Monday of summaries of wait-time investigations nationwide by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general, the VA's internal independent watchdog.

In the first case, the inspector general found no evidence backing two fired employees of the hospital's Gastroenterology Clinic, who said they were instructed by management to cancel appointments and alter records.

The former VA employees told their story to KARE-TV, saying that they were pressured to falsify patient appointment dates and medical records to hide delays, sparking the investigation. In some cases, they told the station, employees were instructed to falsify medical records by writing that patients had declined follow-up treatments even though the veterans had never been contacted.

But current employees told investigators there was no manipulation of scheduling and that they were never instructed to falsify information, the inspector general said. Investigators interviewed more than two dozen employees and reviewed more than 21,000 e-mails, but found no evidence the allegations could be substantiated. Investigators also could find no evidence of claims by the former employees that they had informed managers of their concerns.

In the second case, the inspector general reviewed allegations, also broadcast on KARE-TV, that data was manipulated to show an appointment was canceled after a veteran's death in 2012.

Investigators found records showing the veteran made a cellphone call on the morning before his death to cancel the appointment and that a notification of his call was transmitted by an automated call system to a schedulers' e-mail group the next morning, leaving the false impression that the call had been made the day of his death. Three VA employees located the original note indicating the veteran had called before his death, the inspector general said.

The third case involved allegations in a "hot line call" that the dental staff was "strongly advised" to falsely report wait times. Investigators said the employee who made the call was unable to provide specific examples or evidence to corroborate his allegation.

"We very much appreciate the release of the reports by [the inspector general] and the confirmation of no wrongdoing on the part of our employees," Minneapolis VA Health Care System Director Patrick Kelly said in a written statement "We will continue to provide the excellent quality of care to our nation's veterans."

The VA's inspector general has yet to release findings in another investigation into alleged misconduct at a Hibbing VA outpatient clinic. Numerous former clinic workers have claimed they were ordered to manipulate the schedules for veterans' appointments to make it appear they were being seen within their desired appointment date when they were actually being seen as much as six to eight weeks out.

Mark Brunswick • 612-673-4434