Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the New Mexico VA Health Care System in Albuquerque

This Office of Inspector General Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program report describes the results of a focused evaluation of the inpatient and outpatient care provided at the New Mexico VA Health Care System, which includes the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center (Albuquerque) and multiple outpatient clinics in Colorado and New Mexico. This evaluation focused on five key operational areas:• Leadership and organizational risks• Quality, safety, and value• Medical staff privileging• Environment of care• Mental health (emergency department and urgent care center suicide prevention initiatives)The OIG issued seven recommendations for improvement in three areas:1. Quality, safety, and value• Recommend, implement, and monitor improvement actions• Peer review processes• Patient safety events2. Medical staff privileging• Focused and Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation processes3. Environment of care• Maintain, inspect, and test biomedical equipment• Environmental cleanliness