Review of Research Service Equipment and Facility Management, Eastern Colorado Health Care System

The former Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Veterans’ Affairs requested the OIG investigate allegations of widespread equipment mismanagement at the research laboratories of the Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS) in Denver, Colorado. The OIG substantiated the wide range of allegations about ECHCS Logistics and Research Services’ mismanagement of research equipment, materials, specimens, and that its research facilities, chemicals, and Personally Identifiable Information were inadequately secured. The identified issues occurred because the ECHCS Chief Logistics Officer and Research Service Administrative Officer did not ensure their staff consistently complied with VA policies, procedures, and guidance related to management and accountability of equipment. Until controls are in place to ensure staff follow applicable equipment management policies, the risk that equipment will be mismanaged continues to exist. The OIG was also asked to determine the amount of money wasted because of any mismanagement, the identity of responsible officials, corrective actions taken to address the underlying causes of any mismanagement, and to evaluate the appropriateness of certain equipment transfers to the University of Colorado (UC) research facilities. The OIG could not determine a precise amount of money wasted on equipment due to mismanagement by VA staff, as the majority of the equipment sampled was near the end of or beyond its useful life span and likely had little to no residual monetary value. The OIG concluded that while the equipment users and the ECHCS Medical Center Director are required to properly manage equipment, the ECHCS Research Administrative Officer and the Chief Logistics Officer said management of research equipment was one of their primary responsibilities. The OIG noted the ECHCS Medical Center Director implemented an action plan that included processing the existing unrequired and abandoned equipment. The OIG did not identify anything inappropriate with the transfer of VA research equipment to UC. The OIG recommended ECHCS improve equipment accountability controls, materials and specimen monitoring, and facility security.