06/01/08

 Augusta Blind Rehabilitation Center (ABRC)

Complaint Tracking/Trending

Annual Report

June 2007

The following report outlines the complaints or inquiries about ABRC service delivery. The sources data was tabulated from were: VIST Coordinator contacts, Stakeholder meetings, Veteran Exit Customer Satisfaction Interviews, Congressional Inquires, Staff, etc. The issues highlighted in this report have been reported numerous times in the past 12 months.

VIST Coordinators

1. Providing Discharge Reports – some of the VIST Coordinator’s raised concerns about the difficulties they were having retrieving discharge information from the remote view system in CPRS.

 ACTION TAKEN: Deborah Lovell, Family Outreach Coordinator, ABRC, has been sending the final summaries to the VIST Coordinators via VISTA computerized system which has resulted in desired outcomes.

2. Script Talk follow-up information – this was a problem last year as well. Some

VIST Coordinator’s reported recently that they didn’t receive notification that their veteran need to be put into their system to get refills.

 ACTION TAKEN: The ABRC, Nurse Manager has adopted new tracking approach

 to reduce the chances of missing this notification to the VIST Coordinator’s. We will continue to monitor this issue to determine if alternative approaches are required.

Veterans

1. DSL Connection – in the past several months the Chief, ABRC received 15 letters from the in patient veterans on the unit. They have requested that we explore getting a DSL connection to improve speed in our Computer Access Training (CAT) program.

ACTION TAKEN: The Chief, ABRC and Training Coordinator contacted the Chief, Informatics Department about this inquiry. We have been told that our program can be connected to our VAMC’s DSL server. We are awaiting this project to be completed.

2. Lap Top connection for veterans that are not in CAT – we received several complaints from veterans that were in our regular program that had lap top computers and were not able to connect to the internet, etc. while they were in the program to conduct family business.

ACTION TAKEN: Several months after these complaints our VAMC, Canteen Service opened up the VA Internet Café. At this point, any of our veterans can connect in this area through the wireless system.

3. Private Rooms – the veterans through exit customer satisfaction interviews consistently complain about the need for this program to have all rooms private. They feel for this special population it is difficult enough to deal with your own visual impairment need independently, but having a roommate can interfere with numerous activities of daily living.

ACTION TAKEN:  we have discussed with top management in the past the possibility of submitting a proposal to build a new Blind Rehabilitation Center at the Uptown Division that would have private rooms and house outpatient components of this program as well. This will be discussed again in the near future as this VAMC has a goal under the 9 point plan to expand visual impairment services in the future. Such a proposal will need to go through numerous levels of VHA for approval and usually takes 2-3 years to complete the entire process. Currently the ABRC admits veterans into private rooms based on their medical needs.

Staff

1. Prosthetic Stock Levels – the ABRC staff have complained about the lack of available stock in some skill areas on a sporadic basis. This is due in large part for back ordered prosthetic devices from the companies and low inventories set for certain devices.

ACTION TAKEN: The ABRC staff has been conducting meetings and conducting ongoing communications with Prosthetic’s Department and has begun to make marked improvements in the area. In addition, the ABRC will be receiving supplemental funding from CO/BRS to assist as well in this area.

2. Space Issues – the inpatient and outpatient staff have expressed the need for additional space as we continue to expand services. Our low vision staff specifically expressed the need for more space to conduct one on one training. Nursing expressed the need for another exam area during peak times.

ACTION PLAN: the ABRC created a multiple purpose room to address portions of these complaints and submitted a proposal (J Document) that highlighted converting some existing space into more training space. This proposal is currently deferred as the VAMC is in the process of reorganization. This subject will be brought back to the attention of top management once the reorganization is completed.

3. Workload Differences – in the past several months some of the ABRC staff have raised concerns about workload discrepancies and/or a feeling of having too much work in comparison to other staff members.

ACTION TAKEN:  the Chief, ABRC has conducted several meetings with the AFGE and staff members to develop strategies relating to workload differences. The Chief, ABRC and Training Coordinator work with all the staff create equity as much as possible. There are many varying factors that make it impossible to create total equity in this area mainly due to veterans that are admitted at any time. But we try to provide some relief for all staff to prevent burn out.

4. Eye Care Coverage – The ABRC, Optometrist has expressed concerns on numerous occasions relating to back up coverage for her inpatient and outpatient duties during times of being out on extended leave. This actually has been an ongoing issue.

ACTION TAKEN: the Chief, ABRC and Executive, Allied Health Service Line have discussed this issues with top management and Surgery Service Line in the past several months. In response to this issue and the emergence of the recent VHA announcement to develop a visual impairment continuum of care, we requested Dr. Patti Fuhr, Director Optometry, Birmingham VAMC to conduct a consultative site visit. Many of the recommendations that Dr. Fuhr made to our VAMC have already been initiated. We provided cross training for the optometrist assigned to the Surgery Service Line and he provided coverage during one of her extended leave periods. Due to this optometrist’s clinic workload this type of coverage may not be available. Once the VAMC reorganization is completed we will be exploring the potential of acquiring another optometrist for this VAMC that can assist both Service Lines in addressing waiting time challenges and providing back up coverage as well.

Stakeholders/Congressional Inquiries

1. Aiken CBOC – the stakeholders have submitted several inquiries about the plans to establish a CBOC in Aiken. They requested consideration for establishment of visual impairment services at this new location.

ACTION TAKEN: unfortunately the Aiken CBOC was funded to provide Primary Care and Mental Health Services and there is not enough space to incorporate other services. This request potentially may be explored if additional funding is made available for expansion of the clinic at a later date.

2. VHA Continuum of Care – the stakeholder’s have submitted numerous congressional and standard inquiries regarding the plans for this VAMC and VISN relating to access of care expansion to 20/70 to legally blind veteran population.

ACTION TAKEN: VHA recently announced that $40 million would be utilized to develop the full visual impairment continuum of care to include this new population of veterans within the next 3 years. At this point our /VISN will receive funding to establish a Advanced Low Vision Clinic at the Atlanta VAMC, Georgia and Intermediate Low Vision Clinic at the Columbia VAMC, South Carolina