Healthcare Inspection – Access and Coordination of Care at Harlingen Community Based Outpatient Clinic, VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System, Harlingen, TX

The VA Office of Inspector General Office of Healthcare Inspections conducted an inspection to determine the validity of allegations made by a complainant related to access and coordination of care issues at the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System (HCS) and the Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), both located in Harlingen, Texas. We substantiated that patients go to the CBOC for urgent and emergent medical care; cannot be seen in the timeframe requested by the patient or their provider; have difficulty getting medications filled, refilled, or renewed; and that patients experience long wait times at the CBOC. We did not substantiate that providers were pressured into prescribing pain medications to drug-seeking patients. The Veterans Integrated Service Network and Facility Directors agreed with our findings and four recommendations and provided acceptable improvement plans.