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VA Health Care: VA Plans Will Delay Establishment of Hawaii Medical Center

HRD-92-41 Published: Feb 25, 1992. Publicly Released: Feb 25, 1992.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) plans for establishing a medical center in Hawaii, focusing on whether: (1) VA could provide acute and long-term care services to the state's veterans sooner than planned; (2) VA has accurately projected acute care bed needs for Hawaii; and (3) excess bed capacity exists at the Department of Defense's (DOD) Tripler Army Medical Center that could be used to meet VA needs.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Veterans Affairs The Secretary of Veterans Affairs should reconsider his decision to build additional acute care beds in Tripler's E-Wing. The Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary of Defense should develop a joint-venture agreement that will give VA greater influence over the care provided to veterans in already renovated acute care space at Tripler. This could be accomplished either by integrating VA and DOD staff or transferring a mutually agreed upon number of acute care wards to VA. The agreement should also provide for meeting VA inpatient surgery and intensive care unit needs through use of existing capacity at Tripler.
Closed – Implemented
VA initially agreed to use existing space, but has since abandoned that agreement in favor of new construction. VA plans to renovate E-Wing to provide administrative space and build a new medical center and child care center. It has design funds for the medical center, but not construction funding. The Senate, in debate on VA's FY 1996 construction appropriation, dropped plans for constructing additional acute care beds at Tripler. VA did not seek restoration of the project in its FY 1997 appropriation request.
Department of Veterans Affairs VA should use Tripler's E-Wing to accommodate its planned nursing home and other portions of its proposed medical center project, as appropriate.
Closed – Not Implemented
Funds were appropriated for both design and construction of the nursing home.

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Veterans
BeneficiariesFacility constructionHealth care cost controlHospital bed countHospital care servicesHospital planningInteragency relationsMilitary hospitalsVeteransVeterans hospitals