JLARC report shows VDH not performing timely inspections at hospitals, nursing homes
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- A new state report is exposing major problems at the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) found the state agency responsible for “protecting and promoting” the health of all Virginians “struggles to pay its vendors, other state agencies, and employees on time.” “The issues that we are seeing in terms of financial management have broad impacts across the agency,” Drew Dickinson with JLARC told lawmakers. The report said financial mismanagement and staffing shortages have led to the agency failing to perform timely inspections at 99% of inpatient hospitals, 97% of home care organizations, and 39% of nursing homes. “Insufficient staffing levels have affected VDH’s ability to ensure its sensitive IT systems are secure," said JLARC in the report. State Health Commissioner Karen Shelton told lawmakers last week that, in response, her agency is working to beef up its human resources department to ensure the agency is properly staffed. “Our human resource vacancy rate was once over 50% and is now over 90% filled,” said Shelton. “Recruitment and retention of finance and human resources personnel is front and center in our agency and we know that public health can’t function without the administrative support it requires.” Governor Glenn Youngkin’s office released the following statement on the report: “When Governor Youngkin took office, our administration inherited significant, longstanding, and very troubling financial and operational issues within the Virginia Department of Health. The governor has taken unprecedented steps to address these challenges directly by implementing meaningful reforms and building a foundation for sustainable progress for Virginia’s taxpayers. One such step is the appointment of a VDH Chief Operating Officer, a position which was created to oversee and enhance VDH administrative functions, a necessary step to ensure transparency and restore the department’s integrity. Through proper management review and oversight, the VDH team has already made significant progress to address many issues within the JLARC report.”
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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- A new state report is exposing major problems at the Virginia Department of Health (VDH).
Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) found the state agency responsible for “protecting and promoting” the health of all Virginians “struggles to pay its vendors, other state agencies, and employees on time.”
“The issues that we are seeing in terms of financial management have broad impacts across the agency,” Drew Dickinson with JLARC told lawmakers.
The report said financial mismanagement and staffing shortages have led to the agency failing to perform timely inspections at 99% of inpatient hospitals, 97% of home care organizations, and 39% of nursing homes.
“Insufficient staffing levels have affected VDH’s ability to ensure its sensitive IT systems are secure," said JLARC in the report.
State Health Commissioner Karen Shelton told lawmakers last week that, in response, her agency is working to beef up its human resources department to ensure the agency is properly staffed.
“Our human resource vacancy rate was once over 50% and is now over 90% filled,” said Shelton. “Recruitment and retention of finance and human resources personnel is front and center in our agency and we know that public health can’t function without the administrative support it requires.”
Governor Glenn Youngkin’s office released the following statement on the report:
“When Governor Youngkin took office, our administration inherited significant, longstanding, and very troubling financial and operational issues within the Virginia Department of Health. The governor has taken unprecedented steps to address these challenges directly by implementing meaningful reforms and building a foundation for sustainable progress for Virginia’s taxpayers. One such step is the appointment of a VDH Chief Operating Officer, a position which was created to oversee and enhance VDH administrative functions, a necessary step to ensure transparency and restore the department’s integrity. Through proper management review and oversight, the VDH team has already made significant progress to address many issues within the JLARC report.”
