Office of the Medical Inspector (OMI)
What we do
OMI serves as an objective and independent arm of the Office of the Under Secretary for Health (USH), playing a critical oversight role in ensuring high standards throughout Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care services. OMI supports the agency and the USH by investigating and reporting on clinical concerns raised by whistleblowers and VA stakeholders to improve health care quality, safety, and outcomes for Veterans.
OMI conducts investigations in response to referrals from various entities: Secretary of VA, USH, Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection, Office of Special Counsel, Office of the Inspector General, Congress, Senate, and other parties focused on Veteran health care.
OMI investigates concerns at VHA medical facilities, Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN), and VHA Program Offices, and oversees the completion of the corrective actions associated with OMI investigative findings for the improvement of VHA health care quality and safety.
Mission
The Office of the Medical Inspector (OMI) assesses and reports on health care quality and safety concerns within the Veterans Health Administration to improve the care provided to Veterans.
Vision
OMI will be recognized as the premier Veterans Health Administration (VHA) organization for investigating and improving the quality and safety of Veterans’ healthcare.
Striving to continually improve the quality of Veterans’ health care
Through interviews, direct observation, and data analysis, OMI investigations provide a comprehensive assessment of clinical care for compliance with VA/VHA requirements, clinical practice guidelines, industry standards, and regulations. These investigations result in actionable recommendations at the facility, network (VISN), and national levels. OMI recommendations often inform policy updates and clinical practice changes that ultimately enhance the quality and safety of health care for Veterans across all VHA facilities.
Our process
Once a concern is referred to OMI for investigation, we:
- Assemble and lead a VA team of clinical investigators, subject-matter experts and HR specialists.
- Brief VHA leadership on preliminary investigative findings.
- Document findings, conclusions and actionable recommendations in a comprehensive, formal report signed by the Secretary of VA.
- Oversee the implementation of VA/VHA Program Office, VISN, and VHA medical facility corrective actions resulting from OMI investigations.
- Promote evidence-based strong practices and foster VHA Central Office and field facility collaboration to improve patient care outcomes.
- Observe patterns and trends among OMI investigative findings, identify potential systems risks, and communicate system-wide vulnerabilities to VHA leadership for further action.
How to report your concerns:
If you are experiencing problems with the Department of Veterans Affairs, please contact any of the below federal offices: