The seven-member Veterans’ Affairs Board has not provided adequate oversight of the agency’s Executive Secretary and administrative staff, resulting in safety deficiencies in the Mississippi State Veterans’ Home which have been cited by the State Board of Health and the United States Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
The board’s inadequate oversight has also resulted in weaknesses in the agency’s accounting operations. Specifically, the agency cannot account for all patients’ personal funds, did not follow its own procedures governing expenditure of personal funds, and has not established procedures to govern the use of donated funds. The agency also has not implemented all recommendations made by the Department of Audit in its FY 1990 audit report on the Veterans’ Affairs Board.
The State Veterans’ Home van compromises patient safety because the vehicle’s power lift is not properly equipped to carry wheelchair-bound persons. The agency also has not devised a needs-based plan governing the acquisition of equipment.
For a paper copy of this report, contact PEER by telephone at 601-359-1226 or by e-mail at reports@peer.ms.gov.