Summary: Concerns have been expressed about the long average length of stay at Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals. Although VA has taken steps to reduce the length of stay, it is still longer than for comparable patients in community hospitals. Patients often occupy acute care facilities during diagnosis, while waiting for surgery, and during convalescence. VA's plans for sizing of new hospitals are based on this inappropriate use of acute care facilities. GAO developed a new hospital sizing model which determines levels of care that should have been provided. The model also projects bed needs for the future by determining requirements for five age groups of the veteran population. Adoption of the GAO planning approach could lead to reduction in construction costs, increased efficiency, and improved quality of patient care. GAO disagreed with the VA plan to construct a new hospital in Camden, New Jersey, and felt that the Philadelphia VA Hospital was adequate for expected workloads. VA has not given adequate consideration to priorities in its hospital construction proposals. VA hospital bed requirements could be significantly affected by policies concerning treatment of veterans with other than service-connected disabilities.
