KUSA - 9Wants to Know has found VA medical centers claiming some of their doctors have qualifications they don't actually have.
When choosing doctors, many patients want someone who's board-certified. It means the provider has passed rigorous testing and stays up-to-date with the latest medical advances.
"Board certification is very much about the public trust," said Dr. Lois Margaret Nora. She is the president of the American Board of Medical Specialties, which keeps a master list online of doctor certifications.
"It's a tremendously important credential that tells people something very important about their physician's training, about how their physician has been assessed, and what that physician does every day as part of his or her practice," Nora said.
TEGNA TV stations in Denver, Buffalo and Minneapolis checked their local VA medical center websites, which list the qualifications of doctors who treat veterans.
Our investigation found doctors listed as board-certified specialists who have either never been certified, their certifications have expired, or they are not keeping up with the ongoing learning requirements.
Of the 344 doctors checked in the Denver-based VA health care system, we found four doctors who do not have the certifications they claimed. Two dozen more were certified but did not meet maintenance of certification requirements.
Dr. Betty Martinez at the Aurora Outpatient Clinic was listed as board-certified in family medicine, but ABMS says that certification has expired. 9Wants to Know also found the Colorado State Medical Board disciplined Martinez in 2014 for improperly prescribing medication to a business associate.
"We support the good employees within the VA, but too often those people -- those individuals -- and veterans are overshadowed by the employees committing fraud, waste and abuse," said Frank Crocker, Colorado state director of Concerned Veterans for America.
A VA spokesman responded to 9NEWS' questions this afternoon in a statement. He
said thanks for bringing this issue to their attention, and he says staff members are now working to verify that all their doctor data is accurate.
He also recommends veterans bring their concerns about quality of care to their treatment team or the local patient advocate.
(© 2015 KUSA)