Inhofe also asked the inspector general to look into allegations that the clinic gave some patients preferential treatment in the scheduling of appointments.

The inspector general’s report, which does not include names, says 27 MSAs, four supervisors and two directors of the VA’s eastern Oklahoma facilities were interviewed, and that no evidence could be found to support the allegation of “separate ‘secret’ waiting lists.”

The report says conflicting testimony concerning the entering and altering of records “could not be resolved,” so that no conclusion could be reached regarding that part of the investigation.

Of the 27 MSAs interviewed, 15 said they had never entered dates improperly and were never asked to do so. The other 12 said they believed they were supposed to enter the date of actual appointments in the field for the patients’ preferred date as well, so the clinic would get good scores for short waiting times.

Most of the 12 said they were given lists of patients several years ago and told to change the “preferred dates.”

According to a supervisory staff assistant, one of the 12 became so distraught at a staff meeting on the subject he “banged his head on the table four times … because he was confused.”