Millions in improper payments were sent from Oklahoma City VA to OU's medical school, federal report finds

An inspector general's report shows the Oklahoma City VA Health Care System made nearly $7 million in improper payments to the University of Oklahoma's medical school in 2015 and 2016. [Photo by Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman]

The Oklahoma City VA Health Care System made nearly $7 million in improper payments to the University of Oklahoma's medical school in 2015 and 2016 — including paying for the services of many medical students at times they were actually working elsewhere, a new federal report has revealed.

“There is no assurance the health care system received the resident services that it paid for,” investigators wrote.

Rowdy Gilbert, a spokesman for the university, said more than 100 OU physicians were made available to investigators for interviews, along with 4,100 pages of documents.

"It is not alleged that the VA paid the College of Medicine for $6.9 million in services that it did not receive," Gilbert said. "Rather, the...criticism is that the VA in Oklahoma City failed to comply with the VA's internal administrative procedures for record keeping and approving payment."