LSU is firing back over reports that millions of dollars worth of equipment is missing from the University Medical Center in New Orleans, saying the equipment has not yet been entered into the LSU Health Care Services Division’s LPAA inventory.
The state Legislative Auditor’s Office says in a report released Monday that $15 million in equipment from the New Orleans hospital was not properly recorded and tagged before it was turned over to the hospital operator, according to The Associated Press.
“LSU HCSD is confident the $15 million equipment is not missing and in actuality is currently being used in the new hospital in New Orleans,” LSU says in a news release. “The equipment has been received with documented receiving reports and, according to the University Medical Center Management Corporation, the equipment is in the hospital and has been tagged.”
The auditor’s office says LSU officials blamed Gov. Bobby Jindal’s Office of Facility Planning for not providing the right documentation to the university to allow the $15 million in equipment to be properly cataloged.
“The hospital is now working diligently with the Division of Administration to complete the inventory process in the LPAA data entry system,” LSU says in the release. “The equipment referenced in the audit report is part of the more than $100 million of equipment being used in the new hospital, and is currently being entered into the inventory system. The time lag for entry is due to the volume of items to be entered, but that process is taking place. It is estimated this process will take three to six months to complete.”
The audit also found the $4.6 million worth of equipment has gone missing from the former Earl K. Long Medical Center, outpatient clinics and surgical center that LSU operated. The school says its Health Care Services Division is working with Our Lady of the Lake to find those items and that some have already been located. The university is also searching for $1.1 million in equipment from the interim New Orleans hospital that has not been found since the hospital moved.
