Federal Reports

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) Vet Center Inspection Program provides a focused evaluation of aspects of the quality of care delivered at vet centers. This report focuses on Midwest district 3 zone 1 and four selected vet centers: Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo in Ohio; and South Bend in Indiana. The OIG inspection focused on five review areas: leadership and organizational risks; quality reviews; suicide prevention; consultation, supervision, and training; and environment of care.Generally, district leaders had a good understanding of quality improvement principles and implemented district-wide quality improvement programs in response to VA All Employee Survey results. District 3 zone 1 Vet Center Service Customer Feedback survey results were below the national average in all areas except satisfaction with overall quality of services at the vet center. The OIG issued one recommendation to the district director specific to annual in-service training; this recommendation was closed at the time of publication.The OIG conducted an analysis of vet center quality reviews required to ensure compliance with policy and procedures. The OIG made five recommendations for clinical and administrative quality reviews and two recommendations for morbidity and mortality reviews. The suicide prevention review included a zone-wide evaluation of electronic client records, and a focused review of the four selected vet centers. The OIG issued nine recommendations—seven specific to electronic client records and two for selected vet centers’ suicide prevention and intervention processes. The consultation, supervision, and training review evaluated the four selected vet centers. The OIG identified concerns with external clinical consultation, supervision, audits, and training, and issued four recommendations. The environment of care review evaluated the four selected vet centers. The OIG made two recommendations.

Federal and State agencies and tribes share responsibility for addressing orphaned wells with Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act authorizes $11.3 billion in appropriations to address abandoned mine lands.

The DOI has no policies or guidance specifically addressing foreign government sponsored talent recruitment programs or conflicts of commitment.

The U.S. Postal Service holds its cash in the Postal Service Fund with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and, traditionally, has invested its excess cash in highly liquid, overnight investments (Overnight Treasuries) issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury), where interest rate changes are more pronounced than in longer-term investments. Postal Service cash has grown from $2.3 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2013 to $19.6 billion at year-end FY 2022.