Federal Reports

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) substantiated allegations from January 2022 that employees did not properly reprocess reusable medical equipment (RME) within the facility’s Sterile Processing Service (SPS). Facility leaders halted all endoscope usage, as well as stopped surgeries and procedures requiring RME, until an investigation was completed.The OIG identified multiple issues that contributed to SPS deficiencies, including unaddressed, previously-identified issues within SPS, such as the failure to implement CensiTrac Instrument Tracking System, SPS standard operating procedures (SOPs) being out of date and not accessible to staff, competency training being inadequate and ineffective, failure to control traffic in the sterile area that potentially impacted the integrity of RME, and the negative impact of interim and acting leaders within SPS.In April 2022, the facility had potentially harmful, abnormal critical water test results, which led to another halting of all RME reprocessing. The OIG found that leaders delayed addressing consistently abnormal testing results within SPS.The OIG made two recommendations to the VISN Director related to reviewing the facility’s SPS water management program and ensuring the VISN SPS Management Board reviews critical water testing results.The OIG made seven recommendations to the Facility Director related to ensuring that the SPS chief conducts comprehensive staff competency assessments for reprocessing RME; the CensiTrac Instrument Tracking System is fully implemented and staff are trained in its use; SPS maintains a safe and clean environment in all areas where RME processing is performed; a plan is developed for remediation of the location of the training room adjacent to SPS’s clean storage area; all clinic areas have or share a designated soiled utility storage room; SOPs for all RME are developed and disseminated; and the facility Water Working Group submits critical water test results to the VISN.

ln accordance with our Annual Performance Plan Fiscal Year 2022, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a review of United States Capitol Police (USCP or Department) Past Major Events and Protests. Our objective was to determine if (1) the Department's organizational structure and processes for major events and protests were the most efficient and effective and (2) the Department complied with selected policies, procedures, applicable laws, regulations, guidance, and best practices. Our scope included operations, existing policies, and procedures related to major events and protests after January 6, 2021.

Postal markets around the world are transforming. Letter mail volume is declining while the parcel sector becomes increasingly competitive. These trends are placing significant financial pressure on national posts and their ability to sustain the provision of universal postal services. These trends have inspired discussions in many countries about how postal regulatory frameworks might adapt to a new market reality. In this paper, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) examines the main oversight activities of the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) in the U.S. and other postal regulators in selected countries with developed postal markets. The paper also explores challenges and trends affecting postal regulation and regulatory oversight.

Significant unresolved vulnerabilities in the CDX system increase the risk of threat actors gaining unauthorized access to CDX and other connected program services.

Interim Report: Audit of the Effectsthe Main Street Lending Program’sLoan Losses Have on Treasury’sInvestment in the Program

Significant unresolved vulnerabilities in the CDX system increase the risk of threat actors gaining unauthorized access to CDX and other connected program services.

If the EPA does not mitigate its Central Data Exchange data integrity issues, it cannot provide assurance that its environmental data are accurate and reliable.