Federal Reports

A Boilermaker/Welder, based in Beech Grove, Indiana, violated Amtrak policies by engaging in outside employment to work for his own companies while on sick leave. We also confirmed that he was conducting and engaging in work for his own companies on days that he requested leave for “union business.” Finally, our investigation found that he did not seek or request written approval from Amtrak to engage in outside employment which, according to the website for his personal business, advertises services for the railroad industry and, as a result, violated the company’s Conflict of Interest Policy. The employee was terminated from his employment on September 15, 2020.

OIG Investigations Newsletter Volume XXIX: June 1 - July 31, 2020

This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program report provides a focused evaluation of the leadership performance and oversight by Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 12: VA Great Lakes Health Care System in Westchester, Illinois, covering leadership and organizational risks and key processes associated with promoting quality care. This inspection focused on Quality, Safety, and Value; Medical Staff Credentialing; Environment of Care; Medication Management: Long-Term Opioid Therapy for Pain; Women’s Health: Comprehensive Care; and High-Risk Processes: Reusable Medical Equipment. The OIG conducted this unannounced visit during concurrent inspections of VISN 12 facilities. The VISN executive leadership team appeared stable, with the Deputy Network Director, Chief Medical Officer, Quality Management Officer, and Human Resources Officer having served together for almost two years. The permanent Network Director was appointed on March 1, 2020. Selected survey scores related to employee satisfaction with the VISN executive team leaders were generally better than VHA averages. Overall patient experience survey scores were better than VHA averages; however, the VISN has an opportunity to help improve patient satisfaction with inpatient and specialty care. Executive leaders seemed to support efforts to improve and maintain patient safety, quality care, and other positive outcomes through utilization management training, improvement of hospital-wide readmission rates, and creation of a workgroup to improve case management and follow-up care. The leadership team was knowledgeable within their scope of responsibility about selected Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning metrics. The OIG issued four recommendations for improvement in one area, High-Risk Processes. The OIG recommended that reusable medical equipment inspections are conducted, and results are shared with executive leaders and posted within the required time frame; also, that reusable medical equipment corrective action plans are developed and tracked until closure.

Our objective was to (1) to determine whether the Social Security Administration (SSA) made payments to beneficiaries and/or representative payees who were deceased according to Kentucky's Office of Vital Statistics and (2) identify non-beneficiaries in the State files whose death information did not appear in Agency records.

As of October 2016, the Recovery School District in Louisiana (RSD)had received a $1.5 billion Public Assistance grant from Louisiana, a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grantee, for damages resulting from Hurricane Katrina. We examined $1.3 billion for a consolidated project as part of the total amount awarded. In some instances, RSD accounted for and expended portions of the $1.3 billion in Public Assistance grant funds we reviewed according to Federal regulations. However, FEMA improperly awarded $216.2 million to repair or replace more than 292 Orleans Parish school facilities in RSD. We made eight recommendations to FEMA to de-obligate $216.2 million of ineligible costs; follow Federal regulations and FEMA guidelines; and re-evaluate documented proof of assessments for the 35 identified projects and reclassify them, as appropriate, to repair-eligible, and de-obligate the cost difference. FEMA concurred with recommendations 2 through 7 but did not concur with recommendations 1 and 8. We consider recommendations 2 through 7 resolved and open; recommendations 1 and 8 are unresolved and open.