Federal Reports

During this semiannual reporting period, we issued five audit reports which included $3,340,428 in questioned costs and 48 recommendations to improve agency operations and award recipient’s stewardship of Federal funds. Through our audit follow-up process, we assisted the National Endowment for the Arts (Arts Endowment) staff and award recipients in clearing 32 recommendations based on corrective actions taken. In addition, we resolved a total of 19 hotline complaints -- 16 new complaints and three from prior reporting periods. I applaud the Arts Endowment and OIG staff for pressing forward and working together when needed to avoid unreasonable and unnecessary work delays during the Pandemic. This enabled staff to continue delivering the missions of the Agency and OIG in a high quality and timely manner in spite of COVID-19, which required staff to work virtually during this period. The value-added work that we accomplished this period is due to my staff’s commitment toexcellence, continued growth, and dedicated work effort; along with the support of the Arts Endowment Acting Chairman and her staff. I look forward to continuously working with my staff, the Chairman, and her staff in promoting economy, efficiency, and effectiveness while helping to ensure integrity, excellence, and value in the delivery of the Arts Endowment mission.

Pivotal Stage – the future: Semiannual Report to Congress for October 1, 2020 – March 31, 2021.

Our objective was to assess the Postal Inspection Service’s response to mail fraud and mail theft during the COVID-19 pandemic. After we began the audit, we received a congressional request from seven members of Congress asking us to identify what actions, if any, the Postal Inspection Service had taken to address the increase in mail theft during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The objective of our inspection was to describe Federal Student Aid’s (FSA) control activities over institutional processes for completing verification and reporting verification results in accordance with Federal requirements.We found that FSA implemented control activities over institutional processes for completing verification procedures and reporting verification results. Specifically, we identified five significant control activities over these processes: (1) annual compliance audits, (2) program reviews, (3) W code reports, (4) management information system (MIS) reports, and (5) verification guidance.We found that FSA performed ongoing monitoring of the verification guidance control activity; but FSA did not monitor the other control activities on a regular basis. However, in September 2018, FSA’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) group issued a document titled “Verification Internal Review Report” (ERM Report) that described its separate evaluation of the processes FSA had in place to ensure institutions performed verification. We found that FSA did not address all of the control issues identified in the ERM Report and did not always determine the appropriate corrective actions or complete or document the corrective actions taken.

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection at the Marion VA Medical Center in Illinois (facility) to review an allegation that a patient died due to complications from high cholesterol.The OIG substantiated that high cholesterol contributed to the patient’s death; however, the death certificate indicated that the primary cause of death was accidental acute multi-drug intoxication.The psychiatrist and staff failed to document providing the patient with education during a telephone encounter regarding potential side effects or adverse drug-drug interactions of medication changes.Contrary to clinical guidance, the psychiatrist prescribed long-term benzodiazepine use for a patient diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder. The psychiatrist also failed to address the patient’s two negative urine drug screens for a prescribed medication, and failed to address a positive urine drug screen for cannabis.Due to COVID-19, the facility failed to launch the Psychotropic Drug Safety Initiative Phase Four Plan.The primary care provider did not comply with facility policy by failing to enter a return-to-clinic order following an appointment but could not determine if this affected the patient. Primary care and behaviorial health staff did not comply with facility policy to telephone the patient or send a letter after the patient missed appointments.The OIG made five recommendations related to ensuring behavioral health staff provide and document patient education regarding possible side effects of medications and adverse drug-drug interactions; timely communicating test results; monitoring implementation of Phase Four of the Psychotropic Drug Safety Initiative; ensuring primary care staff comply with entering return-to-clinic orders; and ensuring primary care and behavioral health staff document contacts, attempted contacts, and letters sent when a patient misses an appointment.