Federal Reports

We considered Recommendation 5 resolved and implemented and Recommendations 1 – 4 and 6 – 8 resolved but not implemented. We referred those seven recommendations to the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget to track their implementation.

On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). To date the CARES Act has provided the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) with $909.7 million, which includes direct apportionments of $756 million to support the needs of DOI programs, bureaus, Indian Country, and the Insular Areas, and a $153.7 million transfer from the U.S. Department of Education to the BIE.This report presents the DOI’s progress as of October 31, 2020, in spending CARES Act appropriations. Specifically, the DOI’s expenditures to date total $566,168,083, and its obligations total $661,068,678.We are also monitoring the DOI’s progress on reporting milestones established by the CARES Act and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.We anticipate issuing updated status reports monthly.

We audited the costs claimed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Division of Marine Fisheries, under grants awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program. We conducted this audit to determine whether the Division used grant funds and fishing license revenue for allowable fishing activities and complied with applicable laws and regulations, FWS guidelines, and grant agreements. The audit period included claims totaling $3 million on nine grants that were open during the Commonwealth’s fiscal years that ended June 30, 2018, and June 30, 2019.We found that the Division ensured that grant funds and license revenue were used for allowable activities and complied with applicable laws and regulations, FWS guidelines, and grant agreements. We did not identify any reportable conditions. We also followed up on seven recommendations from our 2010 and 2016 audits and found that the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Policy, Management and Budget considered all recommendations resolved and implemented. We did not require a response to this audit report.

We audited the costs claimed by the Commonwealth of Virginia, Marine Resources Commission, under grants awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program. We conducted this audit to determine whether the Commission used grant funds and State fishing license revenue for allowable fish activities and complied with applicable laws and regulations, FWS guidelines, and grant agreements. The audit period included claims totaling $7.6 million on 22 grants that were open during the State fiscal years that ended June 30, 2018, and June 30, 2019.We found that the Commission ensured that grant funds and license revenue were used for allowable activities and complied with applicable laws and regulations, FWS guidelines, and grant agreements. We did not identify any reportable conditions.

We audited the costs claimed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission under grants awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program. The audit included claims totaling approximately $82.7 million on 17 grants that were open during the State fiscal years that ended June 30, 2017, and June 30, 2018. The audit also covered the Commission’s compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and FWS guidelines, including those related to collecting and using hunting and fishing license revenues and reporting program income.We found that the Commission claimed ineligible and unsupported costs to Program grants totaling $7,329,212 ($1,127,981 Federal share). These questioned costs related to equipment usage rates, other direct costs, subaward costs, in-kind contributions, payroll costs, and program income.We also found that the Commission did not properly allocate credit card rebates among applicable grants, improperly classified subawards as contracts, did not adequately manage equipment, misused Program-funded real property, did not report barter transactions, and did not protect lands acquired or maintained with Program funds or license revenues against trespass and encroachment.We made 29 recommendations and 1 repeat recommendation. In response to our draft report, the FWS provided a list of corrective actions and stated it will work with the Commission to implement them.

This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program report provides a focused evaluation of the quality of care delivered in the inpatient and outpatient settings of the Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center and multiple outpatient clinics in South Carolina. The inspection covers key clinical and administrative processes associated with promoting quality care. This inspection focused on Leadership and Organizational Risks; Quality, Safety, and Value; Medical Staff Privileging; Environment of Care; Medication Management: Long-Term Opioid Therapy for Pain; Mental Health: Suicide Prevention Program; Care Coordination: Life-Sustaining Treatment Decisions; Women’s Health: Comprehensive Care; and High-Risk Processes: Reusable Medical Equipment.The medical center leaders had worked together for nearly two years at the time of the on-site inspection. Survey results indicated that employees were generally satisfied. However, patient survey results indicated multiple opportunities for medical center leaders to improve satisfaction. Review of the medical center’s accreditation findings, sentinel events, and disclosures did not identify any substantial organizational risks. Medical center leaders, other than the Chief of Staff, were knowledgeable within their scope of responsibilities about employee and patient satisfaction survey results and Veterans Health Administration data and/or factors contributing to specific poorly-performing Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning quality and efficiency measures.The OIG issued 14 recommendations for improvement in six areas:(1) Medical Staff Privileging• Ongoing professional practice evaluations• Provider exit reviews(2) Environment of Care• Infection prevention and medication safety• Environmental cleanliness• Privacy(3) Medication Management• Aberrant behavior risk assessment• Informed consent• Patient follow-up (4) Mental Health• Patient follow-up• Suicide prevention training(5) Women’s Health• Gynecologic care coverage• Women Veterans Health Committee membership and attendance(6) High-Risk Processes• Equipment storage