Federal Reports

Veterans Health Administration (VHA) administers healthcare services through a nationwide network of 18 regional systems referred to as Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs). This Office of Inspector General (OIG) report describes the results of a VISN-level oversight evaluation of credentialing and privileging processes at facilities within the VISNs. The OIG inspected VISNs 7, 8, 12, 15, 20, and 23 from December 5, 2022, through February 14, 2024. Specifically, the OIG determined whether VISNs complied with the following requirements:
   •    Senior strategic business partners, VISN human resources officers, and chief medical officers review licensure information for practitioners with a history of adverse licensure actions
   •    Practitioners with equivalent specialized training and similar privileges complete professional practice evaluations for solo and two-deep practitioners and facilities’ chiefs of staff
   •    VISN directors and privacy officers review evidence files for state licensing board reporting
   •    Chief medical officers review each facility annually and oversee credentialing and privileging processes
 

The OIG issued four recommendations for improvement:
   •    External practitioners with equivalent training and similar privileges complete timely evaluations for
      o    Solo and two-deep practitioners
      o    Facility chiefs of staff
   •    Review of state licensing board reporting processes for compliance with VHA policy
   •    The Chief Medical Officer oversees facilities’ annual self-assessment and ensures responses reflect accurate data

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has set a goal of increasing its solar capacity to 10,000 megawatts by 2035.  Due to issues in the solar industry resulting in project delays and price increases, we performed an audit of TVA’s solar power purchase agreements (PPAs).  Our audit objectives were to determine (1) how supply chain disruptions, construction and in‑service delays, contract restructuring, and other factors have affected TVA’s solar PPAs and (2) if any restructured PPAs are still in TVA’s financial interest.  Our audit scope included solar PPAs that were in place as of February 8, 2024, which included agreements for currently operating facilities and those contracted for future power generation.

We determined the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, construction and in-service delays, contract restructuring, and other factors resulted in TVA: 

• Renegotiating 18 of its 31 solar PPAs, including 10 that have been completed and an additional 8 that were in the process of being renegotiated.  Additionally, we determined 8 of the 10 renegotiated PPA contracts’ net present value decreased. The decline in project net present value was partially offset by anticipated revenue from renewable energy credits.  The cost increases had no impact on TVA's financial interests because purchased power costs are recouped through TVA's fuel cost adjustment.
• Changing its business model philosophy on entering into solar PPAs. 
• Making changes to improve the structure of its PPA contracts. 

In addition, we identified opportunities for improvement related to (1) requiring economic analyses and (2) selecting new solar developers.

Indian Affairs has taken actions to correct operational issues at BIA-funded and/or -operated detention facilities, but challenges remain.

We audited WSFR grants awarded by FWS to the District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment to ensure compliance and cost allowability.