Federal Reports

The VA OIG conducts information security inspections to assess whether VA facilities meet federal security requirements. The OIG followed up on an inspection it conducted at the VA Beckley Healthcare System in West Virginia in 2023.
During this follow-up inspection, the OIG identified substantial progress in addressing prior recommendations, and some continued deficiencies in configuration management, security management, and access controls.

For configuration management, the team identified one deficiency over vulnerability remediation: the healthcare system did not meet required timelines for addressing critical vulnerabilities and lacked necessary remediation plans, leaving outdated software on numerous systems. Additionally, the OIG identified several unique high and critical vulnerabilities within the network that were not reflected in the agency’s standard vulnerability reports.

The healthcare system had deficiencies in three security management controls: a special-purpose system lacked authorization to operate; a special-purpose system had inappropriate security categorizations; and staff had administrative access and a lack of separation of duties for managing a pharmacy inventory system.

Finally, the healthcare system had deficiencies in physical controls restricting access to computer rooms, although the facility was addressing these deficiencies. The team also found that the facility was not monitoring the destruction of temporary records as required.

The OIG made three recommendations to the assistant secretary of information and technology, who also serves as the chief information officer, and two recommendations to the Beckley VA Medical Center director. VA concurred with four recommendations and did not concur with one. Nevertheless, the OIG noted VA provided sufficient evidence of implementation for four of the recommendations (including the one VA did not concur with) and considers those recommendations closed. The OIG will monitor implementation of the remaining recommendation.

Purchase Card Assessment and Review of the Charge Card Program for Fiscal Year 2025

This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Healthcare Facility Inspection program report describes the results of a focused evaluation of the care provided at the VA Central Alabama Health Care System in Montgomery. 

This evaluation focused on five key content domains:
     •    Culture
     •    Environment of care
     •    Patient safety
     •    Primary care
     •    Veteran-centered safety net

The OIG issued 15 recommendations for VA to correct identified deficiencies in three domains:
   1.    Environment of care
     •    Detectable warning surfaces
     •    Training for toxic exposure screenings
     •    Repeat findings
     •    Biohazardous material storage
     •    Clean and safe environment
   2.    Patient safety
     •    Communication of test results
     •    Peer Review Committee attendance
     •    Sentinel events and institutional disclosures
     •    Action plan tracking
     •    Medical emergency roles and responsibilities
     •    Emergency response policy
     •    Basic life support certification
   3.    Primary care
     •    Patients assigned to primary care teams

IBC ICCAD internal control vulnerabilities increase the risk of unauthorized or erroneous rate changes, data integrity issues, and audit trail gaps.

We discuss DOI’s progress in implementing Government charge card recommendations in FY 2025 and other DOI-related charge card audits and evaluations. 

Peace Corps OIG'S Semiannual Report to Congress describes OIG's work in identifying significant findings relating to the Peace Corps' administration programs and operations at both headquarters and overseas posts during the semiannual reporting period from April 1, 2025, through September 30, 2025.

Why We Did This Report

The Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012, Pub. L. No. 112-194, requires inspectors general to conduct periodic audits and assessments of purchase card programs and periodic audits or reviews of travel card programs at their agencies.
 

Summary of Findings

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General conducts periodic audits, assessments, and reviews of the travel and purchase card programs at the EPA and the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.  In fiscal year 2025, however, we did not perform a purchase or travel card program audit, assessment, or review for the EPA or the CSB. Also, as of the date of this letter, there are no outstanding OIG recommendations related to the EPA or CSB travel and purchase card programs.