Federal Reports

Our objective for this report was to assess the extent to which the company is accurately and transparently using, accounting for, and reporting on funds it was provided through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021.We found that the company remained a good steward of the $1 billion in funding Congress provided as part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 (Relief Act) and is, in general, accurately using and accounting for these funds. We identified two opportunities where the company can be more transparent in its communications and reporting on its planned spending and adherence to congressional directives related to employee furloughs.

Our objective was to assess the U.S. Postal Service’s social media and digital channel security posture. We also assessed whether policies are in place to protect the integrity of the Postal Service’s official social media and digital channel presence.

We determined that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Border Patrol headquarters officials were only aware of a few of the 83 CBP employees’ cases of social media misconduct. CBP and Border Patrol senior officials only responded to one of those cases, upon direction from DHS. In contrast, the senior Office of Field Operations (OFO) headquarters leader issued guidance to remind OFO employees of acceptable use of social media. With regard to the posts media outlets published in July 2019, we found no evidence that senior CBP headquarters or field leaders were aware of them until they were made public by the media. We also found some senior leaders questioned the legality or the application of CBP policies, which may undermine CBP’s ability to enforce the policies. We made two recommendations to help reduce the incidence of social media misconduct. First, we recommended the Commissioner ensures CBP uniformly applies social media misconduct policies, and establishes social media training for new recruits and annual refresher training for all employees. CBP concurred with all recommendations.

To read this report, visit the Pandemic Response Accountability website:https://www.pandemicoversight.gov/oversight/our-publications-reports/ke…

The VA Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) Office of Investigations was contacted by the Facility Director in June 2018 who reported concerns related to the suspicious deaths of nine patients from profound hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). A criminal investigation was initiated. The OIG Office of Healthcare Inspections immediately commenced a parallel healthcare inspection. Healthcare inspectors finalized their evaluation after OIG investigators completed the criminal case.On July 14, 2020, Reta Mays, a former nursing assistant, pled guilty to seven counts of second degree murder and one count of assault with the intent to commit murder by deliberately administering insulin to eight patients.The OIG found that the facility had serious clinical and administrative failures, including hiring and medication security practices, communication of clinical information, and patient safety deficiencies that contributed to Ms. Mays’s criminal actions not being identified and stopped earlier.The OIG made three recommendations to the Under Secretary for Health related to adjudicator follow-up of unreturned background investigation documentation, rescue medication security and management, and mortality data analyses. Two recommendations were made to the Veterans Integrated Service Network Director to conduct management reviews of the care of patients discussed in this report and a broader evaluation of patients who may have been harmed in other ways by Ms. Mays’s actions. Ten recommendations were made to the Facility Director related to the Pharmacy Service’s inventory accountability, endocrinology consults, clinical communication expectations, clinical documentation reviews, clinical care-related reporting expectations, patient safety event training, interdisciplinary mortality workgroup activities, oversight and reporting, and a culture of safety.