Federal Reports

We reviewed training for Nuclear Security, Emergency Preparedness, and Fire Brigade to determine if required nuclear training was being taken by TVA personnel. We reviewed training completion records for a sample of employees assigned to fire brigade, nuclear security, and emergency preparedness roles and found not all required training was completed. Specifically, we found (1) 1 of 54 employees did not complete the required emergency preparedness training, and (2) 3 of the 91 employees who perform fire brigade functions were missing a quarterly training. In addition, we determined some employees who perform the nuclear security and emergency preparedness functions exceeded the time frames for completing training established in TVA procedures. Additionally, we identified opportunities for improvement regarding the (1) establishment, assignment, and tracking of training requirements and (2) logs used to document fire brigade member assignments.

The Office of Inspector General evaluated NASA’s management of its Strategic Assessment Contract managed by the Johnson Space Center.

In response to a request from Senator Tammy Baldwin, the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection to assess 12 allegations regarding opioid monitoring, prescribing practices, and other concerns at the Tomah VA Medical Center, Wisconsin. The OIG found the facility had an opioid monitoring program and processes were in place to follow up on outliers or other concerns. The OIG’s electronic health record review revealed opportunities to improve compliance with risk mitigation strategies, but it appeared that the facility was attempting to comply. The OIG did not substantiate that temporary or covering providers’ opioid prescriptions were not monitored; facility managers failed to provide adequate guidance and support regarding opioid prescribing; opioids were being handed out “like candy;” pain management consults were not available; or that facility leaders failed to impose restrictions on the number of times a patient on opioids could change providers. Further, the OIG did not substantiate that physician assistants were forced to write opioid prescriptions or were being harassed such that the work environment was psychologically unsafe, or that patients were endangered because of these practices. Interviewees reported that leaders were supportive of tapering opioids and non-opioid pain management resources were available and encouraged. The OIG was unable to determine whether mental health providers were combining benzodiazepine and opioid prescriptions for patients after another provider would discontinue them. The OIG substantiated that a physician was not consistently on-site at the Wausau Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) during fiscal year 2018; however, a permanent physician started at the CBOC in early spring 2018. The facility was recruiting for additional primary care providers in several of its locations. Environment of care deficiencies at the Wausau CBOC had largely been addressed. The OIG recommended the facility continue provider education efforts and comply with risk mitigation strategies.

The National Credit Union Administration Office of Inspector General conducted this self-initiated audit to assess the NCUA’s information technology equipment inventory. The objectives of our audit were to determine: 1) whether the NCUA has IT equipment inventory policies and procedures, and 2) whether the NCUA adequately monitors and accounts for its IT equipment from acquisition through final disposition. The scope of our audit covered the period from January 1, 2014, through June 30, 2017.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis (Opioid STR) grants to States and territories to use for programs that address opioid addiction. The 21st Century Cures Act allowed SAMHSA to award $1 billion in funding, half in Federal fiscal year (FY) 2017 and the other half in FY 2018 based on a formula developed by agencies and offices within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

This interim report is part of an ongoing audit to determine the extent the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is meeting disaster survivors’ transitional shelter needs after the California wildfires and Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria in 2017. We determined that FEMA does not require disaster survivors to notify the agency when they vacate hotels participating in the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, thus allowing the hotels to continue to bill FEMA for unoccupied rooms. Because FEMA is unaware when disaster survivors vacate the hotels, the agency does not know the magnitude of unnecessary hotel charges. Consequently, FEMA could not account for associated TSA payments it may have paid since August 2017, related to the 2017 hurricane season and California wildfires.