Federal Reports

EAC OIG, through the independent public accounting firm of Brown & Company CPAs and Management Consultants, PLLC, audited EAC’s information security program for fiscal year 2023 in support of the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA). The objective was to determine whether EAC implemented selected security controls for certain information systems in support of FISMA.

This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program report describes the results of a focused evaluation of the inpatient and outpatient care provided at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, which includes medical centers in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Livermore and multiple outpatient clinics in California. This evaluation focused on five key operational areas:• Leadership and organizational risks• Quality, safety, and value• Medical staff privileging• Environment of care• Mental health (focusing on emergency department and urgent care center suicide prevention initiatives)The OIG issued four recommendations for improvement in two areas:1. Leadership and Organizational Risks• Institutional disclosures for sentinel events2. Environment of Care• Preventive maintenance on medical equipment• Access to medications only by authorized staff• Clean and safe environment

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center (facility) in Augusta, Georgia, to assess allegations that a spinal cord injury (SCI) patient was inappropriately admitted to an inpatient SCI unit following surgical treatment of femur and tibia bone fractures.Allegations included that the patient was not consistently monitored for blood pressure or laboratory results, had significant postoperative bleeding requiring transfer to the critical care unit (CCU), and had multiple blood transfusions. The OIG identified a concern related to a lack of communication between an orthopedic surgeon and the SCI interdisciplinary team.The OIG did not substantiate that the patient’s postoperative admission to the SCI unit was inappropriate. Postoperative SCI patients are admitted to the SCI unit unless there are complications during surgery or other concerns. The patient met post-anesthesia care unit discharge criteria, and several facility SCI staff were familiar with the patient’s care.The patient experienced significant postoperative bleeding, which resulted in the patient’s transfer to a higher level of care and multiple blood transfusions. However, the OIG determined this event was not a result of the patient’s admission to, or the postoperative care provided on, the SCI unit. SCI nurses’ close monitoring of the patient and timely initiation of a rapid response contributed to the patient’s successful recovery.The OIG identified a lack of communication between the surgeon and SCI staff related to the outpatient management of the patient’s leg fractures prior to surgery. Establishing a process to ensure improved communication and coordination between the Surgery Service and the SCI Service may benefit SCI patients with surgical needs.The OIG made one recommendation to the Facility Director related to establishing a process to optimize communication.

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) initiated this investigation after a media report concerning FEC Commissioner James “Trey” Trainor III’s appearance at an event in Texas where he was allegedly billed as a member of the “Trump Elections Team.” The reporting cited campaign finance experts, including a former FEC Commissioner, who expressed concerns about Commissioner Trainor’s appearance at the event. They further questioned whether Commissioner Trainor should have recused himself from adjudicating matters involving former President Donald Trump in light of his appearance at the event (as a purported member of the “Trump Elections Team”) and his prior work for the Trump 2016 campaign.