Federal Reports

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) evaluated and tested USDA’s virtualization platforms for compliance with controls found in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and industry best practices to determine the status of USDA’s overall management and security of IT resources.

An Amtrak Service/Train Attendant based in New Orleans was terminated from his position on August 18, 2022, following his administrative hearing. Our investigation found that the former employee violated company policies by engaging in outside self-employment while on a medical leave of absence.

We evaluated the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) enterprise-wide security program for Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information intelligence systems. Pursuant to the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014, we reviewed the Department’s security program, and system security controls for the enterprise-wide intelligence system. The Department’s information security program for FY 2021 was rated as “ineffective,” according to reporting instructions

We conducted covert tests to determine the effectiveness of TSA’s checked baggagescreening technologies, related procedures, and whether Transportation SecurityOfficers complied with screening policies and procedures. We identified vulnerabilitieswith TSA’s screener performance, associated procedures, and screening equipment.Details related to our testing results presented in the report are classified or designatedSensitive Security Information. We are making three recommendations that whenimplemented, should improve TSA’s checked baggage screening operationaleffectiveness. TSA concurred with all three recommendations.

The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) assessed allegations at the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System in California (facility) that community living center (CLC) nursing staff failed to (i) assess a resident who was complaining of pain; (ii) properly document assessments, reassessments, treatments, or interventions; and (iii) follow and implement a provider’s order related to transferring the resident to a higher level of care. The OIG also identified concerns associated with an institutional disclosure and inadequate care coordination.The OIG found that the day charge nurse’s assessment was delayed and incomplete, and the day charge nurse failed to properly document the resident’s reassessments, treatments, and interventions. However, the OIG did not substantiate that other individual nursing staff members involved with the resident’s care failed to properly document the resident’s care. The OIG substantiated that nursing staff failed to document and carry out a telephone order to transfer the resident to the Emergency Department but was unable to determine if this impacted the patient’s outcome. The OIG determined that following the resident’s death, facility staff failed to conduct a comprehensive review of events leading up to and contributing to the resident’s death and, due to a lack of coordination of care at the time of discharge from the inpatient unit, the resident did not have the needed equipment upon admission to the CLC.The OIG made 10 recommendations to the Facility Director regarding confirmation of CLC nursing staff’s knowledge of policies related to nursing practices, documentation, pain assessments, verbal orders, Joint Patient Safety Reports, administrative reviews, and quality assurance reviews; a review of hand-off communications; the need for peer reviews specific to the resident’s care and CLC admission processes related to respiratory therapy equipment; completion of action items identified in the Corrective Action Plan and an institutional disclosure.

BackgroundThe U.S. Postal Service has essential business relationships with its suppliers to perform many functions that closely support Postal Service operations. The Postal Service aims to build and maintain these relationships based on the potential impact suppliers’ performance has on the Postal Service’s operational and financial position. From fiscal years (FY) 2019 to 2021, the Postal Service’s managed spend for goods and services was about $17 billion on contracts distributed throughout ten Supply Management Category Management Centers and four Portfolios. What We DidOur objective was to determine if the Postal Service evaluates and manages risks associated with suppliers’ performance to fulfill contractual requirements successfully. We reviewed a judgmental sample of 94 Postal Service suppliers with a managed spend of $1 million and above per contract from FYs 2019 to 2021.