Open Recommendations

We recommend that the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services expand the pilot program to other regions to periodically match Medicaid claims with diagnosis codes indicating potential abuse or neglect to 24-hour reportable incidents recorded in the incident reporting system.

We recommend that the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services continue working with community-based providers to ensure that all community-based providers' staff identify and understand the requirements for reporting 24-hour reportable incidents within required timeframes.

We recommend that the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services continue working with supports coordinators to ensure they verify with the community-based provider that incidents that they are aware of are reported in the EIM system.

We recommend that the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services provide targeted training to community-based providers that repeatedly do not report 24-hour reportable incidents.

The Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Network directors, ensures staff document veterans’ care coordination needs within the Community Care Coordination Plan note for consults assigned a level of care coordination above basic.

The Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Network directors, ensures staff act on consults no later than two business days after receipt and document accordingly.

The Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Network directors, ensures staff schedule community care appointments in a timely manner.

The Under Secretary for Health, in conjunction with Veterans Integrated Service Network directors, ensures staff make three attempts to retrieve medical documentation from non-VA providers.

We recommend that the Louisiana Department of Health advise nursing homes to verify that contracted employees' background checks are completed in a timely manner and in accordance with applicable requirements.

We recommend that the Louisiana Department of Health advise nursing homes to contractually require staffing companies to conduct background check searches that include State police records and to adjudicate the results of background checks in accordance with Federal and State requirements.

We recommend that the Louisiana Department of Health advise nursing homes to ensure that all background checks are conducted by authorized agencies and include a search of State police records.

We recommend that the Louisiana Department of Health conduct routine monitoring of nursing homes' compliance with background check requirements.

We recommend that the Louisiana Department of Health make training or informational material available to nursing homes on the applicable Federal and State regulations for background checks of employees.

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for OESE ensures that SSA develops, finalizes, and implements writtenguidance and review procedures for staff involved in reviewing and approving alternate assessment waiver and waiverextension requests, to include Steps for SSA staff to verify assessment participation rates (even if this would need tooccur after requests are approved) and actions to be taken if discrepancies are noted; expectations for how staff shoulddocument communication with States during the review process; expectations for how staff should document their reviewand analysis of requirements in the internal memo to clearly show how a State met or did not meet…

We recommend that the Assistant Secretary for OESE ensures that language in the Department’s annual memos toStates with regard to LEA verifications aligns with language included in the regulations to eliminate confusion and clarifyexpectations regarding what information should be included in requests to ensure compliance with State assurance andsubstantial progress requirements, to include specifically addressing progress made on each component of their prioryear plan and timeline.

The American Institute in Taiwan-Taipei, in coordination with the Office of Policy, Planning and Resources of the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, should require the Public Diplomacy Section to fully implement the Public Diplomacy Staffing Initiative.

The American Institute in Taiwan-Taipei should require all grants officers and grants officer representatives to follow existing grants administration standard operating procedures.

The American Institute in Taiwan-Taipei, in coordination with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, should implement a plan for the American Center to conform to the bureau’s American Spaces standards.

The American Institute in Taiwan-Taipei should comply with Department guidance on passport adjudication.

The American Institute in Taiwan-Taipei should resolve passport services in accordance with Department guidance.

The American Institute in Taiwan-Taipei should manage its immigrant visa records in accordance with Department guidance.

The American Institute in Taiwan-Taipei should complete required visa validation studies, in accordance with Department guidelines.

The American Institute in Taiwan-Taipei, in coordination with the American Institute in Taiwan, Washington Headquarters, should implement a process to formally request and document approvals for exceptions to Department policy, as required by the contract.

The American Institute in Taiwan-Taipei should revise its motor vehicle policy to comply with Department standards on other authorized use of official vehicles.

The American Institute in Taiwan-Taipei should enforce driver safety requirements for all chauffeurs and incidental operators under chief of mission authority in accordance with Department guidelines.