Open Recommendations

Continue updating the Veterans Benefits Management System-Rating systems effective date builder to add functionality that applies liberalizing laws on claims when the Veterans Benefits Administration receives an intent to file.

Update the Veterans Benefits Management System-Rating systems effective date builder to add functionality that applies liberalizing laws on claims when a veterans service connection is based on a toxic exposure risk activity.

Evaluate PACT Act refresher training by monitoring the results to assess the effectiveness of the training.

Correct all processing errors on cases identified by the review team and report the results to the Office of Inspector General.

The Director, Submission Processing, should lead a review that includes the Directors of Accounts Management, Field Assistance, Media and Publications, and Online Services to add cautionary language to the appropriate forms and publications instructing taxpayers not to use a third-party carrier when paying a balance due that is addressed to a P.O. Box address (Lockbox).

The Director, Submission Processing, should lead a review that includes the Directors of Accounts Management, Field Assistance, Media and Publications, and Online Services to add cautionary language to the appropriate IRS.gov web pages instructing taxpayers not to use a third-party carrier when paying a balance due for third-party payer processor that is addressed to a P.O. Box address (Lockbox).

The Director, Submission Processing, should coordinate with FMSS to create a guide for shared mailrooms not staffed with full-time IRS personnel or contracted staff. The guide should clearly document the time within which taxpayers’ checks and related documents must be routed to the appropriate Submission Processing Center.

The Director, Submission Processing, should coordinate with other Taxpayer Service functions, such as Field Assistance, Accounts Management, and FMSS to include a requirement to identify on Form 3210 any forms received with misrouted remittances.

The Director, Submission Processing, should coordinate with Field Assistance, Accounts Management, and FMSS to create an annual MOU, agree on appropriate staffing, and clearly establish roles and responsibilities when 1) misrouted mail is received and 2) misrouted mail is to be sent to a local TAC for processing rather than a specific Submission Processing Center.

The Director, Submission Processing, should include instructions in the Annual Lockbox Filing Season Readiness Plan to conduct readiness checks or inspections of IRS mailrooms closest to the Lockbox sites. Ensure the sites are staffed and have current instructions specific to processing misrouted Lockbox mail.

The Director, Submission Processing, should implement policies or procedures requiring mailroom staff, or persons assigned to work in non-staffed mailrooms, report the volume of misrouted Lockbox mail received to the LPO Section on a weekly basis from the start of the calendar year to the Lockbox site’s specific program completion date.

Develop, implement, and document a comprehensive process for proactively identifying and managing the risk of train strikes. In the context of this new process, the company should consider formalizing successful initiatives that it is currently piloting, as well as expanding implementation of the key practices we identified in this report.

Develop, implement, and document a process to regularly review and reconcile its train strike data to ensure their accuracy.

We recommend the Vice President, Transmission Planning and Projects, work with Financial Operations and Performance to develop a strategy to align their forecasted spend and funding.

We recommend the Vice President, Transmission Planning and Projects, continue to identify opportunities to improve project estimation and execution.

Executive leaders evaluate the toxic exposure screening process and develop a sustainable action plan to ensure staff complete secondary screenings.

Executive leaders ensure facility staff conduct all required monthly and annual fire extinguisher inspections, document the completion date and results, and report compliance rates to the Comprehensive Environment of Care Committee.

Executive leaders ensure facility staff complete preventive maintenance inspections for all medical equipment.

Executive leaders ensure facility staff develop and implement processes to properly disinfect wheelchairs, remove dust from ceiling vents, and repair walls.

Executive leaders ensure facility staff keep clean and dirty equipment and supplies separated in storage areas and ensure staff can access medical equipment when needed.

Executive leaders ensure facility staff use video monitors for patient safety purposes only and limit them to staff directly involved in the patients care.

Veterans Integrated Service Network leaders ensure facility executive leaders provide effective oversight of the environment of care program.

Executive leaders ensure quality management staff implement a system-wide process to monitor the effectiveness of patient notification of all urgent, noncritical test results.

Determine whether any administrative action should be taken with respect to the conduct of the medical facility director and the chief of staff of the Omaha VA Medical Center.

Direct the medical facility director to educate and train those involved with consults on the process, including how to customize the clinically indicated date to reflect the date of care agreed to by the provider and the veteran. The training should be mandatory, its contents should comply with national policy, and its frequency should be determined by the medical facility director.