State & Local Reports

To determine if there is a continued need for licensure by the Nursing Home Administrators’ Licensing Board, PERD assessed whether the Board complied with the general provisions of Chapter 30 and other applicable laws, and evaluate the Board’s website for user-friendliness and transparency. The Board is necessary to protect the public and complies with most of the provisions of Chapter 30 of West Virginia Code, however it could benefit from being included in a multi-professional licensing agency.

The objective of this review was to determine if licensure of hearing aid dealers is necessary to protect the public and if so, whether an independent board is necessary to administer licensure. This review also assessed the Board’s compliance with Chapter 30 requirements and other applicable sections of West Virginia Code. The Legislative Auditor finds that the Board is inaccessible and does not protect the public. Licensure continues to be necessary; however, the Board itself is unnecessary and licensure could be administered by the Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Furthermore, the Board's end-of-year cash balance has declined to a concerning level. PERD also noted significant administrative issues.

The objective of this review was to examine the cost, possible duplication of services, and rationale for a person having the dual title and responsibilities of DOT secretary and DOH commissioner. The Legislative Auditor contends that the statutory responsibilities of the commissioner and the cabinet secretary cannot be accomplished by one person because a single individual realistically cannot be effective serving in this dual role. This proves to be true in practice since the dual-title provision invariably leads to another person being employed in the capacity of deputy secretary/commissioner and receives a salary over $100,000.

The objective was to conduct a performance audit of the provisional license to practice as a social worker and the application process by which a provisional licensee may become a licensed social worker. Senate Bill 312, passed on March 5, 2020, eliminated the non-related degree social worker, and eliminated the ability of those individuals with a related and non-related degree to complete the four-year training program designed by Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) to become a licensed social worker by the extended June 30, 2020 date. According to DHHR, there were 48 individuals who had the opportunity to complete the program by June 30, 2020.

The objectives of this audit were to identify and review the Bureau for Children and Families' (BCF) child protective service (CPS) worker allocation process and determine if other methods should be used. Also, PERD was asked to determine if population is considered in staffing allocation. PERD found that the BCF allocates CPS workers based on the percentage of accepted CPS cases to a region and district. While the agency typically allocates workers using this method, it does allow for exceptions, which changes the allocation in two or more districts. While the current allocation process keeps the caseload numbers in line with national standards, it does not consider vacancies. When the number of vacancies is considered, the actual caseload is much higher than the allocated caseload.

The objectives of this review was to determine if the Board of Examiners in Counseling complied with the general provisions of Chapter 30, Article 1 of the West Virginia Code, the Board’s enabling statute, other applicable rules and laws, and if the Board’s website is user-friendly and promotes transparency. The Board is financially self-sufficient and complies with most provisions of state regulations. PERD also found that the Board put sensitive materials on an unsecured page of its website. This put the state at risk of liability. When notified of the exposure, the Board did not follow executive branch procedure and report the exposure to the Office of Technology. The Board sends unencrypted emails with the complaint files and passwords to board members and complaint committee members.

The objective of this review was to determine the level of benefit the Port Authority provides to the state of West Virginia, and whether there is a continued need for the agency’s existence. The Legislative Auditor finds that the Port Authority receives no funding, has no employees or future projects, and holds no benefit to the state of West Virginia. Additionally, the agency is currently inactive, does not implement key duties and responsibilities designated by the W. Va. State Code, and has incurred more expenditures than revenue in recent years.

PERD’s objectives were to determine to what extent has the costs per patient at Jackie Withrow Hospital increased or decreased compared to other comparable state health facilities since 2013, and whether the facility complied with the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2018 Jackie Withrow Hospital had the third highest cost-per-patient and the highest overall expenditures for FY 2018 of the four state-owned hospitals. Contributing factors to the higher costs are that the size of the building far exceeds its current use and the age of the building needs many costly repairs and upgrades. The facility was built in the 1930s for a capacity of 655 beds. However, the facility currently serves between 79 and 91 patients at any one time. As in 2013, the estimate to build a new, appropriately-sized facility to replace the Jackie Withrow Hospital would be less costly than the estimated cost to completely repair the facility.

PERD’s objectives were to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of the A. James Manchin Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan (REAP). Although REAP has produced significant output, the program is inefficient and the primary desired outcomes are not being achieved. REAP has not been effective in pollution prevention or reducing per capita municipal solid waste disposed in landfills.

Legislative leadership commissioned a study to gauge the issues and needs of state-owned laboratory testing facilities. Nearly all the State’s laboratory testing programs are in facilities dating back to the middle of the last century. Not only are they relatively old, but many were not constructed for lab testing purposes. Each of the State’s lab testing programs do not have sufficient lab space in their current facilities, and no facility upgrades or remodeling have occurred to maintain modern standards.