Reports
Search reports, investigative results, and agency plansShowing 1 - 77 of 77 results
Small Business Administration OIG
Approved Disaster Assistance Loans Matching COVID‐19 EIDLs and PPP Loans with Fraud Hold Codes
The Office of Inspector General is issuing this evaluation report to determine whether the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved disaster loan applications with related Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) or Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans with fraud hold codes.In October 2022, SBA established an informal review process to match disaster assistance loan applications to pandemic loans that had fraud hold codes based on taxpayer identification numbers. In August 2023, the agency began transitioning to a new system that uses fraud...
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation OIG
Projected Benefit Payments in Selected Special Financial Assistance (SFA) Applications
Department of Education OIG
Federal Student Aid’s Performance Measures and Indicators for Returning Borrowers to Repayment
The inspection sought to determine whether the Federal Student Aid office (FSA) established performance measures and indicators for returning borrowers to repayment. We found that FSA needed to establish effective performance measures and indicators to evaluate its performance for returning borrowers to repayment. Although FSA and the Office of the Undersecretary established operational and strategic objectives and operational goals for returning borrowers to repayment, they were not written in specific and measurable terms. In addition, although FSA identified several data metrics as...
Small Business Administration OIG
SBA’s Processing of COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Reconsideration Requests
The Office of Inspector General is issuing this inspection report to assess the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) processing of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) reconsideration requests.SBA began accepting COVID-19 EIDL applications on March 12, 2020, and continued to accept them through December 31, 2021, when the COVID-19 EIDL program ended. COVID-19 EIDL applicants who were not approved for a loan could request the agency reconsider their loan application, initiating the reconsideration process.We found SBA generally processed reconsideration...
Small Business Administration OIG
SBA’s Guaranty Purchases for Paycheck Protection Program Loans
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is issuing this Inspection report to assess the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) guaranty purchase process for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act established the PPP to provide guaranteed SBA loans for eligible businesses, individuals, and nonprofits adversely impacted by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic. We assessed whether SBA reported and referred charged-off PPP loans to commercial credit reporting agencies and the U.S. Department of Treasury in accordance with applicable...
Small Business Administration OIG
Evaluation of COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Applicants on the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Do Not Pay List
The OIG is issuing this evaluation to assess whether the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) effectively implemented internal controls when using the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Do Not Pay (DNP) databases to detect and prevent payments of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and grants to ineligible entities.Despite implementing controls requiring loan officers to check DNP databases prior to approval of COVID-19 EIDLs and provide applicants 30 days to rectify any negative information received from DNP, the agency continued to award and disburse...
Small Business Administration OIG
7(a) Loan Approval for Borrowers with Unresolved COVID-19 Pandemic Loan Compliance Issues
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is issuing this Inspection Report to assess the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) process for approving 7(a) loans for borrowers with unresolved pandemic loan compliance issues.From October 1, 2019 through May 8, 2023, SBA approved and disbursed 172,598 7(a) loans, totaling $83.4 billion. The 7(a) lenders who have delegated approval authority approved 92 percent of these loans and SBA approved the remaining 8 percent. SBA implemented a process to screen 7(a) loan applications for eligibility, which included screening for Paycheck Protection Program...
Department of Commerce OIG
Independent Program Evaluation of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Pandemic Relief Program
For the independent program evaluation of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Pandemic Relief Program, the evaluation objective was to determine whether NIST grantees and subrecipients accounted for and expended pandemic relief funds provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and subsequent funding authorizations in accordance with federal laws and regulations. We contracted with the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), an independent firm, to perform this evaluation. Our office oversaw the evaluation’s progress to ensure that IDA performed it in...
Department of Health & Human Services OIG
Lessons Learned During the Pandemic Can Help Improve Care in Nursing Homes
Small Business Administration OIG
Evaluation of SBA’s Eligibility and Forgiveness Reviews of Paycheck Protection Program Loans Made to Borrowers with Treasury’s Do Not Pay Data Matches
This report is a follow up to SBA OIG Report Number 21-06, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Recipients on the Department of Treasury’s (Treasury) Do Not Pay (DNP) List, which reported SBA did not use Department of Treasury (Treasury) DNP data to screen borrowers for eligibility prior to approving loans originated before August 8, 2020 (PPP round one). In this report, we assess SBA actions to address potentially ineligible loans identified in report 21-06 and its implementation of controls to review DNP data for PPP loans originated after August 8, 2020 (PPP round two).SBA implemented a...
Small Business Administration OIG
SBA's Handling of Identity Theft in the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program
This report presents the results of our verification inspection of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) corrective actions for the five recommendations from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) evaluation report SBA’s Handling of Identity Theft in the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (Report 21-15).We initiated this verification inspection to determine whether the closed recommendations were fully implemented or if further corrective actions were needed. Accordingly, our objective was to determine the effectiveness of the corrective actions SBA implemented to 1)...
Department of Health & Human Services OIG
The Provider Relief Fund Helped Select Nursing Homes Maintain Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic, but Some Found Guidance Difficult to Use
Small Business Administration OIG
SBA's Internal Controls to Prevent Shuttered Venue Operators Grants to Ineligible Applicants
This report presents the results of our inspection to assess the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) controls to prevent disbursements to ineligible entities. Specifically, our review focused on general eligibility requirements applicable to all SVOG applicants and venue-specific requirements applicable to live venue operators.SBA delayed launching the SVOG application portal for over 2 weeks in April 2021 because of technical issues. In June 2021, SBA officials made program changes, which SBA called a “program refresh,” to accelerate application...
Department of the Treasury OIG
City of Springfield, Massachusetts – Use of Coronavirus Relief Fund Proceeds
Department of Agriculture OIG
COVID-19 - Coronavirus Food Assistance Program - Direct Support
We determined whether Farm Service Agency (FSA) provided timely and accurate Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) direct payments to eligible recipients.
Department of Agriculture OIG
COVID-19—Farmers to Families Food Box Program Administration
In our final report, we assessed the controls Agricultural Marketing Service developed and implemented to ensure awardees fulfilled the obligations of their contracts.
Small Business Administration OIG
SBA’s Awards for Staffing Support for COVID-19 Economic Relief Loan Programs
We reviewed the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) blanket purchase agreement with Highlight Technologies, LLC for loan support services.To meet the increased demand for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) loan program support services, SBA issued labor hour contracts, e.g. call orders, using an existing blanket purchase agreement. However, SBA contracting officials did not always perform adequate price analyses, awarding contracts that were not the best use of taxpayer funds. SBA did not establish adequate guidance to ensure contracting officials consistently followed federal...
Small Business Administration OIG
SBA’s Administrative Process to Address Potentially Fraudulent Restaurant Revitalization Fund Awards
We inspected the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) administrative process used to review potentially fraudulent Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) applications and recover funds.Program officials designed the RRF application validation and approval processes using the Government Accountability Office’s A Framework for Managing Fraud Risks in Federal Programs. However, 3,790 applications submitted through a point-of-sale partner were processed without verifying gross sales, a key control designed to prevent ineligible entities from receiving awards.As a result, SBA’s RRF application...
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation OIG
PBGC Should Improve Its Special Financial Assistance Review Procedures
Department of Health & Human Services OIG
Challenges With Data From Federal Vaccination Partners Hinder Efforts by State and Local Immunization Programs To CombatCOVID-19
Department of Health & Human Services OIG
Early Challenges Highlight Areas for Improvement in COVID-19 Vaccination Programs
Department of the Interior OIG
The Bureaus of Indian Affairs and Indian Education Have the Opportunity To Implement Additional Controls To Prevent or Detect Multi-dipping of Pandemic Response Funds
We recommended the BIA and the BIE implement controls designed to prevent or detect instances of multi-dipping of pandemic response funds.
General Services Administration OIG
Ventilation Issues Persist in Unrenovated Wings of GSA Headquarters Building
Department of Health & Human Services OIG
During the Initial COVID-19 Response, HHS Personnel Who Interacted With Potentially Infected Passengers Had Limited Protections
Department of Health & Human Services OIG
Home Health Agencies Used Multiple Strategies To Respondto the COVID-19 Pandemic, Although Some Challenges Persist
Small Business Administration OIG
Follow-up Inspection of SBA’s Internal Controls to Prevent COVID-19 EIDLs to Ineligible Applicants
This report presents the results of our follow-up inspection to assess the effectiveness of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) enhanced internal controls to prevent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to ineligible applicants.The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act prohibited the agency from requiring tax return transcripts to prove eligibility. Congress eliminated this restriction 9 months later with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. We found SBA did not implement the tax transcript requirement in a timely...
Small Business Administration OIG
Paycheck Protection Program Eligibility for Nonprofit Organizations
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted this review to assess Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) eligibility for nonprofit organizations. Based on data analysis, we identified 179 PPP loans, totaling approximately $684 million, made to potentially ineligible nonprofits that may have exceeded SBA’s requirements for business size, known as size standards, at the time of application.We also reviewed PPP loans for three large nonprofits, including Planned Parenthood of Illinois that received over $3.8 million, Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania...
Department of Agriculture OIG
COVID-19—Oversight of the Emergency Food Assistance Program—Final Report
In our final report, we determined what TEFAP flexibilities were available to States during the pandemic and FNS’ oversight of the States and Eligible Recipient Agencies’ compliance with administrative fund requirements.
Department of Agriculture OIG
COVID-19—Food Safety and Inspection Service Pandemic Response at Establishments
We reviewed the actions FSIS took relating to COVID-19 to ensure the continuation of inspection operations at meat and poultry slaughter and processing establishments, including to ensure the health and safety of FSIS inspectors and how FSIS spent the $33 million in CARES Act funding.
Department of Homeland Security OIG
Violations of ICE Detention Standards at Folkston ICE Processing Center and Folkston Annex
The objective was to conduct an unannounced inspection of Folkston Processing Center and Folkston Annex to monitor compliance with select ICE detention standards.
Department of Agriculture OIG
COVID-19—Farmers to Families Food Box Program Administration—Interim Report
We assessed how AMS designed the Farmers to Families Food Box Program solicitation, whether AMS awarded the contracts in accordance withrequirements, and what methodology AMS used to allocate funding.
Small Business Administration OIG
SBA’s Handling of Potentially Fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program Loans
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that the Small Business Administration (SBA) did not have an organizational structure with clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and processes to manage and handle potentially fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans across the program. In addition, the agency did not establish a centralized entity to design, lead, and manage fraud risk. This problem occurred because the agency did not establish a sufficient fraud risk framework at the start of and throughout PPP implementation. Management stated this was partly due to the speed of the...
Department of Homeland Security OIG
ICE Spent Funds on Unused Beds, Missed COVID-19 Protocols and Detention Standards while Housing Migrant Families in Hotels
ICE did not adequately justify the need for the sole source contract to house migrant families and spent approximately $17 million for hotel space and services at six hotels that went largely unused between April and June 2021.
Small Business Administration OIG
Evaluation of SBA’s Disaster Assistance Loan Recommendation Services
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) evaluated the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) procedures to award a contract for data analysis and loan recommendation services for Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications and Targeted EIDL Advance applications related to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.To increase loan processing capabilities and quickly disburse loans during the pandemic, SBA used an existing contract awarded to RER Solutions and its subcontractor Rocket Loans set aside for small businesses. SBA initially set a contract ceiling of $100 million and...
Small Business Administration OIG
SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program Loan Review Processes
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted this evaluation to assess the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) processes for reviewing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for eligibility and forgiveness.SBA’s online loan forgiveness platform used by lenders to submit forgiveness requests is adequate to support SBA’s loan review process. However, we found that for some loans, totaling $66.4 billion, SBA did not meet the 90-day statutory requirement to remit forgiveness payments to lenders. SBA did not meet the 90-day requirement for 98.2 percent of loans over $2 million. Not...
Department of Veterans Affairs OIG
Care in the Community Consult Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center in West Virginia
The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center (facility) in West Virginia to assess allegations of failure to schedule a Care in the Community (CITC) COVID Priority 1 cardiology consult within Veterans Health Administration requirements, and delays in CITC consult scheduling caused by inadequate CITC staffing.The OIG substantiated that a COVID Priority 1 CITC cardiology consult was not scheduled within 30 days of the clinically indicated date. The OIG determined that the consult was amongst a backlog of approximately 5,000...
Department of Education OIG
The Department’s Implementation of CARES Act Flexibilities to TEACH Grant Service Obligations
The objective of our review was to evaluate the Department of Education’s plans and processes to ensure Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) grantees receive full-time credit toward their service obligations for part-time and temporarily interrupted service due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). We found weaknesses in FSA’s development and implementation of plans and processes to ensure TEACH grantees receive full-time credit towards their service obligations for part-time or temporarily interrupted service due to COVID-19. Additionally, we found that FSA...
Small Business Administration OIG
SBA’s Oversight of the Grant Recipient’s Implementation of the CARES Act Resource Partners Training Portal
We evaluated the SBA’s handling of the grant to train small businesses on federal resources available in the wake of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act authorized funds up to $25 million for SBA to administer a grant to an association or associations representing resource partner centers to establish a single centralized hub for COVID-19 information.We found SBA did not ensure the grant recipient developed and implemented an effective marketing and outreach strategy to ensure the hub successfully achieved the...
Department of Homeland Security OIG
Medical Processes and Communication Protocols Need Improvement at Irwin County Detention Center
The objective was to determine whether Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC), in Ocilla, Georgia provided Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees adequate medical care and adhered to COVID-19 protections.
Department of Veterans Affairs OIG
Deficiencies in Select Community Care Consult (Stat) Processes During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a national review of stat community care consults generated during the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic to evaluate consult processes. Patient involvement in care urgency disagreements and reporting of adverse events in community care were also reviewed. When the OIG identified deficiencies in processes, electronic health records (EHRs) of the patients at issue were further examined for potential negative outcomes. The OIG did not identify any negative care outcomes.For the 2,236 stat community care consults generated from March 20, 2020...
Department of the Interior OIG
Pandemic Purchase Card Use
Our inspection identified several issues with CARES Act and pandemic-related purchase card transactions made through September 30, 2020.
Full Details:
Oversight.gov Report Page for Pandemic Purchase Card Use
Pandemic Response Accountability Committee
Increasing Transparency into COVID-19 Spending
The objective of this review was to identify specific gaps in transparency in award data for federal assistance spending in response to COVID-19. We looked at 51,000 awards worth $347 billion that supported the pandemic response (as of June 15, 2021). The report includes three findings, including we found more than 15,400 awards worth $33 billion with meaningless descriptions that make it difficult to know how COVID-19 relief money was used. The report includes five recommendations to help improve the transparency into COVID-19 relief spending.
Department of the Interior OIG
Pandemic-Related Contract Actions
Our inspection identified several concerns with CARES Act and pandemic-related contract actions made through October 31, 2020.
Small Business Administration OIG
SBA Emergency EIDL Grants to Sole Proprietors and Independent Contractors
The Office of Inspector General examined Emergency EIDL grants to sole proprietors and independent contractors from March 29, 2020, until the funds were exhausted just 14 weeks later on July 10. We set out to determine whether the agency complied with its internal policy that set Emergency EIDL grants at $1,000 per employee up to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act mandated maximum amount of $10,000.Using SBA’s data, we found SBA provided $4.5 billion more in Emergency EIDL grants to sole proprietors and independent contractors than they were entitled to receive...
Department of Homeland Security OIG
FLETC’s Actions to Respond to and Manage COVID-19 at Its Glynco Training Center
Before reopening in June 2020, FLETC developed a formal plan to resume in-person training. Through this plan, along with other policies and procedures, FLETC established protocols in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance and medical expertise. DHS students and component officials we spoke with confirmed that these protocols were in place and told us that, overall, they were effective.
Department of Veterans Affairs OIG
Failure to Mitigate Risk of and Manage a COVID-19 Outbreak at a Community Living Center at VA Illiana Health Care System in Danville, Illinois
The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted an inspection at the VA Illiana Health Care System in Danville, Illinois, to determine the validity of allegations, specific to COVID-19 and the Community Living Center (CLC), of failure to observe infection control practices, failure to minimize risk of exposure to COVID-19, inconsistent ongoing testing, and failure to notify residents, families, and staff of positive test results. During the inspection, the OIG identified concerns related to leaders’ post-outbreak actions.The OIG substantiated a failure to observe general infection control...
Department of Veterans Affairs OIG
Care Concerns and the Impact of COVID-19 on a Patient at the Fayetteville VA Coastal Health Care System in North Carolina
The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection at the Fayetteville VA Coastal Health Care System in North Carolina to assess concerns related to the quality, coordination, and timeliness of care, and the impact of COVID-19 on a patient with unintentional weight loss who was later diagnosed with oral cancer and died at another VA medical center.The OIG substantiated that the primary care provider and dietitians did not provide quality care to the patient. The primary care provider’s failure to follow-up on an earlier finding and not place an order for a medical test...
Department of Health & Human Services OIG
Indian Health Service Use of Critical Care Response Teams Has Helped To Meet Facility Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Department of Homeland Security OIG
Violations of ICE Detention Standards at Otay Mesa Detention Center
During our unannounced inspection of Otay Mesa in San Diego, California, we identified violations of ICE detention standards that compromised the health, safety, and rights of detainees. Otay Mesa complied with standards for classification and generally provided sufficient medical care to detainees. In addressing COVID-19, Otay Mesa did not consistently enforce precautions including use of facial coverings and social distancing. Overall, we found that Otay Mesa did not meet standards for grievances, segregation, or staff-detainee communications. Specifically, Otay Mesa did not respond timely...
Department of Homeland Security OIG
ICE’s Management of COVID-19 in Its Detention Facilities Provides Lessons Learned for Future Pandemic Responses
ICE has taken various actions to prevent the pandemic’s spread among detainees and staff at their detention facilities. At the nine facilities we remotely inspected, these measures included maintaining adequate supplies of PPE such as face masks, enhanced cleaning, and proper screening for new detainees and staff. However, we found other areas in which detention facilities struggled to properly manage the health and safety of detainees. For example, we observed instances where staff and detainees did not consistently wear face masks or socially distance. In addition, we noted that some...
Department of Agriculture OIG
COVID-19—Oversight of the Emergency Food Assistance Program-Interim Report
The objective of our ongoing inspection is to evaluate FNS’ oversight of TEFAP—this report provides interim results on whether FNS identified risks related to the safeand efficient distribution of USDA-food assistance to States during the COVID-19pandemic.
Department of Agriculture OIG
COVID-19—Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Online Purchasing in Response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019
OIG reviewed FNS’ controls over the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot in response to the COVID 19 pandemic.
Department of Veterans Affairs OIG
Deficiencies in COVID-19 Screening and Facility Response for a Patient Who Died at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas
The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection regarding allegations of incompletely screening for COVID-19 and treatment of a patient with serious mental illness who presented for same-day care at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (facility).The OIG substantiated that facility staff did not complete the patient’s COVID-19 temperature screening.The OIG substantiated that facility staff failed to medically manage the patient with COVID-19 symptoms, sent the patient to the drive-through testing area without medical evaluation, and did not isolate the patient...
Department of Homeland Security OIG
Violations of Detention Standards at Adams County Correctional Center
During our unannounced inspection of Adams in Natchez, Mississippi, we identified violations of ICE detention standards that threatened the health, safety, and rights of detainees. We made seven recommendations to ICE’s Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) to ensure the New Orleans ERO Field Office overseeing Adams addresses identified issues and ensures facility compliance with relevant detention standards. ICE concurred with all seven recommendations.
Department of Education OIG
Federal Student Aid’s Suspension of Involuntary Collection in Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic
The objective of our review was to evaluate the results of Federal Student Aid’s (FSA) process for suspending involuntary collection and refunding payments involuntarily collected on defaulted Department-held loans in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.We found that FSA suspended administrative wage garnishments and the U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury) offsets for over 96 percent of the borrowers that FSA collected payments for within 90 days of March 13, 2020, the start of the suspension period. However, as of October 23, 2020, we found that FSA continued to receive administrative...
Farm Credit Administration OIG
Survey of Farm Credit Administration Employees on COVID-19
Inspection report on OIG's survey of FCA employees on the safety measures and other actions implemented by FCA in response to COVID-19
Department of Veterans Affairs OIG
Inadequate Resident Supervision and Documentation of an Ophthalmology Procedure at the Oklahoma City VA Health Care System in Oklahoma
The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted an inspection in response to allegations related to ophthalmology resident supervision and quality of care by an attending ophthalmologist (subject ophthalmologist) at the Oklahoma City VA Health Care System in Oklahoma.The OIG substantiated that the subject ophthalmologist failed to provide adequate resident supervision and entered inaccurate documentation related to supervision for a single patient case. The ophthalmology residents were unable to reach the subject ophthalmologist when the patient experienced a complication during an eye...
Small Business Administration OIG
SBA’s Handling of Identity Theft in the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is issuing this Evaluation report to notify Small Business Administration (SBA) officials of significant matters regarding its handling of complaints of identity theft in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.We recommend the Administrator to direct the Associate Administrator for the Office of Disaster Assistance, the Chief Financial Officer for the Office of Performance Management and Chief Financial Officer, and the Associate Administrator for the Office of Capital Access to:1. Develop a process to maintain...
Department of Homeland Security OIG
Violations of Detention Standards at Pulaski County Jail
During our unannounced inspection of Pulaski County Jail, we identified violations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention standards that threatened the health, safety, and rights of detainees. In addressing COVID-19, Pulaski did not consistently enforce precautions including use of facial coverings and social distancing, which may have contributed to repeated COVID-19 transmissions at the facility. Pulaski did not meet standards for classification, medical care, segregation, or detainee communication. We found that the facility was not providing a color-coded visual...
Department of Homeland Security OIG
Violations of Detention Standards Amidst COVID-19 Outbreak at La Palma Correctional Center in Eloy, AZ
We identified violations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention standards that threatened the health, safety, and rights of detainees. La Palma Correctional Center (LPCC) complied with the ICE detention standard regarding classification. However, detainee reports and grievances allege an environment of mistreatment and verbal abuse, including in response to peaceful detainee protests of the facility’s handling of the pandemic. In addressing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), LPCC did not enforce ICE’s precautions including facial coverings and social distancing...
Small Business Administration OIG
Evaluation of SBA’s Award Procedures for the CARES Act Entrepreneurial Development Cooperative Agreements
This report found that SBA awarded the CARES Act entrepreneurial development cooperative agreements and grants in accordance with applicable federal laws, regulations, and guidance. We found program officials established performance goals and identified performance indicators. To more effectively ensure performance goals are achieved as intended, SBA should clearly define the performance goals and set performance targets.We recommended that SBA enforce standard operating procedures requiring defined performance goals and include performance targets in all future SBDC and WBC cooperative...
Department of Veterans Affairs OIG
Medication Delivery Delays Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic at the Manila Outpatient Clinic in Pasay City, Philippines
The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted an inspection to assess allegations related to delayed medication delivery from the VA Manila Outpatient Clinic (clinic) pharmacy in Pasay City, Philippines, prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.The OIG substantiated a patient experienced medication delivery delays and did not timely receive morphine from the clinic pharmacy in October and November 2019. While the patient requested a renewal in a timely manner, pharmacists could not fill the medication because there was no available stock from the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA)...
Small Business Administration OIG
Inspection of SBA's Implementation of the Paycheck Protection Program
Department of Health & Human Services OIG
Onsite Surveys of Nursing Homes During the COVID-19 National Emergency: March 23-May 30, 2020
Department of Education OIG
Assessment of the Department’s Reconstitution Plans Following COVID-19
The objective of our inspection was to assess the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department) plans and procedures for returning employees to the federal office in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, including what existing guidance the Department considered when developing its plans and procedures. We found that the Department generally incorporated available guidance, which was intended to provide for a safe and gradual return to federal offices, in its Workplace Reconstitution Transition Plan (Reconstitution Plan). However, we noted that the Department’s Reconstitution Plan does not...
Department of Veterans Affairs OIG
Alleged Deficiencies in the Management of Staff Exposure to a Patient with COVID-19 at the VA Portland Health Care System in Oregon
The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection to determine the validity of allegations related to the management of staff exposure to a patient diagnosed with COVID-19 at the VA Portland Medical Center (facility) in Oregon. The events under review involved the facility’s first patient diagnosed with COVID-19. The OIG did not substantiate that emergency department staff failed to notify imaging department staff that a patient was suspected to have COVID-19 before sending the patient to the imaging department. At the time of the patient’s transport to the imaging...
Department of Veterans Affairs OIG
Review of Highly Rural Community-Based Outpatient Clinics Limited Access to Select Specialty Care
The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) reviewed the accessibility of dermatology, orthopedics, and urology specialty care for patients in the 17 Veterans Health Administration (VHA) community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) classified as highly rural. The OIG also reviewed accessibility, barriers, and the availability and utilization of resources for the time frame March 1, 2018 (or from the date the CBOC became highly rural), through February 28, 2019. VHA utilized clinical consults, electronic consults (eConsults), telehealth, and community care to provide specialty care at the highly...