WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Adventist Health Policy Association has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 2, 2024, and posted on Jan. 3, 2024. The comment was signed by Michael E. Griffin, President. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. * * * On behalf of the Adventist Health Policy Association (AHPA), we appreciate the opportunity to comment on the Department of Heal  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -- Advion Inc., Ithaca, New York, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 2, 2024, and posted on Jan. 3, 2024. The comment was signed by Cynthia Morton, Executive Vice President. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and Micky Tripathi, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Offi  more

MONTGOMERY, Alabama, Jan. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama issued the following news release: On January 16, 2024, a federal judge sentenced Zsa Zsa Bouvier Couch, 55, from Montgomery, Alabama, to 45 months in prison following her convictions for offenses related to fraudulent loans she received through the Paycheck Protection Program, announced Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross. In addition, the judge ordered that Couch serve three years of   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- Allina Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 2, 2024, and posted on Jan. 3, 2024. The comment was signed by Joe Silversmith, Regulatory Affairs Senior Analyst. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. * * * On behalf of Allina Health, this letter is in response to the request for comments on the Disincentives for  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The American College of Surgeons has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 2, 2024, and posted on Jan. 3, 2024. The comment was signed by Patricia L. Turner, Executive Director and CEO. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and Micky Tripathi, National Coordinator for Health Information Technolo  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living have issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 2, 2024, and posted on Jan. 3, 2024. The comment was signed by Daniel E Ciolek, Associate Vice President, Therapy Advocacy. The comment was on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001. * * * The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) represent  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The American Hospital Association has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 2, 2024, and posted on Jan. 3, 2024. The comment was signed by Ashley Thompson, Senior Vice President, Public Policy. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and Micky Tripathi, National Coordinator for Health Information   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The American Urological Association has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Dec. 21, 2023, and posted on Jan. 3, 2024. The comment was signed by Eugene Rhee, Chair, Public Policy Council. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and Micky Tripathi, National Coordinator for Health Information Technolog  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- Ascension, St. Louis, Missouri, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 2, 2024, and posted on Jan. 3, 2024. The comment was signed by Peter M. Leibold, Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. * * * Ascension appreciates the opportunity to submit comments in response to the proposed rule recen  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Asian Pacific Institute on Gender Based Violence with seven collaborators has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The comment was written on Jan. 8, 2024, and posted on Jan. 9, 2024. The comment, on Docket No. USCIS-2010-0004-0087, was sent to Samantha L. Deshommes, Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division, Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. * * * The undersigned organizations dedicated to advoca  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news on Jan. 17, 2024: Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General released the "Audit of DoD Use of the Government Purchase Card (GPC) in Response to the Coronavirus Disease-2019 Pandemic." The report highlights concerns relating to DoD cardholder purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. "The audit determined that DoD GP  more

CLEVELAND, Ohio, Jan. 16 -- BakerHostetler, a law firm, issued the following news release: * * * Key takeaways * Justin P. Murphy joins BakerHostetler's Washington office as a partner in the firm's national Litigation Practice Group and a member of the Antitrust and Competition team, where he will lead the Cartel and Government Antitrust Investigations Task Force. * A former federal prosecutor, Murphy counsels corporate and individual clients involved in both government enforcement of comple  more

SAN DIEGO, California, Jan. 12 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California issued the following news release: Dr. Michael Villarroel, who at the time of his crimes was a doctor in the U.S. Navy, was sentenced in federal court today to one year and one day in custody after admitting that he and others participated in a scheme to file false claims to obtain unearned benefits from an insurance program that compensates service members who suffer serious and debilitati  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -- The California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 4, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Kaushik Bhattacharya, Vice Provost for Research; and Howell N. Tyson, Sr. Professor of Mechanics and Materials Science. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. Here are  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled has issued a meeting notice, published in the Federal Register on Jan. 12, 2024. The meeting is scheduled for Jan. 25, 2024. The notice was issued by Michael R. Jurkowski, Acting Director, Business Operations. * * * DATES: January 25, 2024, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held virtually only via Zoom webinar. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Angela Phifer, 355 E Stree  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -- Rep. Michael T. McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following news release: House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Subcommittee on Oversight & Accountability Chairman Brian Mast (R-FL), Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations Chairman Christopher Smith (R-NJ), and Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) sent a letter demanding answers to reports that Hamas is diverting   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10017) on Jan. 19, 2024, by Shayerah I. Akhtar, international trade and finance specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) Ex-Im Bank, the official U.S. government export credit agency (ECA), has a mission to support U.S. jobs by financing and facilitating U.S. goods and services exports. Operating under a renewable, general statutory char  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12242) on Jan. 19, 2024, by Bryce H. P. Mendez, defense health care policy specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * FY2024 NDAA: Military Mental Health Care and Research Provisions Background Congress authorizes, through the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Department of Defense (DOD) mental health programs and services that support servicemembers, military retirees, and th  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45408) on Dec. 29, 2023, entitled "The Emergency Food Assistance Program: Background and Funding" by social policy analyst Kara Clifford Billings. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a federal food distribution program that supports food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, and other emergency feeding organizations serving low-income Americans. Fe  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45408) on Dec. 29, 2023, entitled "The Emergency Food Assistance Program - Background and Funding:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Funding and Appropriations Federal assistance through TEFAP is primarily provided in the form of USDA-purchased domestic agricultural commodities (USDA Foods). A smaller amount of assistance is provided in the form of cash support for administrative and distri  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No.R47863) on Dec. 7, 2023, entitled "The Privacy Act of 1974: Overview and Issues for Congress" by Meghan M. Stuessy, government organization and management analyst: * * * SUMMARY The Privacy Act of 1974 (Privacy Act; 5 U.S.C. Sec.552a) prescribes how federal agency records with individually identifying information are to be stored, who may access such information, and when the government may use   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No.R47863) on Dec. 7, 2023, entitled "The Privacy Act of 1974 - Overview and Issues for Congress:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Agency Requirements and Roles The Privacy Act prescribes certain agency requirements regarding accountability for and transparency into disclosures of individually identifying information. In addition to being required to keep an accurate accounting of disclosures,  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47885) on Dec. 29, 2023, entitled "Understanding and Conceptualizing Domestic Terrorism - Issues for Congress:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Domestic Terrorism Incidents As compared to other violent crimes, DT incidents occur less frequently,/55 but when they do occur they often have high impact. Federal law enforcement officials and researchers generally agree that the number of DT in  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Connected Health Initiative has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 2, 2024, and posted on Jan. 3, 2024. The comment was signed by Brian Scarpelli, Executive Director. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0007, was sent to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and Micky Tripathi, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Office of the  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, Atlanta, Georgia, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 2, 2024, and posted on Jan. 3, 2024. The comment was signed by Janet Hamilton, Executive Director. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to Micky Tripathi, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Informatio  more

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, Jan. 13 -- The U.S. Justice Department Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division issued the following news release on Jan. 11, 2024: Two doctors from the St. Louis area were indicted Wednesday and accused of illegally administering ketamine to patients and fraudulently billing Medicare for certain services related to a psychiatric clinic. Dr. Asim Muhammad Ali, 53, and Dr. Mohd Azfar Malik, 70, were each indicted on 22 felony counts: conspiracy to illegally distri  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following management advisory (DODIG-2024-046) on Jan. 17, 2024, regarding the Leahy vetting of Agency-trained Ukrainian Armed Forces. Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR COMMANDER, U.S. EUROPEAN COMMAND The purpose of this management advisory is to inform U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) officials responsible for Leahy vetting of concerns that we identified with how the DoD ensures and documents that Leahy vetting occurred f  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following project announcement on Jan. 10, 2024, regarding the review of SecDef hospitalization notification procedures: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT SUBJECT: Review of the Responsibilities and Actions Related to the Secretary of Defense's Hospitalization in December 2023 - January 2024 and the DoD's Policies and Procedures for Notification and T  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following report (DODIG-2024-043) on Jan. 10, 2024, entitled "Evaluation of Enhanced End-Use Monitoring of Defense Articles Provided to Ukraine." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR POLICY DIRECTOR, DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY CHIEF, OFFICE OF DEFENSE COOPERATION-UKRAINE AUDITOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY AUDITOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY AUDITOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF TH  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following report (DODIG-2024-044) on Jan. 8, 2024, entitled "Evaluation of Internal Controls Related to Patient Eligibility and Pharmaceutical Management Within the National Capital Region Executive Medicine Services." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (HEALTH AFFAIRS) DIRECTOR, DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY DIRECTOR, WHITE HOUSE MEDICAL UNIT SUBJECT: Evaluation of the DoD Internal Controls Related  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Logistics Agency issued the following news: In late December, President Joe Biden proclaimed January as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and urged every American to learn how to identify signs of trafficking. The Defense Department continues its efforts to prevent and eradicate this horrific crime. Human trafficking deprives millions of people worldwide of their freedom. Through innovative training and resources, the De  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -- The Transportation Inspector General issued the following audit announcement on Jan. 17, 2024, entitled "PHMSA's Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Fund and Grant Program Oversight:" * * * From: David Pouliott, Assistant Inspector General for Surface Transportation Audits To: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administrator Over 3.3 billion tons of hazardous materials (hazmat) are transported annually across the United States. Recent hazmat transportation   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- Eastern Michigan University has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 3, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Sonia Chawla, Assistant Vice President of Academic Research and Regulatory Compliance. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. * * * This letter is submitted on behalf of Eastern Michigan U  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General issued the following xx-page report (No. 24-P-0014) on Jan. 9, 2024, entitled "The Agency Needs to Improve the Completeness and Accuracy of the Obligation and Outlay Information That It Reports in USAspending.gov." Here are excerpts: * * * At A Glance Why We Did This Audit To accomplish this objective: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General conducted this audit to determine w  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General issued the following news release: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis traveled to Riyadh, Saudia Arabia last week as part of the U.S. delegation, led by Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt and Amos Hochstein, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Adviser for Energy and Investment, to the 2024 Futur  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -- The Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General issued the following news release: Seoul, South Korea - Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) First Vice President and Vice Chair Judith Pryor traveled to Seoul, South Korea last week to hold a series of meetings with private sector representatives and government officials to underscore the role EXIM's financing tools, including domestic manufacturing initiatives, can play in supporting key b  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis, Minnesota, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 2, 2024, and posted on Jan. 3, 2024. The comment was signed by Briana Nord Parish, Director of Public Policy. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra; Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and Micky Tripathi, Nation  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Office of the Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued the following report (No. 2024-MO-B-001) on Jan. 8, 2024, entitled "The Board Should Provide Staff With Guidance on Controlled Unclassified Information." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary In October 2022, we initiated an evaluation to assess the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System intelligence pr  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Office of the Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued the following report (No. 2024-SR-C-002) on Jan. 8, 2024, entitled "CFPB Can Enhance Certain Aspects of Its Enforcement Investigations Process:" * * * Findings We found that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau can enhance certain aspects of its enforcement investigations process. Specifically, the Office of Enforc  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Federal Housing Finance Agency Inspector General issued the following compliance review (No. COM-2024-002) on Jan. 10, 2024, entitled "Agency Completed All Planned Ongoing Monitoring Activities for Fannie Mae and CSS During the 2022 Examination Cycle." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or Agency) is both the regulator and the conservator of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Federal Housing Finance Agency Inspector General issued the following compliance review (No. COM-2024-001) on Jan. 10, 2024, entitled "FHFA Has Acted to Strengthen Its Oversight of Federal Home Loan Bank Members' Compliance with Community Support Requirements." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or Agency) regulates and supervises the Federal Home Loan Bank System (FHLBank System), which consists of 11 regio  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Federal Housing Finance Agency Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. AUD-2024-002) on Nov. 7, 2023, entitled "Division of Enterprise Regulation Effectively Followed Its Risk-Based Approach in Its Oversight of Fannie Mae's IT Investment Management." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or Agency) Division of Enterprise Regulation (DER) conducts annual safety and soundness examinations of the   more

TAMPA, Florida, Jan. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida issued the following news release: United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the results achieved by the Middle District of Florida's efforts to combat fraud related to COVID-19. Those efforts have included complementary actions by the United States Attorney's Office's (USAO-MDFL) Criminal, Asset Recovery, Appellate, and Civil Divisions, along with federal, state, and local law enforcement age  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 2, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. The comment was on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001. * * * This letter is submitted on behalf of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, LLC., in response to the Notice of Pr  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 (TNScapv) -- The Health Care Transformation Task Force has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 2, 2024, and posted on Jan. 3, 2024. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and Micky Tripathi, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Inform  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was posted on Jan. 3, 2024. The comment was signed by Harold F. Wolf III, President and CEO. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and Micky Tripathi, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Office of  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 -- The Health and Human Services Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. A-07-23-00636) on Jan. 5, 2023, entitled "Cahaba Government Benefits Administrators Claimed Some Unallowable Medicare Postretirement Benefit Costs Through Its Incurred Cost Proposals" filed under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Here are excerpts: * * * Report in Brief Why OIG Did This Audit The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reimburses a portion of i  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 -- The Health and Human Services Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. A-07-23-00634) on Jan. 4, 2023, entitled "Cahaba Government Benefits Administrators, LLC, Did Not Claim Some Allowable Medicare Pension Costs Through Its Incurred Cost Proposals" filed under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Here are excerpts: * * * Report in Brief Why OIG Did This Audit The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reimburses Medicare contractors  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 -- The Health and Human Services Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. A-07-23-00635) on Jan. 4, 2024, entitled "Cahaba Safeguard Administrators Claimed Some Unallowable Medicare Pension Costs Through Its Incurred Cost Proposals" filed under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Here are excerpts: * * * Report in Brief Why OIG Did This Audit The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reimburses Medicare contractors for a portion of th  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 -- The Health and Human Services Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. A-07-23-00637) on Jan. 5, 2023, entitled "Cahaba Safeguard Administrators Claimed Some Unallowable Medicare Postretirement Benefit Costs Through Its Incurred Cost Proposals" filed under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Here are excerpts: * * * Report in Brief Why OIG Did This Audit The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reimburses a portion of its contract  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 -- The Health and Human Services Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. A-07-23-00631) on Jan. 4, 2023, entitled "Cahaba Safeguard Administrators Overstated Its Medicare Segment Pension Assets as of January 1, 2020" filed under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Here are excerpts: * * * Report in Brief Why OIG Did This Audit Medicare contractors are required to separately account for the Medicare segment pension plan assets based on the req  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 -- The Health and Human Services Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. A-06-22-09007) on Jan. 4, 2023, entitled "Oklahoma Could Better Ensure That Nursing Homes Comply With Federal Requirements for Life Safety, Emergency Preparedness and Infection Control" filed under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Here are excerpts: * * * Report in Brief Why OIG Did This Audit In 2016, CMS updated its life safety and emergency preparedness regulation  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Office of Inspector General issued the following news release on Jan. 19, 2024: Inspector General Christi A. Grimm announced today that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) excluded Elizabeth Holmes for 90 years from participation in Federal health care programs due to her January 2022 conviction in the United States District Court, Northern District of California for wire fraud  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Homeland Security Inspector General issued the following report (No. OIG-24-09) on Jan. 9, 2024, entitled "CISA Needs to Improve Collaboration to Enhance Cyber Resiliency in the Waste and Wastewater Sector." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Jen Easterly, Director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency FROM: Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Inspector General SUBJECT: CISA Needs to Improve Collaboration to Enhance Cyber Resiliency in the Water a  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 -- Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Alabama, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, requesting that he testify before the House Armed Services Committee on his failure to disclose his hospitalization. In the letter, Chairman Rogers wrote, "When you and I last spoke, you promised full transparency in  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics issued the following information for a hearing entitled "Returning to the Moon: Keeping Artemis on Track" at 10 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2024, at 2318 Rayburn House Office Building: Witnesses: * Ms. Catherine Koerner, Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration * Mr. William Russell, Director, Contracting and National Secu  more

NEW YORK, Jan. 17 (TNScapv) -- Human Rights Watch issued the following statement on Jan. 15, 20224, with 32 organizations: * * * We, the undersigned organisations, are deeply concerned about the drastic intensification of anti-drug operations in Sri Lanka leading to significant human rights violations. On 17 December 2023 the Acting Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennekoon, with the endorsement of Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles, spearheaded an operation titled "Yukthiya", wit  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 3, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Reginald W. Miller, Emilia Mia Sordillo, Harriet Lloyd and Karen C. Weston. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. * * * This letter is submitted on behalf of the Icahn School   more

BOISE, Idaho, Jan. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho issued the following new release: AmeriHealth and its owners, Ryan and Alban Hatch, consented to a $2 million judgment against them in U.S. District Court after admitting to violations of the False Claims Act, announced U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit today. The fraud scheme involved using vulnerable or inexperienced medical staff to submit or cause to be submitted false claims to federal health care programs like Medi  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas, Jan. 16 -- The U.S. Air Force Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland (16th Air Force) issued the following news: WASHINGTON - The Defense Department's inspector general sent a memorandum on Jan. 10 announcing a review examining the roles, processes, procedures, responsibilities and actions related to the secretary of defense's recent hospitalization. "[The review will] assess whether the DOD's policies and procedures are sufficient to en  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Jan. 19, 2024: A chief executive officer of an investment firm was sentenced today to two years in prison followed by one year and six months of home confinement and ordered to forfeit approximately $1.6 million for a "cherry-picking" scheme, in which he fraudulently misappropriated profitable trades to himself and saddled his investors with losses. According to court documents, Peter Kambolin, 48, a U.  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Jan. 17, 2024: The former vice president of a bank located in Missouri pleaded guilty today to assisting high-risk bank customers in evading the bank's anti-money laundering controls. Peter McVey, 45, of Kansas City, Missouri, who served as vice president and director of treasury services for a bank, pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an appropriate anti-money laundering program under the Bank Secrecy  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: Hilcorp San Juan L.P., an oil and gas company with offices in Aztec, New Mexico, and Houston, has agreed to resolve allegations that it knowingly underpaid royalties owed on oil and natural gas produced from federal lands. The company has agreed to pay $34.6 million to resolve its False Claims Act and other liability for the conduct. "U.S. taxpayers deserve a fair share of the revenues received by companie  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: Columbus LTACH, doing business as Silver Lake Hospital (Silver Lake), a long-term care hospital based in Newark, New Jersey, has agreed to pay over $18.6 million, plus interest, to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations for claiming excessive cost outlier payments from the Medicare program. In addition, certain Silver Lake investors have agreed to pay $12 million, plus interest, to resolve alleged Fede  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 (TNSrep) -- The U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General issued the following report (No. 24-022) on Jan. 9, 2024, entitled "Recommendations Issued by OIG That Were Not Closed as of Nov. 30, 2023." Here are excerpts: * * * EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The attached report contains information about recommendations from the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General's (OIG) audits, evaluations, reviews, and other reports that the OIG had not closed as of November   more

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, Jan. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana issued the following news release: BRIA PETERS, age 28, a resident of Houston, Texas, was sentenced to 5 five years probation on January 17, 2024 by U.S. District Court Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle after previously pleading guilty to making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. On March 27, 2020, Th  more

BANGOR, Maine, Jan. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine issued the following news release: A former Arizona man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor today after pleading guilty to six counts of wire fraud and six counts of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced, James McAuliffe, 55, to 60 months followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $203,616 in restitution. He pleaded guilty on August 29  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news on Jan. 18, 2024: Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General released the "Management Advisory on the Leahy Vetting of DoD-Trained Ukrainian Armed Forces." The advisory highlights limitations in the DoD's ability to demonstrate compliance with the Leahy Laws, which prohibit the United States from providing assistance  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Jan. 16 -- McDermott Will and Emery, a law firm, issued the following news release: International law firm McDermott Will & Emery welcomes a new five lawyer US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) team to its Healthcare Practice Group. Joining from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the team includes Partners James "Jamie" Ravitz and Paul Gadiock and provides strategic counsel to FDA-regulated life sciences, digital health and healthcare services companies and their investors, i  more

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Jan. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland issued the following news release: Erek L. Barron, the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced two new senior supervisory appointments. Alicia N. Washington is joining the office as Special Counsel to the United States Attorney, where she will advise the United States Attorney on matters across the office, especially within the Criminal Division, and on the office's most complex a  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Michigan State University, East Lansing, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 3, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Douglas A. Gage, Vice President For Research and Innovation; and Charles L. Cox, Research Integrity Officer. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. * * * This letter is su  more

DETROIT, Michigan, Jan. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan issued the following news release on Jan. 16, 2024: A federal judge sentenced Detroit resident James Mayfield today to 2 years and 6 months in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud state unemployment insurance agencies during the Covid-19 pandemic, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced. Mayfield is the last of 15 defendants to be sentenced for their roles in related unemployment insur  more

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, New Jersey, Jan. 16 -- The U.S. Air Force's 514th Air Mobility Wing issued the following news: By Tech. Sgt. Sean Evans, 514th Air Mobility Wing While the Reserve Citizen Airmen of the 514th Air Mobility Wing were carrying out their duties and obligations during the recent January unit training assembly, the Freedom Wing's inspector general office has been busy working behind the scenes in preparation for the February UTA. The Airmen working in the wing IG of  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, Jan. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on Jan. 16, 2024: A New Jersey hospital and certain of its investors have agreed to pay $30.6 million to resolve alleged False Claims Act and Federal Debt Collection Procedures Act violations, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Columbus LTACH d/b/a Silver Lake Hospital (Silver Lake), a long-term care hospital based in Newark, has agreed to pay over $18  more

TRENTON, New Jersey, Jan. 18 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on Jan. 17, 2024: The deputy mayor of Willingboro Township, New Jersey, and one of his business associates were charged with conducting a scheme to discharge the deputy mayor's mortgage obligation on his property through a fraudulent short sale, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Nathaniel Anderson, 56, a town councilman and the deputy mayor of Willingboro   more

NEW YORK, Jan. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York issued the following news release on Jan. 19, 2024: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Stuart M. Goldberg, the Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department's Tax Division; James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"); Thomas M. Fattorusso, the Special Agent in   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- New York University has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 4, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Debra Schaller-Demers, Senior Director, Research Integrity and Compliance, Research Integrity Officer. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. * * * Please accept these comments in response to the   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 -- Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 3, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Domenico Luongo, Director, Research Compliance and Integrity, on behalf of Oakland University's Research Office. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. * * * This letter is su  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- Ochin Inc., Portland, Oregon, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 2, 2024, and posted on Jan. 3, 2024. The comment was signed by Jennifer Stoll, Executive Vice President. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and Micky Tripathi, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Offic  more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, Jan. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release on Jan. 18, 2024: On January 17, 2024, two individuals were sentenced to lengthy terms of imprisonment by United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand on their convictions for violating federal narcotics and money laundering laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferso  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following transcript of a news briefing on Jan. 17, 2024, by Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder: * * * MAJOR GENERAL PAT RYDER: Good afternoon, everyone. Hope you survived the snowstorm OK. I have a few things to pass along and then I'll be glad to get to your questions. As you are aware, Secretary Austin was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical center Monday, and on the advice of his doctors, will perform his du  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 23-038-R24) on Jan. 9, 2023, entitled "Parcel Return Service - Consolidator Payment and Refund Errors." Here are excerpts: * * * Background Consumers return about one-in-six online purchases. Despite growth in the returns market, the U.S. Postal Service's Parcel Return Service (PRS) volume has declined in recent years. Introduced in 2003, the PRS product caters to private-sector consolidat  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: Q: How are you working to lower health care costs? A: In addition to my efforts to lower prescription drug costs, I'm also working to help reduce sticker shock for patients when they open medical bills from the hospital. Patients should be able to compare prices and shop around for health care services. More often than not, pricing information isn't easily available. The U.S. health care sector would be  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 -- Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Maryland, issued the following news release: The Democratic members of the Maryland Congressional Delegation - Congressman Kweisi Mfume, Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin, Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Jamie Raskin, David J. Trone, and Glenn Ivey - joined by Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and Representative Bobby Scott urge Senate and House Appropriations leadership to prioritize funding of NASA God  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 2, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Michael E. Zwick, Senior Vice President for Research, and Hila Berger, Assistant Vice President for Research Regulatory Affairs. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Int  more

GREENVILLE, South Carolina, Jan. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina issued the following news release: Jeffrey Brooks, 40, of Clarence Center, New York, was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. In addition to Brooks' criminal conviction, last year, Brooks paid $850,000 in a civil settlement to resolve allegations that he provided kickbacks and caused false claims t  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 -- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 4, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Nedra Bonal, Research Integrity Officer, and Manager of the Office of Research and Development Excellence; Basil Hassan, Director, and Deputy Chief Research Officer; Wahid Hermina, Manager, and Lead of Lab Directed Research and Development Progr  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 -- Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Nebraska, issued the following column on Jan. 16, 2024: * * * A Lapse in Our National Security Imagine if a Houthi drone were to hit one of our ships in the Red Sea. Imagine there were an incident in the South China Sea. Or imagine we suffered a terrorist attack here at home. All of these crises are possible -- but if any of them had occurred earlier this month, no one would have known where to find our nation's Secretary of Defense. If and when we   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 -- The Senate Foreign Relations Committee issued the following information for a business meeting at 10 a.m. on Jan. 24, 2024: Agenda Nominees 1. Kurt Campbell The Honorable Kurt Campbell, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy Secretary of State 2. Cardell Kenneth Richardson Mr. Cardell Kenneth Richardson, Sr., of Virginia, to be Inspector General, Department of State 3. Robert David Gioia Mr. Robert David Gioia, of New York, to be a Commissioner on the part of th  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -- Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, issued the following news release on Jan. 17, 2024: Today, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, is seeking information from major contract pharmacies as part of his ongoing investigation into how health care entities use and generate revenue from the 340B Drug Pricing Program.   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Sequoia Project, Vienna, Virginia, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 2, 2024, and posted on Jan. 3, 2024. The comment was signed by Mariann Yeager, CEO. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and Micky Tripathi, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Office of the Nat  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Social Security Administration has issued a notice, published in the Federal Register on Jan. 11, 2024, entitled "Notice on Penalty Inflation Adjustments for Civil Monetary Penalties." The notice was issued by Michelle Murray, Chief Counsel, Office of the Inspector General. * * * SUMMARY: The Social Security Administration is giving notice of its updated maximum civil monetary penalties. These amounts are effective from January 15, 2024 through January 14, 2025. Th  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 -- Rebecca Dahl, Research Integrity Officer, Stony Brook University, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 4, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. * * * This letter is submitted on behalf of Stony Brook University in response to the Notice of Proposed Rule Making (the "NPRM") on the P  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Tennessee Hospital Association has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 2, 2024, and posted on Jan. 3, 2024. The comment was signed by Rodney R. Adams, VP, Research and Reimbursement. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. * * * The Tennessee Hospital Association (THA), on behalf of its ov  more

WACO, Texas, Jan. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas issued the following news release: An Austin woman was arrested this week on criminal charges related to her alleged embezzlement of federal funds for personal use while serving as the executive director of the Killeen Housing Authority (KHA). According to court documents, DeAdra Johnson, 52, allegedly stole thousands of dollars designated for KHA programs and used them for personal use. A federal indictm  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Jan. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas issued the following news release: Hilcorp San Juan L.P., an oil and gas company with offices in Houston as well as Aztec, New Mexico, has agreed to resolve allegations it knowingly underpaid royalties owed on oil and natural gas produced from federal lands. The company has agreed to pay $34.6 million to resolve its False Claims Act and other liability for the conduct. "Oil and gas production is a cen  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Jan. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas issued the following news release: The owners of a Richmond clinic have agreed to pay a total of up to $108,000 to settle allegations they submitted false claims, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Ijeoma Bethel, 43, Sugar Land, Yvonne Hernandez, 41, Houston, and Nick Bryant Villegas, 43, Pearland, are the owners of Texas Wellness Clinic PLLC in Richmond. Bethel and Villegas are nurse practit  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 4, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Giovanni Piedimonte, Vice President for Research and Institutional Official; Brian J. Weimer, University Research Compliance Officer, Research Compliance & Research Integrity Office; and Lisa Wurtzel, Deputy Research Compliance Officer." The comment, on Do  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, Jan. 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on Jan. 18, 20224: A former president of a pharmacy business was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for his role in a health care kickback conspiracy involving prescriptions for Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced today. Elan Yaish, 54, of Israel, previously pleaded guilty on Aug. 16, 2023, before U.S. District  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, Jan. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon issued the following news release on Jan. 16, 2024: The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon announced today that Asante Health System, a southern Oregon healthcare corporation, and one of its physicians, have agreed to pay $430,000 to settle allegations that the company and its physician knowingly submitted false claims for payment for certain cardiothoracic surgeries to Medicare, Medicaid, and  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- Michael Centola, Associate Vice President for Research Integrity and Compliance, Institutional Official, University of Connecticut, has issued a public comment on behalf of UConn Health to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 4, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. * * * This letter is submitted on behalf of UC  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The University of Connecticut has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 4, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Michael Centola, Associate Vice President for Research Integrity and Compliance, Institutional Official. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. * * * This letter is submitted on behalf o  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The University of Houston, Texas, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 4, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Laura Gutierrez, Interim Executive Director, Research Integrity and Oversight. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. * * * This letter is submitted on behalf of the University of Ho  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -- The University of Illinois Chicago campus has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 4, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Joanna Gorden, Vice Chancellor for Research Professor; Richard A. Gemeinhart, UIC Research Integrity Officer, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Professor; and Arthur Acevedo, UIC Research Integrity Officer Professor. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The University of Iowa, Iowa City, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 3, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Jennifer Clothier Lassner, Associate Vice President. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Shelia Garrity, Director, Health and Human Services Office of Research Integrity. * * * This letter is submitted on behalf of The University of I  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 3, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Ellen R. Fisher, Vice President for Research. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. * * * We write to provide comments in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on P  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 2, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Michelle R. Staudt, Associate Vice President for Research and Research Integrity Officer. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. * * * This letter is   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -- The University of Texas Arlington campus has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 4, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Jeremy Forsberg, Associate Vice President of Research Administration, Research Integrity Officer; and Kirstin Morningstar, Senior Director of Regulatory Services. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Offic  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The University of Virginia has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by David J. Hudson, Senior Vice President for Research, Research Integrity Officer. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. Here are excerpts: * * * This letter is submitted on behalf of the University of Virginia, in res  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 [Category: Health Care] -- Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine issued the following news release: Ahead of the next Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) meeting on Jan. 19, the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine filed a complaint on Jan. 16 (https://pcrm.widencollective.com/assets/share/asset/k7shdipr1w) with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, arguing that the "Dietary Guidelines process is rife with conflicts of interest" and routinel  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following management advisory memorandum (No. 23-02377-35) on Jan. 11, 2024, entitled "Allocation of Initial PACT Act Funding for the Toxic Exposures Fund." Here are excerpts: * * * TO: Jon J. Rychalski, Assistant Secretary for Management and Chief Financial Officer, Office of Management (004) FROM: Larry Reinkemeyer, Assistant Inspector General, VA Office of Inspector General's Office of Audits and Evaluations  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 23-00777-52) on Jan. 10, 2024, entitled "Care Deficiencies and Leaders' Inadequate Reviews of a Patient Who Died at the Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center in Memphis, Tennessee." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection to assess the quality of care provided during a patient's hospitalization,  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 22-04132-48) on Jan. 10, 2024, entitled "Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the Tomah VA Medical Center in Wisconsin." Here are excerpts: * * * Report Overview This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program (CHIP) report provides a focused evaluation of the quality of care delivered in the inpatient and outpatient settings of the Tomah VA M  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following management advisory memorandum (No. 23-01287-20) on Jan. 9, 2024, entitled "End User Concerns with Integrated Financial and Acquisition Management System Training." Here are excerpts: * * * TO: Jon Rychalski, Assistant Secretary for Management/Chief Financial Officer, Office of Management FROM: Larry Reinkemeyer, Assistant Inspector General, VA Office of Inspector General's Office of Audits and Evaluations SU  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -- Vizient Inc., Irving, Texas, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written and posted on Jan. 2, 2024. The comment was signed by Shoshana Krilow, Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Government Relations. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and Micky Tripathi, National Coordinator for Health Informa  more

BECKLEY, West Virginia, Jan. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia issued the following news release: Robert Martin, 67, of Beckley, pleaded guilty yesterday to fraudulent receipt of property from a debtor. Martin admitted to paying himself without authorization while serving as the chief executive officer of the entity that operated the West Virginia Courtesy Patrol. According to court documents and statements made in court, Martin was CEO of Citizen  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Washington State University has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 4, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Michael P. Wolcott, Interim Vice President for Research, Regent's Professor, Research Integrity Officer. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. * * * This letter is submitted on behalf  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Jan. 3, 2024, and posted on Jan. 5, 2024. The comment was signed by Mark E. Lowe, Vice Chancellor for Research, Senior Associate Dean for Research, School of Medicine, Harvey R. Colten Professor of Pediatric Science; and Jeneane Braden, Asst. Vice Chancellor for Research Integrity and Ethics. The comment, on Docket   more