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Open Recommendations (142 total)

Minority AIDS Initiative: Consolidation of Fragmented HIV/AIDS Funding Could Reduce Administrative Challenges

GAO-14-84
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services In order to reduce the administrative costs associated with a fragmented MAI grant structure that diminishes the effective use of HHS's limited HIV/AIDS funding, and to enhance services to minority populations, HHS should consolidate disparate MAI funding streams into core HIV/AIDS funding during its budget request and allocation process.
Open
HHS stated that it does not support the consolidation of Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) funds into core funding. As of January 2024, HHS had not changed its position. We will update the status of this recommendation when we receive additional information.

COVID-19: Pandemic Lessons Highlight Need for Public Health Situational Awareness Network

GAO-22-104600
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of HHS should ensure that the lead operational division for PAHPAIA implementation identifies and documents the IT- and information sharing-related challenges and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. (Recommendation 9)
Open
In April 2023, HHS stated that it will work with the relevant internal IT offices and also work with the HHS OCIO to identify and document IT and information-related challenges and lessons learned. The department did not provide a time frame for completing this activity. As of February 2024, HHS stated that it will continue to provide information to GAO in future updates. We will continue to monitor the actions HHS takes to implement this recommendation.

Head Start: Opportunities Exist to Better Align Resources with Child Poverty

GAO-24-106077
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct OHS to use its existing grant-making authority to consider the geographic distribution of Head Start resources across communities when awarding competitive grants. (Recommendation 1)
Open
HHS agreed with this recommendation. OHS said it would explore methods to include geographic distribution of existing Head Start services and available measures of need to be considered in the grant award process, within the constraints of its statutory authority. For example, due to statutory provisions governing the distribution of Head Start funds, the agency's authority to distribute funds and award grants is limited by the amount of funding available and the need to ensure that grants stay within the service area and maintain stable funding within states. We will monitor the progress of OHS's efforts to address this recommendation.

High-Containment Laboratories: Comprehensive and Up-to-Date Policies and Stronger Oversight Mechanisms Needed to Improve Safety

GAO-16-305
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services To ensure that federal departments and agencies have comprehensive and up-to-date policies and stronger oversight mechanisms in place for managing hazardous biological agents in high-containment laboratories and are fully addressing weaknesses identified after laboratory safety lapses, the Secretary of Health and Human Services should require routine reporting of the results of agency and select agent laboratory inspections to senior department officials.
Open
In August 2016, HHS reported that CDC was working with FDA and NIH to establish a process for notifying HHS leadership of inspection results through the department's Biosafety and Biosecurity Coordinating Council. HHS did not provide us with an anticipated time frame for implementing this notification practice or when the agencies plan to begin notifying HHS of inspection results. In September 2020, we reported in GAO-20-594 that, according to FDA officials, the agency is waiting on HHS to establish a process for reporting laboratory inspections to senior HHS officials. As of October 2020, HHS had not provided an update on the status of developing a process for the agencies to report inspection results to senior HHS officials. We will update the status of this recommendation when we receive additional information from HHS.

COVID-19 Contracting: Opportunities to Improve Practices to Assess Prospective Vendors and Capture Lessons Learned

GAO-21-528
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of Health and Human Services should direct the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response to develop internal guidance that includes information for contracting officers related to contracting and assessing prospective vendors during emergencies. (Recommendation 2)
Open
HHS agreed with this recommendation. As of April 2023, HHS officials said the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response is developing a new document, the Emergency Operations Guide, that will provide processes and establish organizational priorities when responding to emergencies. HHS officials said the guide will include guidance for contracting officers on contracting and assessing prospective vendors during emergencies. As of April 2024, HHS reported that they are continuing to work on developing the emergency operations guide. We will continue to monitor HHS's efforts to develop guidance during emergencies.

Institutional Review Boards: Actions Needed to Improve Federal Oversight and Examine Effectiveness

GAO-23-104721
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Assistant Secretary for Health should ensure that OHRP takes steps to ensure the accuracy of protocol data collected in OHRP's IRB registry. This could include updating instructions to IRBs and examining data accuracy for a sample of IRBs. (Recommendation 1.)
Open
In August 2023, HHS reported that OHRP was taking steps to address this recommendation. First, HHS noted OHRP was working to modify its IRB registration system to prompt IRBs applying for, renewing, or updating their OHRP registration to provide accurate information about the number of protocols they review. Additionally, HHS reported OHRP planned to evaluate its IRB registration instructions as part of the next Paperwork Reduction Act Information Collection Request renewal; the current IRB registration form is approved through June 30, 2025. As of March 2024, we had not yet received updated information from HHS and will update the status when we do.

COVID-19: HHS Needs to Identify Duplicative Pandemic IT Systems and Implement Key Privacy Requirements

GAO-24-106638
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of HHS should ensure that component agencies proactively and consistently identify and track the funding sources and costs dedicated to operating and maintaining all of their systems supporting pandemic public health preparedness and response. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Public Health Information Technology: HHS Has Made Little Progress toward Implementing Enhanced Situational Awareness Network Capabilities

GAO-17-377
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services To ensure progress is made toward the implementation of any IT enhancements needed to establish electronic public health situational awareness network capabilities mandated by PAHPRA, the Secretary of HHS should direct the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response to conduct all IT management and oversight processes related to the establishment of the network in accordance with Enterprise Performance Life Cycle Framework guidance, under the leadership of the HHS CIO.
Open
As of April 2023, HHS officials stated that next generation of HHS Protect, called the Response Ready Enterprise Data Integration platform, will enhance their efforts for realizing the vision of an electronic public health situational network capability mandated by PAHPRA. HHS stated that the platform is awaiting notification of available funding, which will enable the department to ensure that all IT management and oversight processes related to the establishment of the network are in accordance with Enterprise Performance Life Cycle Framework guidance. As of March 2024, the agency had no further updates on their efforts. We will continue to monitor the actions HHS takes to implement this recommendation.

Scientific Integrity: HHS Agencies Need to Develop Procedures and Train Staff on Reporting and Addressing Political Interference

GAO-22-104613
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of Health and Human Services should ensure that procedures for reporting and addressing potential political interference in scientific decision-making are documented, including adding a definition of political interference, and that the procedures are communicated to the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. (Recommendation 6)
Open
As of April 2024, HHS was updating its departmental scientific integrity policy and its operating divisions were also updating their individual scientific integrity policies. The updated policies will include specific provisions prohibiting political interference and will establish procedures for reporting and handling allegations of scientific integrity violations, including those involving alleged political interference. HHS plans to finalize its policy in 2024 and will make the policy publicly available on its website.

Cybersecurity: Federal Agencies Made Progress, but Need to Fully Implement Incident Response Requirements

GAO-24-105658
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of Health and Human Services should ensure that the agency fully implements all event logging requirements as directed by OMB guidance. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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