[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 27 (Friday, February 8, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7568-7569]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-2390]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary

Office of Inspector General


 Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of 
Authority

    This notice amends Part A (Office of the Secretary), chapter AF of 
the Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority 
for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reflect title 
changes and responsibilities within the Office of Inspector General's 
(OIG) Office of Investigations (OI). The statement of organization, 
functions, and delegations of authority conforms to and carries out the 
statutory requirements for operating OIG. These organizational changes 
are primarily to balance investigative operations and investigative 
support functions within OI, more clearly delineate responsibilities 
for the activities within this office, and facilitate the most 
efficient and effective health care fraud investigations. Chapter AF 
was last amended on December 21, 2006 (71 FR 76676).
    As amended, sections AFJ.00, AFJ.10, and AFJ.20 of Chapter AF now 
read as follows:
* * * * *

Section AFJ.00, Office of Investigations--Mission

    The Office of Investigations (OI) is responsible for conducting and 
coordinating investigative activities related to fraud, waste, abuse, 
and mismanagement in HHS programs and operations, including wrongdoing 
by applicants, grantees, and contractors, or by HHS employees in the 
performance of their official duties. The office serves as OIG liaison 
to Department of Justice on all matters relating to investigations of 
HHS programs and personnel, and reports to the Attorney General when 
OIG has reasonable grounds to believe Federal criminal law has been 
violated. The office serves as a liaison to CMS, State licensing 
boards, and other outside organizations and entities with regard to 
exclusion, compliance, and enforcement activities. OI works with other 
investigative agencies and organizations on special projects and 
assignments. In support of its mission, the office carries out and 
maintains an internal quality assurance system. The system includes 
quality assessment studies and quality control reviews of OI processes 
and products to ensure that policies and procedures are followed 
effectively, and are functioning as intended.

Section AFJ.10, Office of Investigations--Organization

    This office is comprised of the following components:
    A. Immediate Office
    B. Investigations Division 1
    C. Investigations Division 2

Section AFJ.20, Office of Investigations--Functions

A. Immediate Office of the Deputy Inspector General for Investigations

    This office is directed by the Deputy Inspector General for 
Investigations (DIGI), who is responsible for the functions designated 
in the law for the position Assistant Inspector General for 
Investigations. The DIGI supervises the Assistant Inspector General for 
Investigations Division 1, the Assistant Inspector General for 
Investigations Division 2, and the Special Advisor who heads the 
offices described below.
    The DIGI is responsible to the Inspector General for carrying out 
the investigative mission of OIG and for providing and leading general 
supervision to the OIG investigative component. The Immediate Office 
provides broad guidance and instruction to staff and serves as the 
focal point for interaction within OIG. The Immediate Office handles 
all investigative and management advisory services for the DIGI, 
ensuring that the DIGI is briefed on all complex, sensitive, and 
precedent setting program and administrative issues that may 
significantly impact on OI management and the investigative program 
nationwide. The Special Advisor to the DIGI will supervise the Special 
Investigations Unit (SIU) Director and a group of inspectors. The SIU 
will conduct investigations concerning alleged electronic and computer-
related violations, as well as conduct sensitive and complex 
investigations concerning alleged misconduct by OIG and some Department 
employees. Separately, the inspectors who report directly to the 
Special Advisor will conduct the most sensitive investigations 
involving senior officials, political appointees, national security 
issues, and subjects of high media interest. Additionally, those 
inspectors will coordinate special projects as assigned by the Special 
Advisor and investigations involving Congress and top echelon Executive 
Branch Officials.

[[Page 7569]]

B. Investigations Division 1

    This office is directed by an Assistant Inspector General for 
Investigations who supervises a headquarters staff and Special Agents 
in Charge.
    1. The headquarters staff assists the Deputy Inspector General for 
Investigations in establishing investigative priorities, evaluating the 
progress of investigations, and reporting to the Inspector General on 
the effectiveness of investigative efforts. It develops and implements 
investigative techniques, programs, guidelines, and policies. It 
provides programmatic expertise and issues information on new programs, 
regulations and statutes. It directs and coordinates the regional 
investigative offices.
    2. The headquarters staff identifies systemic and programmatic 
vulnerabilities in the Department's operations and makes 
recommendations for change to the appropriate managers.
    3. This office manages the human and financial resources of OI, 
including developing staffing allocation plans and issuing policy for 
coordination and monitoring all budget, staffing and recruiting.
    4. This office coordinates the general management processes, and 
implements policies and procedures published in the OI Policies and 
Procedures Manual and OI Administrative Manual. It also coordinates a 
national inspection program to ensure compliance with the Federal 
Managers Financial Integrity Act, the President's Council on Integrity 
and Efficiency, and Attorney General guidelines.
    5. This office coordinates with the other OIG components in 
developing the Work Plan and provides input to the Office of Inspector 
General Semiannual Report to the Congress.
    6. This office develops all derivative mandatory and permissive 
program exclusions, and ensures enforcement of exclusions imposed 
through liaison with CMS, DOJ and other governmental and private sector 
entities. It is responsible for developing, improving and maintaining a 
comprehensive and coordinated OIG database on all OIG exclusion 
actions, and promptly and accurately reports all exclusion actions 
within its authority to the database. It informs appropriate regulatory 
agencies, health care providers and the general public of all OIG 
exclusion actions, and is responsible for improving public access to 
information on these exclusion actions to ensure that excluded 
individuals and entities are effectively barred from program 
participation.
    7. This office provides advisory services and assistance to CMS 
officials, HHS officials, and OIG senior managers through liaison 
activity. It is responsible for providing program and policy direction 
necessary to accomplish all CMS work requirements, and to direct other 
activities in compliance with all legal requirements, OI policies and 
procedures.
    8. The regional offices within this Investigations Division conduct 
investigations of allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement and 
violations of standards of conduct within the jurisdiction of OIG in 
their assigned geographic areas. They coordinate investigations and 
confer with HHS operating divisions, staff divisions, OIG counterparts 
and other investigative and law enforcement agencies. They prepare 
investigative and management improvement reports.

C. Investigations Division 2

    This office is directed by an Assistant Inspector General for 
Investigations who supervises a headquarters staff and Special Agents 
in Charge.
    1. This office plans, develops, implements and evaluates all levels 
of employee training for investigators, managers, support staff and 
other personnel. It oversees a law enforcement techniques and equipment 
program.
    2. The staff provides for the personal protection of the Secretary, 
and all emergency operations preparedness and response.
    3. The office promotes and coordinates the adoption of advanced 
information technology forensics in the prevention and detection of 
fraud and provides general and specific coordination of programs to 
retrieve and analyze computer-based forensic evidence.
    4. The office operates a toll-free hotline for OIG to permit 
individuals to call in suspected fraud, waste, or abuse; refers the 
calls for appropriate action by HHS agencies or other OIG components; 
and analyzes the body of calls to identify trends and patterns of fraud 
and abuse needing attention.
    5. The office maintains an automated data and management 
information system used by all OI managers and investigators. It 
provides technical expertise on computer applications for 
investigations and coordinates and approves investigative computer 
matches with other agencies.
    6. The regional offices within this Investigations Division conduct 
investigations of allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement and 
violations of standards of conduct within the jurisdiction of OIG in 
their assigned geographic areas. They coordinate investigations and 
confer with HHS operating divisions, staff divisions, OIG counterparts 
and other investigative and law enforcement agencies. They prepare 
investigative and management implication reports.

    Dated: February 1, 2008.
Daniel R. Levinson,
Inspector General.
[FR Doc. E8-2390 Filed 2-7-08; 8:45 am]
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