Compliance Carl Meets the Inspector General and Makes it Weird

It’s not every day that you get to meet your hero. So when Carl bumped into HHS Inspector General Christi Grimm at the HCCA CI this year, he simply could not even. After all, for a compliance expert, she’s the top dog.

“​​Christi A. Grimm is the Principal Deputy Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Inspector General (OIG). Since January 2020, Ms. Grimm has been performing the duties of the Inspector General for HHS. As the head of HHS OIG, she leads an independent and objective organization of more than 1,600 auditors, evaluators, investigators, lawyers, and management professionals who carry out OIG’s mission to protect the integrity of HHS programs as well as the health and welfare of the people they serve. Ms. Grimm is responsible for the oversight of more than 100 programs administered by HHS agencies such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Administration for Children and Families, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, and National Institutes of Health. Collectively, these programs are regularly responsible for approximately $1.5 trillion annually; with the inclusion of the Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) relief funding, HHS was responsible for a total of $2.4 trillion in 2020. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, HHS OIG is responsible for oversight of the HHS COVID-19 response and relief efforts. Ms. Grimm represents HHS OIG on the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) and leads PRAC’s Health Care Subgroup.” –OIG.HHS.GOV

At first, Carl wasn’t quite sure it was the Inspector General. He squinted and strained. Then as he got a little closer and she came fully into view, he knew that it was her. And she looked even sharper in person. He inched closer and closer, drawn to her the way many folks are drawn to those they admire like they’re floating towards the sun. The next thing he knew, he was standing face to face with her. Then the unthinkable happened.

Eyes bulged, heart-pounding, sweat pooling in his little T. Rex hands, he could barely contain a shrill scream that could be heard throughout Phoenix when the honorable inspector Grimm extended her arm to shake his hand. He stared in disbelief, froze, and felt a small part of his soul leave his body as the horrible roar-squeal escaped his snout. The Honorable Inspector Grimm was unfazed by the apparent fanboy moment and simply smiled and nodded before being led away to something. Then Carl fainted.

When he awoke sometime later on a cot in the medic tent, he saw stars and couldn’t believe that he almost shook hands with one of the most important people in the compliance world.

HHS OIG 2022 Meet n greet2

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