The OIG Looks Towards Natural Disasters, Infectious Disease, and Grant Funding.

What do infectious disease, natural disasters, and inclusion have in common? The OIG. For July and August, the OIG added several items to their work plan. If you’re a compliance professional or your organization is in any of the programs added to the update, you’re going to wanna be in the know. Here’s a summary of this summer’s compliance happenings.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put healthcare organization’s preparedness for emerging infections disease in the spotlight. But the OIG is not just stopping at infectious disease; they’re focused on natural disasters, too. Why? Because according to the OIG, the United States experienced a record number of natural disasters in 2020, and many scientists expect an even greater number of hurricanes and storms in 2021.

Another biggie you’ll see in this update is an emphasis on inclusion. Folks have been concerned for years about the lack of appropriate representation of certain racial and ethnic minorities, women, and individuals of all ages in clinical trials. And the concern has only grown due to the COVID-19 pandemic's disproportionate impact on minority populations. So the OIG will be looking at the diversity of enrollees in clinical trials. In this same vein of inclusion, the OIG will also be focusing on REACH, The Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program, to ensure grant recipients used their funding following Federal requirements and grant terms.

If your organization is involved in any of the programs that the OIG added to this update, get all of the details in my latest piece, "OIG Work Plan Updates: Inclusion, Infectious Disease, and Natural Disasters," and learn more about the OIG’s focus on:

• Inclusion in Clinical Trials
• Grant Funding for REACH
• Grant Funding for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment
• Preparedness for Natural Disasters and Infectious Disease