Report  Office of the Inspector General Annual Report 2019

We are pleased to provide the Office of the Inspector General’s 2019 Annual Report. We also want to take this opportunity to let you know that we’re still here working for the people of the Commonwealth. In response to the COVID-19 health emergency, we moved our entire Office to remote work, including holding all our classes online. Additionally, our Fraud Hotline and Chapter 30B Hotline are still operating and fully staffed. We’re continuing all of the work we do to help make government better, including our investigations, reviews and compliance with our mandates. Please don’t hesitate to contact us during this health emergency.

Here are a few highlights from last year:

• Expanded our training program to new locations throughout the state and launched online training videos.

• Answered 1,418 inquiries and questions regarding Chapter 30B, public procurement and good governance practices.

• Provided training to over 2,300 public employees, private entities and members of the public.

• Received and responded to 1,380 complaints on our Fraud Hotline.

• Conducted investigations and reviews in areas such as health and human services, municipal authorities, public procurement, public benefits, public works, pensions and transportation.

• Investigated numerous criminal and civil matters that led to indictments, prosecutions, settlements, restitution, legislative initiatives and policy changes at the state and local levels.

• Conducted reviews of paid details and overtime shifts at the Massachusetts State Police.

• Commented on legislation, reviewed real property dispositions and approved alternative construction methods.

• Evaluated the MBTA’s contract to privatize its warehouse operations.

• Worked with EOHHS, DDS and DTA to improve management infrastructure, program administration, and fraud detection capabilities.

• Conducted reviews of the Massachusetts Medicaid and Health Safety Net programs and made recommendations to strengthen program integrity.

• Welcomed to the Office our first Dr. Frances Burke Investigator Fellow and our first Justice Geraldine Hines Legal Fellow, who will serve for two years. As fellows, they will learn about the wide variety of work our Office performs, with the possibility of full-time employment at the end of the fellowship.

• Expanded our social media presence in order to best serve all people of the Commonwealth and to provide helpful information to a wider audience.