New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today the following audits have been issued:

State Education Department: Easter Seals New York, Compliance with the Reimbursable Cost Manual (2015-S-27)

For the three calendar years ended Dec. 31, 2013, Easter Seals NY claimed $688,543 in ineligible costs for its rate-based preschool special education programs. The ineligible costs included: $546,263 in personal service costs for personnel that exceeded SED-approved staffing ratios for the programs; $110,206 in parent agency administration services provided by Easter Seals NY that included executive compensation above the allowed regional median salary; and $32,074 in other than personal service costs that were either not allowable or unsupported by proper documentation.

State Education Department: Jawonio Inc., Compliance with the Reimbursable Cost Manual (2015-S-49)

For the calendar year ended Dec. 31, 2014, Jawonio claimed $26,975 in ineligible costs for its four rate-based preschool special education programs. The ineligible costs included: $24,611 in personal service costs that consisted of excess severance pay, compensation for work that was not related to the special education programs, excess compensation and fringe benefits, and a non-reimbursable bonus; and $2,364 in other than personal service costs.

State Education Department: Baker Victory Services, Compliance with the Reimbursable Cost Manual (2015-S-57)

Baker Victory, a not-for-profit organization located in Lackawanna, provides a variety of services to the Erie County community, including preschool special education services to children with disabilities. Auditors identified $155,303 in costs the agency claimed that were not in compliance with state rules, including: $85,736 in personal service costs, which consisted of $46,526 in inappropriate bonuses; and $69,567 in other than personal service costs, which included of $53,053 in non-allowable public relations and advertising costs.

Department of Health: COLA – Child Center of New York (2016-BSE4-01)

Each fiscal year, DOH makes COLA payments to not-for-profit contractors with an eligible contract. Of the $15,538 examined for the Child Center, auditors found $5,756 in overpayments for unallowable and unsupported expenses and $1,970 in noncompliant expenses paid outside the applicable budget year. The remaining $7,812 was appropriate and properly supported.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute: Security Over Electronic Protected Health Information (Follow Up) (2016-F-19)

An initial audit report issued in July 2015, concluded that the Roswell Park Cancer Institute had established a highly developed information security program to protect the electronic protected health information (ePHI) it creates, receives, maintains, or transmits. However, auditors identified some improvement opportunities involving certain administrative, physical, and technical safeguards over the Institute’s ePHI. In a follow-up, auditors found the institute has made good progress addressing the issues identified in the initial audit. Of the four recommendations contained in the audit, two have been implemented and two have been partially implemented.

Department of Transportation (DOT): Railroad Bridge Inspection Program (Follow Up) (2016-F-13)

An initial audit report issued in December 2013 determined that DOT was not sufficiently monitoring whether the railroads complied with its bridge and inspection reporting requirements and made recommendations to improve oversight. In a follow-up report, auditors found DOT has made progress in implementing the recommendations identified in the prior audit report.  Of the six prior audit recommendations, one has been implemented, four have been partially implemented and one is no longer applicable.