“In January 2011, DHH eliminated all but one internal audit position. In February, the one remaining auditor retired, leaving no internal audit function at all at the end of Fiscal Year 2011.
“Each year, in the Appropriations Act, the Legislature requires agencies with budgets in excess of $30 million to use existing positions for internal audit services.
“Considering DHH has over $650 million in assets and over $7 billion in annual revenue, an effective internal audit function is critical to safeguard state assets and operations.”
—Wes Gooch, audit manager for the Legislative Auditor’s Office, in testimony before the Legislative Audit Advisory Council on Feb. 21.
“I am outraged that a member of our staff would allegedly willfully misuse public funds that were intended for health care services.”
—DHH Secretary Bruce Greenstein, in a prepared statement Friday after it was learned that a DHH employee in the Bureau of Health Care Integrity is suspected of misappropriating $800,000 in DHH funds.
Louisiana Voice 
I am outraged that a member of this administration would be so incompetent as to allow this to happen under his watch.
I wonder where the buck stops over in DHH? Someone’s head will roll, but you can bet it won’t be Greenstein’s or any unclassified person.
Also, as much as our state officials like to keep everything secret, shouldn’t this person have been arrested by now? If so, wouldn’t that be public information? I guess we have to assume they don’t want to tip off any accomplices, as if this story in the paper isn’t likely to have. ALSO, and MOST IMPORTANT: Thanks for your lead on this, Tom. The provision you cite has been in the annual appropriations bill for well over a decade. We put it in when I was still there to ensure the internal audit function was not lost when departments reduced personnel pursuant to budget cuts. It was widely ignored, or gotten around, then and I guess it still is now. The way some departments got away with not complying was claiming they couln’t fill the positions, but were, of course, trying to do so. This is a clearly vital function, particularly in a department as large and complex as DHH. Somebody, in addtion to and higher up the chain from the phantom thief should be held accountable for this.
Let me guess, our part time Gonenor was not available for comment . He is off calling someone somewhere stupid. The chickens are coming home to roost!!!!
The fox is and has been in charge of the hen house…
Assez, c’est assez!