GAO report: HHS needs better communication on state-level personnel reassignments in a public health emergency

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report regarding communication and coordination of personnel reassignments in public health emergencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR).

GAO originally conducted the review after receiving reports from states that they had not received sufficient personnel in response to public health emergencies, such as influenza and other threats, from ASPR. The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2013 authorized the department to allow states and tribes to temporarily reassign personnel funded by HHS programs to aid in public health emergency response.

The report found that HHS would typically receive a request for personnel reassignment, convene relevant officials from HHS agencies, and communicate the decisions within four days time. GAO found, however, that the department’s efforts to communicate those processes to its own agencies and offices for personnel reassignment have been limited. ASPR indicated that the office did not conduct any targeted outreach to HHS agencies to inform them of their processes during the vetting of guidance for the use of reassignment authority.

GAO recommended that HHS direct ASPR to conduct outreach to HHS agencies and officers to inform them of processes, expectations and requirements for the reassignment authority and develop a plan to evaluate post-action reports to assess the authority’s impact on emergency response situations.