NY Comptroller: DME left unused, unserviced 

NEW YORK – Only 324 of 247,394 DME items that were procured during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, including ventilators, were distributed during the public health emergency, according to an audit by the New York state comptroller. This DME sits unused in storage facilities across the state, missing recommended maintenance and costing taxpayers storage expenses, the audit says. “During the pandemic, New York state quickly purchased medical equipment to address the public health crisis,” said State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. “Now, hundreds of thousands of unused devices sit idle. I urge the Department of Health to develop and execute a strategic plan for the maintenance and use of these and future medical equipment purchases, so New York is well prepared for the next public health emergency.” Based on paid vouchers and credit card transactions provided by the state Department of Health, the state comptroller determined it incurred costs of $452.8 million to procure 247,343 items of DME and received 51 items donated by others or received from the federal government, for a total of 247,394 items procured during the onset of COVID-19 (as of November 2020).  After the PHE ended, according to DOH officials, a Medical Stockpile Steering Committee recommended the department retain 51,140 items of DME in its cache, of which 4,468 items (9%) should receive scheduled preventive maintenance, leaving almost 200,000 DME items without a strategic plan for utilization. DOH has conducted surveys of the medical community, with facilities expressing interest in 24,585 DME items, but has taken limited action overall to reduce its stockpile. The state comptroller has made the following recommendations: 

• Maintain basic internal controls during emergency scenarios to ensure stewardship over state assets that address concepts such as conducting transactions in an ordinary manner, recording transactions, effective communication, and documenting receipt of purchases. 
• Document and preserve the process and/or key factors used when making significant decisions, and keep documentation of key events, such as the Steering Committee’s recommendation of DME to be retained and to receive preventive maintenance. 
• Develop and implement a statewide public health strategic plan to utilize surplus DME. 
• Develop and implement a strategic plan for DME preventive maintenance so that it is ready and reliable for use during public health emergencies.