United States Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo

https://www.wpri.com ^ | Oct 11, 2016 | Ted Nesi

[Beowulf9]

State Health and Human Services computer system failure

A widely-criticized rollout of a new computer network system for the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services dubbed the "Unified Health Infrastructure Project" (UHIP) in September 2016 saw scores of people without access to gov programs food stamps, child care due to glitches in software by Deloitte. This computer crash created a backlog of more than 20,000 cases.

The Raimondo Administration received several letters from the federal government in 2016 warning UHIP not ready to be launched. On orders of Raimondo, the UHIP launch occurred as planned despite federal warnings. U.S. Food and Nutrition Service's Northeast Regional Administrator, Kurt Messner, urged Raimondo postpone the launch because it would interrupt or interfere with benefits the agency oversees. Messner said in the letter local news outlets described as "strongly-worded" "the transition plan remains inadequate unacceptable." Messner pointed out the state failed to gradually launch UHIP in phases or administer a live pilot test of UHIP. Messner opined that "Launching a system without having conducted a live pilot is against the intent of regulations and against best advice." The Raimondo Administration ignored the federal warnings resulting in benefit delays, system downtime, and benefit loss caused in error.

In December 2016, the federal government give the state Department of Human Services less than a month to fix the UHIP computer system or risk losing $13 million in federal funding. Federal officials judged that the state was not compliant in lowering a significant case backlog, starting a sufficient call-center, adequate staff training, and improving wait times at Health and Human Services field offices.

In February 2017, Executive Secretary of Health and Human Services Elizabeth H. Roberts resigned from her cabinet post in the Raimondo Administration due to the failed roll-out of the UHIP.

[Beowulf9]

In March 2017, Rhode Island Monthly reported that the U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into UHIP, specifically false claims and statements made about the Health and Human Services computer network rollout. The investigation was still underway as of summer 2017. In an interview, House Oversight Chair Rep. Patricia Serpa (D-West Warwick) said, "There's plenty of blame to go around. The auditor's report found that [the contract with Deloitte] was poorly written, poorly overseen and poorly executed. They were warned against the implementation because the system was not ready. Not only did they implement it, they displaced all of the most senior workers with the wealth of experience. We pulled all the plugs to make sure this was a failure."

[Sequoyah101]

If you can cock up this badly in a state so small just think of the mess she can make now.

[Beowulf9]

She is in charge of commerce to the U.S. in other words, shipping.

[ValleyofHope]

Rhode Island ping!

She would constantly tell us during the “pandemic” that she had too much invested in RI to take a job in this administration, that she was here for the duration. When the job offer came in, she flew off on her broom to DC!

She actually did us a favor!

[Sequoyah101]

So what?

[leaning conservative]

Yay us!/s