The photo above shows Mr. Szukala.

Mike Szukala was appointed as County’s first Medicaid Inspector General on Tuesday, September 4, 2012.  Mr. Szukala is a Certified Internal Auditor with more than 28 years of governmental accounting and auditing experience and, most recently, has served as the Erie County Deputy Comptroller-Audit from 2006 through September of 2012.

Under his leadership, the Comptroller’s Audit Division was molded into an inspector-general type organization that has completed more than 60 audits and reviews identifying more than $30 million in tax dollar savings. In 2007, the Division was awarded the Association of Local Government Auditors’ prestigious Bronze Knighton Award for excellence within the governmental auditing profession for an audit of the Erie County Holding Center and Correctional facility. Erie County is the only New York State municipality to ever win the award, and has been nominated seven (7) additional times.

Additionally, Mr. Szukala implemented the Erie County Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Tip Line, which has responded to more than 300 anonymous tips from taxpayers since 2008, and has acted as Secretary to the Erie County Audit Committee, the Charter-mandated board tasked with selecting the County’s external auditor and reporting on the implementation of recommendations.

Mr. Szukala, who possesses a Masters in Business Administration from SUNY at Buffalo as well as a Bachelors’ of Science in Accounting  from the University of Dayton, has also served in a series of positions within the City of Buffalo Comptroller’s Office and the Buffalo Board of Education from 1988-2006.

Since September 1, 2012, operating under agreements with OMIG, Mr. Szukala has lead Erie County's Medicaid Inspector General Team ("MIG Team") to the completion of (or in the process of completing) forty-five (45) audits.  These audits cover more than $99 million in Medicaid payments.  The results of those audits have been submitted to OMIG, as per the agreements, for follow-up and action by the State. 

The MIG Team has completed, or is in the process of completing, audits of transportation providers, pharmacies, assisted living program providers and durable medical equipment (“DME”) providers.  

The MIG Team continues to work on a variety of projects and cooperate with OMIG and law enforcement agencies as required and/or necessary.  Under the County’s agreements with OMIG and other State agencies, the MIG Team is restricted from commenting on ongoing or recently completed Medicaid audits while OMIG reviews the results and considers State action.

The MIG Team, which features four employees, is funded through the State under a 2012 agreement.