The ugly underside of the state's Department of Human Services' Office of Inspector General continues to get exposed.

The latest: The Quality Care Board, a citizens panel established to be a watchdog for disabled adults and oversee the inspector general's office, instead hid problems.

When a man was beaten to death in 2008 at a group home in Charleston, the panel was told, "Please keep this confidential." That sounds like code for another C word -- coverup. At the time a police investigation was ongoing, but the Quality Care Board didn't come back to this even when the investigation concluded.

Keeping it confidential meant the public wasn't warned of the danger. The secrecy may have led to the beating death of another mentally disabled adult two years later at another group home run by the same organization.

Gov. Pat Quinn has appointed a new inspector general and new members to the Quality Care Board. The governor promises more openness and information going forward.

Still, it will not be easy changing a bureaucratic culture that has exhibited repeated bad judgment. This is the same office that decided that it shouldn't investigate the deaths of disabled adults who died after suspected abuse or to inform people looking for caregivers about known abusers.

Telling the people of Illinois about sweeping changes is a start, but it won't be enough. The public will need to see lots of proof that the office and the Quality Care Board finally are fulfilling their roles.