Commissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service Scientist … · 2021. 1. 10. · Via Webex...

16
Via Webex meeting: Join Webex meeting Or via phone: 1-210-795-0506; 1-877-465-7975; Global call-in numbers Access code: 901 276 235 Total Attendance: 196 attendees; 21 excused absences Chief Scientist Officer and 2020–2021 SciPAC Executive Board Members Rank Name Role CAPT Eckert, John Chief Scientist Officer Present CAPT Rodgers, Loren Ex-Officio Chairperson Present CDR Dee, Deborah Vice Chair; Rules & Membership Chair Present CDR Rossiter, Lana Executive Liaison Present LCDR Jamoom, Eric Executive Secretary Present LCDR Wilken, Jason Chair Present Voting Members Rank Name Role CDR Barbour, Kamil Science Subcommittee Chair Present CDR Bjork, Adam Policy Subcommittee Chair Present CDR Demissie, Zewditu Awards Subcommittee Chair Present CDR Goodrich-Doctor, Adrienne Website Subcommittee Chair Present CDR Kenney, James Awards Subcommittee Co-Chair Present CDR Pesce, John Deployment Preparedness Subcommittee Chair Present CDR Shumate, Alice Category Day Chair Present LCDR Blessington, Tyann Career Development Subcommittee Chair Present LCDR Bowen, Virginia Mentoring Subcommittee Chair Present LCDR Chen, Debra Recruitment and Retention Subcommittee Chair; Present LCDR Hassan, Iram Visibility Subcommittee Chair Present LCDR Leshin, Jonathan Policy Subcommittee Co-Chair Present LCDR Link-Gelles, Ruth Website Subcommittee Co-Chair Present LCDR Muniz-Ortiz, Jorge Deployment Preparedness Subcommittee Co- Chair Present LCDR Scott, Colleen Visibility Subcommittee Co-Chair Present LCDR Zhang, Xinzhi Career Development Subcommittee Co-Chair Present Commissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service Scientist Professional Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes; January 5, 2021

Transcript of Commissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service Scientist … · 2021. 1. 10. · Via Webex...

  • Via Webex meeting: Join Webex meeting

    Or via phone: 1-210-795-0506; 1-877-465-7975; Global call-in numbers Access code: 901 276 235

    Total Attendance: 196 attendees; 21 excused absences Chief Scientist Officer and 2020–2021 SciPAC Executive Board Members Rank Name Role CAPT Eckert, John Chief Scientist Officer Present CAPT Rodgers, Loren Ex-Officio Chairperson Present CDR Dee, Deborah Vice Chair; Rules & Membership Chair Present CDR Rossiter, Lana Executive Liaison Present

    LCDR Jamoom, Eric Executive Secretary Present LCDR Wilken, Jason Chair Present Voting Members Rank Name Role

    CDR Barbour, Kamil Science Subcommittee Chair Present CDR Bjork, Adam Policy Subcommittee Chair Present CDR Demissie, Zewditu Awards Subcommittee Chair Present CDR Goodrich-Doctor, Adrienne Website Subcommittee Chair Present CDR Kenney, James Awards Subcommittee Co-Chair Present CDR Pesce, John Deployment Preparedness Subcommittee Chair Present CDR Shumate, Alice Category Day Chair Present

    LCDR Blessington, Tyann Career Development Subcommittee Chair Present LCDR Bowen, Virginia Mentoring Subcommittee Chair Present LCDR Chen, Debra Recruitment and Retention Subcommittee Chair; Present LCDR Hassan, Iram Visibility Subcommittee Chair Present LCDR Leshin, Jonathan Policy Subcommittee Co-Chair Present LCDR Link-Gelles, Ruth Website Subcommittee Co-Chair Present LCDR Muniz-Ortiz, Jorge Deployment Preparedness Subcommittee Co-

    Chair Present

    LCDR Scott, Colleen Visibility Subcommittee Co-Chair Present LCDR Zhang, Xinzhi Career Development Subcommittee Co-Chair Present

    Commissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service Scientist Professional Advisory Committee

    Meeting Minutes; January 5, 2021

    https://fda1.webex.com/fda1/j.php?MTID=ma44d928db9fad31f3c8aa809a162a819https://fda1.webex.com/fda1/j.php?MTID=m30daa02c22a2ffa647436401ecdc3597https://fda1.webex.com/fda1/globalcallin.php?serviceType=MC&ED=10637177&tollFree=1

  • Non-voting Liaisons Rank Name Role CDR Odom, Erika PACE Liaison Present LCDR Hudson, Gwendolyn JOAG Liaison Present LCDR Iturriaga, Luis SOAGDAG Liaison Present LCDR Kembi, Folasade COA Liaison Excused LCDR Rahman, Nazia PsyPAG co-Liaison Present LCDR Zwald, Marissa CCWIAB Liaison Excused LT Sears, Patrick PsyPAG co-Liaison Present Participation by Non-voting Scientist Officers: CAPT(Retired) Jon Daugherty; CAPT Nelson Adekoya; CAPT Jennifer Adjemian; CAPT Drue Barrett; CAPT Marco Bennett; CAPT Heidi Blanck; CAPT Jennifer Bodart; CAPT Mark Clayton; CAPT Joseph Despins; CAPT Laura Draski; CAPT Danice Eaton; CAPT Dominic Frasca; CAPT Jeffrey Goodie; CAPT Sally Hu; CAPT William Murphy; CAPT Timothy Nelle; CAPT Sara Newman; CAPT Ryan Novak; CAPT Margaret Riggs; CAPT Sukhminder Sandhu; CAPT William Satterfield; CAPT Mark Seaton; CAPT Kenneth Sekulic; CAPT Andrea Sharma; CAPT Michael Smith; CAPT Jacqueline Tate; CAPT Jennifer Thomas; CAPT Robin Toblin; CAPT Fuyuen Yip; CDR Frances Belcher; CDR Qiao Bobo; CDR Renee Calanan; CDR Dan-My Chu; CDR Chekesha Clingman; CDR Minglei Cui; CDR Judy Facey; CDR Anne France; CDR Theodore Garnett; CDR Laura Gieraltowski; CDR Cara Halldin; CDR Brian Harcourt; CDR Keisher Highsmith; CDR David Huang; CDR Emily Jentes; CDR Jean Ko; CDR Alison Laufer Halpin; CDR Matthew Lozier; CDR Charlene Maddox; CDR Andrea Mccollum; CDR Mark Miller; CDR Lara Misegades; CDR Todd Myers; CDR Erin Nichols; CDR Carrie Nielsen; CDR Eduardo O'Neill La Luz; CDR Ruiqing Pamboukian; CDR Cesar Perez; CDR Kenneth Phillips; CDR Tracy Powell; CDR Luz Rivera; CDR Michelle Rodriguez; CDR Alfredo Sancho; CDR Erin Sauber-Schatz; CDR Jacqueline Sram; CDR Emily Streeter; CDR Peter Thomas; CDR Nadra Tyus; CDR Sara Vagi; CDR Maroya Walters; CDR Angela Williams; CDR Ellen Yard; CDR Eric Zhou; LCDR Francis Annor; LCDR Tajah Blackburn; LCDR Neil Bonzagni; LCDR Christine Brady; LCDR Israel Cross; LCDR Mary Demby; LCDR Samantha Dimisa; LCDR Elizabeth Edwards; LCDR Charlotte Francia; LCDR Michael Gallaway; LCDR Eboni Galloway; LCDR Rory Geyer; LCDR Yoran Grant-Greene; LCDR Alesha Harris; LCDR Andrew Hickey; LCDR Patrick High; LCDR Kelsy Hoffman; LCDR Natasha Hollis; LCDR Brooke Hoots; LCDR Jorielle Houston; LCDR Elizabeth Irvin-Barnwell; LCDR Lisa Jarvis-Durham; LCDR Victoria Jeisy-Scott; LCDR Alaine Knipes; LCDR Juan Lacayo; LCDR Rebecca Levine; LCDR Kimberly Litton-Belcher; LCDR Neali Lucas; LCDR Iman Martin; LCDR Shiny Mathew; LCDR Jamie Mells; LCDR George Mitzner; LCDR Jonetta Mpofu; LCDR Ashleigh Murriel; LCDR Rashid Njai; LCDR Julie O'Donnell; LCDR Oliver Ou; LCDR Mary Puckett; LCDR Hilda Razzaghi; LCDR Leslie Rivera-Rosado; LCDR Rachel Slayton; LCDR Pilgrim Spikes; LCDR Matthew Steele; LCDR Scott Steffen; LCDR Matthew Stuckey; LCDR Angela Thompson-Paul; LCDR Jessica Tomov; LCDR Esra Toussaint; LCDR Tyson Volkmann; LCDR Teresa Wang; LCDR Shondelle Wilson-Frederick; LCDR Marcienne Wright; LCDR Julia Zucco; LT Anna Chard; LT Angela Coulliette-Salmond; LT Ariella Dale; LT Brett Dodd; LT Jessica Dunn; LT Lacreisha Ejike-King; LT Leora Feldstein; LT Dianca Finch; LT Brett Forshey; LT Brandi Freeman; LT Robert Gahl; LT Bradley Goodwin; LT Sean Griffing; LT Marisa Hast; LT Carolyn Herzig; LT Amanda Hott; LT Michelle Hughes; LT Pushpa Jayasekara; LT Jueichuan Kang; LT Hana Kim; LT Ian Kracalik; LT Ana Lauer; LT Michelle Lin; LT Gina Masessa; LT Oren Mayer; LT Olivia Mcgovern; LT Muktha Natrajan; LT Megan Peck; LT Tia Rogers; LT Erica Rose; LT Beth Rubenstein; LT Marsha Samson; LT Kelly Shaw; LT Taneshia Shelton; LT Dantrell Simmons; LT Tanesha Tutt; LT Carrie Whitworth; LT Nicholas Wiese; LT Nana Wilson; LT Lindsay Womack; LT Lauren Woodard; LT Rebecca Woodruff; LT Kerui Xu; and LT Shannon York. Excused Absences of Non-voting Scientist Officers: CDR Sharyn Brown; CDR Dianna Carroll; CDR Joanna Gaines; CDR Leigh Ann Miller; CDR Matthew Newland; CDR Sanny Northbrook; CDR Sharon Saydah; CDR Kanta Sircar; CDR Matthew Wise; CDR Lauren Zapata; LCDR Jonathan Burgos; LCDR William Davis; LCDR Nancy Tian; LCDR Emily Ussery; LT Jason Caballero; LT Nicholas Deputy; LT Jayleen Gunn; LT Amy Schuh; and LT Kindra Stokes.

  • o Call to Order and Welcome: LCDR Jason Wilken o CPO Report: CAPT John Eckert

    • Happy New Year! Resilience is important. Find time to take care of yourself and your family.

    • COVID vaccination. Many officers are deployed to hot-zones and are requesting access to the vaccine. It’s been escalated to the DSG and CCHQ to come up with additional guidance in the next couple of days on how officers can request the COVID vaccine if they get deployed.

    • Updates to incident action plan: Updates are needed to the current incident action plan from CCHQ, specifically section 4. Two bullets are problematic given current needs. (1) No federal asset to receive vaccine while deployed. (2) no federal asset is to administer the vaccine while deployed. The DSG is aware. Please standby for additional guidance.

    • USPHS Commissioned Corps Doctrine. Developed over the last several years, all are encouraged to read the USPHS Commissioned Corps Doctrine, which represents the first full doctrine to define USPHS Commissioned Corps.

    • Administration transition. DSG has already met with the incoming administration, including the former and incoming Surgeon General, VADM Vivek Murthy, bringing him up to speed on current, ongoing, and future response activities. The DSG is actively engaged with VADM Murthy and the new leadership team.

    • SciPAC activities and the Newsletter. I’d like to congratulate all of you for the high productivity and work being done within the SciPAC, including those officers that work on the Newsletter team. The quality of our Newsletter keeps getting better and I really appreciate your patience with the approval process. We hope to the make clearance process more efficient going forward, so they are reviewed at a much higher level. Thank you for all the good work you do!

    o Chair Report: LCDR Jason Wilken • All officers are encouraged to share their COVID-19 response stories via Scientist

    Deployment Narratives or our quarterly newsletter, The Scientist Officer. Please contact the Deployment Preparedness Subcommittee or the Visibility Subcommittee to share your story.

    • For all officers up for promotion in 2021, be sure to mind the deadlines in the promotions checklist.

    • The monthly SciPAC meeting is a great time to log into Secure Area and check your readiness.

    • Subcommittees and liaisons, please send your written meeting notes to Executive Secretary LCDR Jamoom on the Friday before each SciPAC monthly meeting. This will allow us to share the meeting minutes with Scientist officers in a timely manner.

    • Our SciPAC operations are dependent on the volunteer efforts of Scientist officers. If you have the bandwidth, please reach out to any of our 11 subcommittees to volunteer.

    • The Executive Board, our subcommittee chairs, and our liaisons are here to serve you. Please reach out to us if you need help or if you have ideas for supporting Scientist officers.

    o Vice Chair Report: CDR Deborah Dee • Nothing significant to report.

    mailto:[email protected]://dcp.psc.gov/ccmis/PDF_docs/USPHS%20Commissioned%20Corps%20Doctrine.pdfmailto:[email protected]://dcp.psc.gov/ccmis/promotions/PROMOTIONS_checklist_m.aspxhttps://dcp.psc.gov/ccmis/promotions/PROMOTIONS_checklist_m.aspxmailto:[email protected]

  • o Executive Secretary Report: LCDR Eric Jamoom • Thank you to SciPAC leadership – EB, Subcommittee Chairs and Liaisons for submitting

    your written reports on time. This allows for these minutes to go out on time. • Readiness and Deployment Branch (RDB) Updates are now being included in our

    January SciPAC minutes (Appendix A) on behalf of the Deployment Preparedness Subcommittee. You are still encouraged to go to RDB – Self-service in the Officer Secure Area to ensure you have the most up-to-date information for deployment preparedness.

    o Executive Liaison Report: CDR Lana Rossiter • In the last month I have supported Career Development, Science, and Visibility

    Subcommittees. If a subcommittee would like something reviewed by the Executive Board, please let me know.

    • The current SciPAC balance is $1,791.36; fundraising efforts are still on hold • Reminder to all Subcommittees, funds are available to support PAC activities. Contact

    CDR Lana Rossiter for details. • Please be aware that PAC activities that violate social distancing such as in-person

    socials will not be approved or funded at the moment. Other activities that adhere to these requirements may be funded but should be cleared prior to spending any funds.

    o Subcommittee Reports • Awards: CDR Zewditu Demissie; Co-Chairs: CDR James Kenney, LCDR Nancy Tian

    • The nominations for the 2021 Responder of the Year award are currently under review by the award reviewers.

    • Call for nominations for 2021 Junior Officer, Senior Officer, and Mentor of the Year awards has been submitted to the Executive Board for review and distribution.

    • The 2020 award winners have received their plaques, and their bios and photos have been posted on the SciPAC website (see the Awards Subcommittee page). Thank you to the Website Subcommittee. A separate email directing officers to the bios and photos of the award winners will be distributed to the membership.

    o Career Development: LCDR Tyann Blessington; Co-Chairs: LCDR Xinzhi Zhang, CDR

    Minglei Cui • Training Team: The Training Team provides professional training seminars and

    presentations related to the career development of Scientist officers. The team will be hosting a panel discussion on the highlights from this year’s Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS) annual meeting during the February SciPAC meeting. The presentation is titled, AMSUS: From a Scientist’s Perspective. If you would like to share your thoughts with the team, please contact CDR Tamara Henderson and LT Jessica Dunn for more information.

    • Promotion Document Review Team: The Promotion Document Review Team provides promotion document reviewing services to individual Scientist officers who are up for promotion. The team completed the review of 57 CV & OS documents from promotion-eligible officers. We thank the co-leads and the reviewers that

    mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

  • volunteered for this service despite competing priorities. The team will be issuing letters of appreciation to the reviewers. We wish everyone good luck in their promotions. If you have questions, please contact CDR Michelle Rodriguez for more information.

    • Promotion Guidance Team: The Promotion Guidance Team provides Scientist officers with guidance in preparing in advance of being eligible for promotion and in preparing promotion materials. The team is developing promotion planning and preparation tips that will be disseminated in winter, late spring, and late summer. These will include tips for both junior and senior officers and officers who will be up for promotion as well as those who will not. The team is soliciting ideas; if you have ideas for inclusion please email CDR Renee Calanan.

    • Scientist Officer Handbook Team: The Scientist Officer Handbook provides Scientist officers with guidance on various topics related to career development. The team is completing the final edits for 4 sections. Upon completion and approval, new versions will be available on the SciPAC webpage. Individual chapters can be accessed from the Scientist Officer Handbook webpage under Resources and Links. For more information please email CAPT Sukhminder Sandhu and CDR Tamara Henderson.

    • Continuing Education (CE) Contact Hour Initiative Team: The Continuing Education (CE) Contact Hour Initiative Team identifies CE opportunities to support SciPAC officers in meeting the annual CE requirement, especially during conference limitations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The team is requesting officers to share their ideas for training opportunities. If you are aware of training opportunities that could be included in the training list, please email the training opportunity information to CDR Eric Zhou and LCDR Neil Bonzagni.

    • Jobs List Team: The Job List Team identifies, compiles, highlights, and distributes job/position announcements to aid current officers in securing new billets. The job list highlights the range of billet opportunities and should help those currently seeking a new billet as well as those interested in career progression and planning. For more information please email LTs Sean Marcsisin and Jessica Dunn. Requests for inclusion of job openings in future weekly Jobs List should be emailed directly to LT Sean Marcsisin.

    • Promotion Panel Initiative Team: The Promotion Panel Initiative Team generates data-driven insight into factors that may relate to success or non-success of promotion-eligible Scientist officers. The Promotion Panel Initiative team recently conducted a survey among Scientist officers who were promoted in 2019 and 2020 to help identify factors that may have contributed to successful promotion. The team has completed analysis of the survey data and compiled the findings into a first draft of the Career Development Profile Report for Promotion Years 2019/2020. The draft is currently under review. Previous 2017 and 2018 analyses can be found on the SciPAC Career Development webpage. For more information please email LCDRs Emily Ussery & Rory Geyer, and LT Sean Marcsisin.

    • Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Team: The SOP Team maintains a current version of the Career Development SC SOP. Update suggestions, in preparation for the next submission, can be submitted to CDR Jacqueline Sram and LT Amy Schuh.

    mailto:%[email protected]:[email protected]://dcp.psc.gov/OSG/scientist/handbook.aspxhttps://dcp.psc.gov/OSG/scientist/resources-and-links.aspxmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:%[email protected]:%[email protected]://dcp.psc.gov/OSG/scientist/careerdev-sc.aspxmailto:%[email protected]:%[email protected]:%[email protected]:%[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

  • • Administration & Communication Team: The Administration & Communication Team provides administrative and communication support to the SC. If you have website questions please contact, CDR Theodore Garnett, the SC Website Liaison. For other administrative and communication questions, please contact LT Taneshia L. Knight (Shelton), the SC Secretary, as well as SC Chair & Co-chairs.

    o Category Day: CDR Alice Shumate; Co-Chair: LCDR Rebecca Levine

    • COA/COF has announced that there will not be an in-person Symposium during 2021.

    • In place of an in-person Symposium, there will likely be a number of smaller, shorter in-person events in areas where it is possible for officers to gather, as well as online events. Details will be forthcoming from the Symposium planners, including on their suggested plan for a virtual Category Day 2021.

    • The Category Day Subcommittee is beginning to plan for virtual substitute events. Please submit your suggestions to CDR Alice Shumate and LCDR Rebecca Levine.

    • We hope to plan events that are productive and engaging for all interested Scientists.

    o Deployment Preparedness: CDR John Pesce; Co-Chair: LCDR Jorge Muñiz Ortiz, LT Jason Caballero, LT Adelaida Rosario • Point of contact for officers who want to get involved: CDR John Pesce and :

    LCDR Jorge Muñiz Ortiz. • Most recent meeting: 11/13/2020; 1000 ET • Next meeting: TBD • Thank you to the officers who have stepped up and volunteered, we currently have

    our team leads and co-leads placed, completed our first meetings, and established timelines for deliverables and responsibilities for the next operational year.

    • We are completing an update to the Deployment Narrative Submission form. This a much more stream-lined and user friendly form. Please keep an eye out for it in the near future. – There have been significant updates to the RedDOG self service homepage since

    our last meeting, specifically since December 15th 2020. – We encourage all officers to take a look at these changes immediately: – RDB updates: Appendix A or for latest updates log into the Officer Secure Area. Click on RedDOG – Self Service (Column to the left of the Officer Secure

    Area dashboard) (Link: https://dcp.psc.gov/RedDOG/default.aspx) this is the link

    The blue and red font is the new information regarding Readiness. • Anyone with a specific question can contact RDB or direct it to us and we will

    consult with RDB for clarity on behalf of the officer.

    o Mentoring: LCDR Ginny Bowen; Co-Chairs: LCDR Shayne Gallaway, LCDR Tyson Volkmann • Point of contact for officers who want to get involved: LCDR Ginny Bowen • Most recent meeting: 11/23/2020, 1100 ET • Next meeting: Full subcommittee: 1/25/2021, 1100 ET

    mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprotect2.fireeye.com%2Fv1%2Furl%3Fk%3D1ca52005-40f13979-1ca5113a-0cc47adc5fa2-de30e8a804bd30e6%26q%3D1%26e%3D4a71bfed-5867-4594-ad8e-ffdd12a15ed1%26u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fgcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com%252F%253Furl%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fprotect2.fireeye.com%25252Fv1%25252Furl%25253Fk%25253Dfda7eb68-a1f3f214-fda7da57-0cc47adc5fa2-80bc7797e6c8d88f%252526q%25253D1%252526e%25253D853cc5bd-f84f-4a4b-9827-08535035a45d%252526u%25253Dhttps%2525253A%2525252F%2525252Fdcp.psc.gov%2525252FRedDOG%2525252Fdefault.aspx%2526data%253D04%25257C01%25257Cmuniz-ortiz.jorge%252540epa.gov%25257C902a61470b12491bc97308d87a750ba2%25257C88b378b367484867acf976aacbeca6a7%25257C0%25257C0%25257C637393990424012777%25257CUnknown%25257CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%25253D%25257C1000%2526sdata%253DCxTlcf0z3j1Nq79TF3cvxnoUravJfLxDV9r5nrIB1h0%25253D%2526reserved%253D0&data=04%7C01%7Cmuniz-ortiz.jorge%40epa.gov%7Ca4ee697e713a4f5370c508d87a765e73%7C88b378b367484867acf976aacbeca6a7%7C0%7C0%7C637393996097556098%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=dgr1PA8NKq6O25gL2Hn9DtAQLtJgIk%2BSbFodK6YiWWo%3D&reserved=0mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]?subject=Mentoring%20SC%20volunteer

  • • Mentor Matching Team • The Team processed 42 mentor/mentee agreement renewals in December 2020

    and is managing a total of 97 active mentoring agreements; 12 additional matches are in process.

    • The SciPAC mentor-mentee application is a simple 1-pager: https://dcp.psc.gov/OSG/scientist/documents/mentoring-application_.pdf which should be submitted by email to LCDR Patrick High.

    • O-5 and O-6 officers who are not currently mentoring a junior officer or feel they could take on an additional mentee are strongly encouraged to complete the application.

    • Mentor Recruitment Team: • Beginning active solicitation of O-6 mentors. • “Call for Senior O-4 Mentors” will be issued in mid-January with matching to O-

    3 officers beginning in February; Senior O-4 mentors are defined as O-4 Scientist Officers with at least one year in grade, meeting basic readiness requirements, and with no adverse actions pending

    • Mentor Capacity-Building Team • Discussing options for a virtual mentoring event given cancellation of in-person

    2021 Category Day. • Utilizing 2019 SciPAC survey results about mentorship satisfaction to plan

    programming, develop any new (needed) resources, and update the mentor guidebook.

    o Policy: CDR Adam Bjork; Co-Chair: LCDR Jonathan Leshin, LCDR Matthew Steele

    Secretary: LCDR Elizbeth Irvin-Barnwell • Point of contact for officers who want to get involved: LCDR Elizabeth Irvin-

    Barnwell • The Policy Watch Team has identified the following link, which may be of general

    interest. It provides the estimated cost for various components of the Ready reserve (training, salary, OBC, etc.). https://www.cbo.gov/publication/56234

    o Recruitment and Retention: LCDR Debra Chen; Co-Chairs: LCDR Alaine Knipes,

    LCDR Iman Martin • Resources (LCDR Julia Zucco)

    • No report • Interested Applicant (LCDR Kelsey Hoffman and CDR Angela Williams)

    • All categories and all agencies are open for recruitment. Please direct interested individuals to usphs.gov.

    • OBC Engagement (CDR Cesar Perez) • All OBCs will continue to be virtual. • A point of contact (CDR Perez) has been designated so that trainees can engage in

    further discussions. • New CAD Seminars (LT Erica Rose and LT Patrick Sears)

    https://dcp.psc.gov/OSG/scientist/documents/mentoring-application_.pdfmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.cbo.gov/publication/56234mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:LCDR%[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

  • • The next Call to Active Duty seminar is scheduled for 01/15/2021 at 1200 EST. The topic of the seminar will be Planning and Financial Independence, facilitated by LT Patrick Sears. Dial-in information will be provided via the listserv.

    • CDC New Officer Monthly Meeting (LT Angela Coulliette-Salmond, LT Ana Lauer, LT Amy Schuh, and LT Carrie Whitworth) • The 2021 meetings have been scheduled and Outlook invitations have been sent

    out • CDR Dee is the confirmed guest for the 03/19/2021 meeting • If any officer is interested in being added to the group’s distribution list or

    attending the meetings, please e-mail LT Angela Coulliette-Salmond. • EIS/LLS (LCDR Jonetta Mpofu and LCDR Matthew Stuckey)

    • No Report • Separation Survey (CDR Minglei Cui).

    • No report.

    o Rules and Membership: CDR Deb Dee; Co-Chair: CDR Dan-My Chu • Point of contact for officers who want to get involved: CDR Dan-My Chu • Next meeting: 1/8/2021 at 1300 ET. • Nothing significant to report.

    o Science: CDR Kamil Barbour; Co-Chairs: LCDR Israel Cross, LCDR Teresa Wang

    • Point of contact for officers who want to get involved: CDR Kamil Barbour • Most recent meeting: 1/4/2021; 1200 ET • Please tune in following the SciPAC General Monthly Meeting to the Science SC

    presentation entitled “Scientists Respond to the COVID-19 pandemic” organized by the Research and Practice Team. We are excited to have these 6-presenters speak regarding their diverse experience working on the COVID-19 response. A big thank you to LTs Jayasekara and Samson for leading this effort.

    o Visibility: LCDR Iram Hassan; Co-Chairs: LCDR Colleen Scott, LCDR Angela

    Thompson-Paul. • Point of contact for officers who want to get involved: LCDR Iram Hassan; Co-

    Chairs: LCDR Colleen Scott, LCDR Angela Thompson-Paul. • Newsletter Team

    • The Fall edition of the Scientist Officer was distributed on the list-serve on 01/04/21.

    • A call for articles for the Winter edition was sent out on the list-serve on 12/31/20. Please submit articles or photos to [email protected] by 02/01/2021.

    • Please contact newsletter team lead LCDR Hilda Razzhaghi for any questions regarding article submissions.

    • Atlanta and DC Socials Teams: No updates. • The Publications Team:

    • The Publications Team & Bibliography Teams are seeking Scientist publication information during 2020 calendar year. This includes journal articles, books and

    mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:LCDR%20Jonetta%20Mpofuvmailto:LT%20Matthew%20Stuckeyvmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

  • book chapters, abstracts, conference presentations, government reports, briefings to Congress and other kinds of publications. In the coming weeks, a member from these two teams will reach out directly to officers to request this information. Please respond promptly to the email and share your list of publications so we can showcase how Scientists officers uniquely contribute to advancing the health and safety of our nation

    • Seeking additional volunteers to participate as team members, if interested please contact LCDR Iram Hassan.

    • Twitter Team: • In 2020 the Twitter team doubled our impact from 2019 - increasing our number

    of impressions from 24,000 in 2019 to 50,232 in 2020! • In December 2020, @PHS_Scientist tweeted/retweeted a total of 14 times, and

    generated 2,351 new impressions, 61 new engagements, 237 profile visits, and 30 new likes.

    • We added 3 new followers in December 2020 – for all scientist officers, if you’re not already, find us and follow us on Twitter at @PHS_Scientist

    • Contact Twitter team lead LCDR Alaine Knipes with questions and Tweet Ideas! • Facebook Team:

    • In December 2020, there were 652 views, 15 posts, and 72 reactions on the SciPAC Facebook page.

    • Compared to the previous month, posts were up 33%, comments were up 17%, and reactions were up 53%.

    • There are currently 164 Facebook members, including 1 new member. If you aren’t already a member you can request membership here.

    • SciPAC Symposium Poster Team: • The poster team presented their poster on "Contributions of Scientist Officers to

    the 2019 Interagency Response to E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use Associated Lung Injury" at the 2020 AMSUS Annual Meeting on December 6th.

    • Their poster outlined the substantial contributions of the Scientist category to the EVALI response and specifically highlighted the work of CAPT Aaron Fleischauer, LCDR Jason Wilken, and LCDR Tyann Blessington in their respective states and agencies.

    • This was the first time the SciPAC poster was presented at a venue outside of the USPHS symposium.

    • Conferences Team: In December 2020 the Conferences Team hosted a virtual get together for PHS Day at the annual AMSUS meeting. Ten scientist officers were able to call into the event where officers discussed highlights of talks given at AMSUS among other topics.

    • Fist Bump Team: The SciPAC Fist Bump Form is available on the website on the Visibility SC page. Please use this form to submit fist bumps, send completed forms to both LCDR Asha Ivey-Stephenson and LT Olivia McGovern.

    • SciPAC History Team: No updates.

    mailto:[email protected]://twitter.com/PHS_Scientisthttps://twitter.com/PHS_Scientistmailto:[email protected]://www.facebook.com/groups/USPHSScientisthttps://dcp.psc.gov/OSG/scientist/visibility-SC.aspxmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

  • o Website: CDR Adrienne Goodrich-Doctor; Co-Chair: LCDR Ruth Link-Gelles, LCDR Elizabeth Edwards; Secretary: LCDR Elizabeth Irvin-Barnwell • Point of contact for officers who want to get involved: CDR Adrienne Goodrich-

    Doctor • Most Recent SC Meeting: 12/17/2020, to discuss current and upcoming work

    activites. • Next SC Meeting: February 2021, TBD • A secondary website training session was held for SC members and website liaisons

    on 12/1/2020. • Website SC recently added the following:

    • Added the USPHS SciPAC Deployment Packing Guide at https://dcp.psc.gov/OSG/scientist/documents/Deployment-Packing-Guidance.pdf

    • 2020 Scientist of the Year Awardees at https://dcp.psc.gov/OSG/scientist/awards-SC.aspx

    • Current Activities • Updating the Website – As of 1/4/2021, the SC received 21 update requests; 18

    requests are complete and 3 are pending. – Pending: (1) History Page Updates; (2) Scientist Officer Fall 2020 Newsletter

    and (3) the newly approved Visibility SC SOP – Recent delays due to deployments, the holidays, and OSG response to Sync

    requests. • Recruiting to fill a vacancy one of the SC Editor Teams – interested in joining?

    Contact the Website SC Chair at [email protected]. o Liaison Reports

    • COA: LCDR Folasade Kembi • Due to the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person meeting for

    the 2021 USPHS Scientific and Training Symposium has been cancelled. • Annual meetings will hopefully resume 5/23 – 5/27/2022 in Glendale, Arizona. • Please join COA January gathering with Admiral Brett P. Giroir on 1/12/2021 at 7pm

    Eastern time. Register at: https://www.tinyurl.com/jancoagathering.

    • PSYPAG: *New Liaisons* LCDR Nazia Rahman; LT Patrick Sears • Point of contact for officers who want to get involved: LCDR Nazia Rahman; LT

    Patrick Sears • Next Meeting : 02/09/2021, Time : 1400-1500 EST • LCDR Debra Chen introduced new PsyPAG Liaisons, LCDR Nazia Rahman and LT

    Patrick Sears for SciPAC. Please contact them with any questions or concerns. • The 2021 PsyPAG Executive Board and Committee Chairs were announced during

    the December 2020 PsyPAG general meeting. • PHS leadership has not yet announced a decision regarding the potential

    consolidation of HSO psychologists into the Scientist category.

    • JOAG: LCDR Gwendolyn Hudson • Point of contact for officers who want to get involved: LCDR Gwendolyn Hudson

    mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://dcp.psc.gov/OSG/scientist/documents/Deployment-Packing-Guidance.pdfhttps://dcp.psc.gov/OSG/scientist/awards-SC.aspxhttps://dcp.psc.gov/OSG/scientist/awards-SC.aspxmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.tinyurl.com/jancoagatheringmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

  • • Most recent meeting: 12/11/2020. • Next meeting: 2/12/2021, Time: 1300 - 1400 EST.

    • Zoom: Link • Zoom Meeting ID 160 713 0933. For Audio: (646) 828-7666, Passcode:

    42721058 • Journeyman Speaker Series:

    • Presenter: CAPT Amy Parker Fiebelkorn, CDC Vaccine Task Force – COVID-19 Response

    • Event Date & Time: January 8th, 2021 from 1300 – 1400 EST • Join by phone: 1-(302)-202-1106, Conference Code: 825385

    • Visit the JOAG Website for more information.

    • SOAGDAG: LCDR Luis Iturriaga • Point of contact for officers who want to get involved: LCDR Luis Iturriaga • Most recent meeting: 11/23/2020 @ 1300 HRS EST; December 2020 Cancelled • Next meeting: TBD • Nothing Significant To Report.

    • Commissioned Corps Women's Issues Advisory Board (CCWIAB): LCDR Marissa Zwald • Point of contact for officers who want to get involved: LCDR Marissa Zwald and

    CDR Eunice Chung-Davies (CCWIAB Co-Chair) • Last CCWIAB meeting: 12/2/2020 • Next CCWIAB meeting: 1/6/2021 • CCWIAB welcomed several new board members to begin 3-year appointments,

    representing the following categories: dental, veterinarian, dietician, engineer, and health service officer.

    • As a reminder, you do not have to be a board member to participate in committee activities therefore, if you are interested in joining a CCWIAB committee or if you have any questions about CCWIAB, please contact LCDR Zwald, or visit CCWIAB’s website. CCWIAB committees include: – Pregnancy Committee – Anti-Harassment and Discrimination Committee – Health and Wellness Committee – Website Committee – Outreach and Membership Committee

    • PACE: CDR Erika Odom • Point of contact for officers who want to get involved: CDR Erika Odom • Most recent meeting: 12/3/2020 • Next meeting: 2/11/2021 at 1400 EST

    − +1-210-795-0506 or +1-877-465-7975 Participant access code: 199 285 8461 − Webex Meeting Password: umRepQQj868

    • Are you interested in becoming PACE COVID-19 Community Engagement Officer (CEO) – providing educational outreach to your community? Then please register for one of the upcoming training sessions hosted by the PACE SGET Program:

    https://cdc.zoomgov.com/j/1607130933?pwd=eGMwajdsdHdiMHgwVjZQS2pzVHVOdz09https://dcp.psc.gov/osg/joag/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://dcp.psc.gov/osg/ccwiabhttp://dcp.psc.gov/osg/ccwiabmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://fda1.webex.com/webappng/sites/fda1/meeting/download/e8a91cb6b0324955adebd069a291e354?siteurl=fda1&MTID=mca0596b33fa7e294cb2df3f7725977d0

  • https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4DAFAE28A3FD0-pace. Please only sign up for one session. Once officers have completed this 1-hour virtual training, they will be required to complete independent study lessons and present a 10 minute practice presentation to their PACE COVID-19 Regional POC for PACE certification. PACE COVID-19 Community Engagement Officer Training Schedule Jan 8th, 4PM to 5PM EST Jan 12th, 8PM to 9PM EST Jan 21st, 9AM to 10AM EST Jan 30th, 11AM to 12 noon EST

    • For more information, please contact CDR Mark Miller or LCDR Renu Lal. • Reminder from PACE: all media communications require pre-clearance from PACE and

    OSG. We recommend at least 2 weeks for this clearance to occur. It is important that all external communications get clearance from OSG so that we don’t jeopardize any partnerships that we have created with our governmental partners. Please email LCDR Shiny Mathew for further details.

    • The PACE Website is live at https://dcp.psc.gov/OSG/pace/. Check it out and make recommendations!

    o Presentation: Scientists Response to COVID-19 Pandemic, organized by the Science

    Subcommittee’s Research and Practice Team. • Speakers include:

    − CDR Erin Sauber-Schatz (Transportation Safety Team Lead, CDC) -Community Interventions and Critical Populations Task Force

    − LCDR Oliver Ou (Program Coordinator, FDA)- Deployment Experience Related to COVID (CCHQ RDB/ CCHQ Command Cell)

    − LCDR Neil Bonzagni (Watch Commander, FDA)- Public Health Response to Covid-19 Among Pennsylvania Long Term Care Facilities

    − LCDR Rory Geyer (Compliance Officer, FDA)- Deploying as a DHHS/ASPR Liaison Officer (LNO) During a Pandemic

    − LT Oren Mayer (LLS Fellow, CDC)- Responding to COVID-19 in the Hopi Nation; unique challenges and novel solutions

    − LT Nicholas Wiese (LLS Fellow, CDC)- Public Health Response to COVID-19 from Home • More information also included in the meeting invitation.

    o Closing Remarks: LCDR Jason Wilken

    NOTE: Next meeting Tuesday, 2/2/2021 @ 1200–1300 EDT

    https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4DAFAE28A3FD0-pacemailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:LCDR%20Mathew%20([email protected])mailto:LCDR%20Mathew%20([email protected])https://dcp.psc.gov/OSG/pace/mailto:[email protected]

  • Appendix A: Readiness and Deployment Branch (RDB) Updates These are the specific updates from the RedDOG self service homepage for visiability: Readiness Extensions - updates announced during the recent December Town Hall session with additional guidance and clarification: 2020 Periodic Health Update (PHU) Requirements:

    If you have not turned in a 2020 PHU, you are NOT required to do Your readiness status and eligibility for promotion are not dependent on a 2020

    PHU submission which was due after March 1, 2020 2021 PHU Requirements:

    PHU requirements will resume in January 2021 If you have a January birth month, you will have until March 31, 2021 to submit

    your PHU If you have made a reasonable effort to get in-person appointments without

    success, MAB will accept a PHU with the following components: -- A "virtual" physical examination -- A completed behavioral health survey, and -- A report of a dental examination Updated PHU instructions and forms will be available on the CCMIS website in the near future. APFT & BLS: both will continue to be extended through MAR 1, 2021 readiness check. Both items will be required for submission (at the latest) in March and before the APR 1, 2021 readiness check. APFTs can be completed virtually - please review CCMIS website, under "readiness" tab for additional information and resources. Officers are encouraged to continue making all efforts to complete and submit BLS and APFT readiness items despite continued extensions. There is no need to email either RDB or MAB requesting an extension for PHU, BLS, or APFT during DECEMBER or future months. Promotions eligibility will not be impacted during the PHU, APFT, BLS approved extension period. (Extensions do not include immunizations, professional licensures, weight standard requirements). • Licenses: Officers with professional licensures expiring during AUG-OCT months need to

    upload any state specific extensions or renewal verifications via eDOCU and include their current license as one PDF document. The Licensing team will review and update officer files accordingly. To contact the Licensure team, see their email below or on CCMIS website, under "officer support" section.

    • Retention Weight Standards: Officers will notice a newly added "Retention Weight Standards" status text box on the Dashboard, referring to compliance or non-compliance with policy as determined per last reported APFT and/or Verified Weight Report (form 7044-1) submission. For any officer who contacted RDB with an inquiry specific to this policy, we will provide responses as we work through the queue. Please do not send daily or multiple emails. In the meantime,

  • • Any officer outside of weight standards compliance (BMI below 19.0 or greater than 27.5 kg/m2) must review POM 821.66, "Retention Weight Standards" and follow guidelines for timely submission of required documentation. If all required items were submitted by deadlines, current and future readiness status will not be impacted pending adherence with policy instructions.

    • Any officer outside of weight standards compliance who failed to submit required documents pertaining to the Retention Weight Standards policy will see their readiness status as "Not Qualified" for the duration of the month. The missing item needs to be submitted before the next month's readiness check to return to "Qualified" readiness status.

    • A current quarterly Verified Weight Report (form 7044-1) is due for completion and submission during Oct 1-7, 2020 for officers who remain "non-compliant" with Retention Weight Standards. These officers must continue with quarterly weight report submissions until their next APFT is submitted and their compliance is again re-assessed. Officers who are required to submit quarterly weight reports but fail to do so during the 1st week of October will be identified as "Not Qualified" for the NOV 1 and DEC 1 readiness check.

    • Quarterly Weight Reports (7044-1) are due both for completion AND submission in the first week of the quarter precisely. Officers needing to submit this must plan to complete and submit the JAN 2021 quarterly report no later than JAN 7th.

    • Late submissions identify the officer as "Not Qualified" for future readiness checks.

    • Any officer within weight standards, and "compliant" (BMI between 19.0 - 27.5 kg/m2), as identified per last submitted APFT record, either in 2019 or with a recently renewed 2020 record, have no further requirements until the next APFT or PHU is submitted. Ensure all data fields are completed prior to saving the record, to include: height, weight, BMI, and if needed, Percent Body Fat results.

    • Officers that last completed an APFT in 2019 but currently have an APFT extension

    waiver due to COVID-19, are covered for this readiness requirement until the waiver expires (see "waiver" section below). However, all required Retention Weight Standards items are still due for anyone outside of weight compliance from last year's APFT record submission (i.e. quarterly weight reports, an updated Weight Management Plan).

    Waivers: Instructions for requesting and submitting this is included on the CCMIS website, under "Medical Affairs" section. Officers on maternity-related waivers, please note not all readiness items are waived or extended automatically (i.e. PHU, Td immunization) and officers need to contact MAB directly to address concerns or request additional readiness extensions. Waivers do not appear on the Dashboard but details of any placed waivers can be found within the Self-Service portal, under "waivers" section. Please review as readiness items are due in the month the waiver expires. When a waiver extension is in place for the APFT specifically, officers will be unable to upload that item until the waiver expires. Begin submitting APFTs on 09/03/20.

  • Deployment Credit: RDB priorities are to continue supporting the current COVID-19 mission and deploy officers. Please be advised that deployment credits will not be finalized until 60-days after we have completed and demobilized all officers who have served on COVID-19 related missions. We will update this page once this process begins. Deployment "On-Call" month schedule: during a Public Health Emergency (PHE), CCHQ does not follow the scheduled "on-call" roster. We are continuing to operate on an "all hands on deck" status until the PHE ends or additional communication is distributed from CCHQ. The courtesy "on-call" email alerts have been disabled until the PHE concludes. Readiness - Report results are manually reviewed for accuracy - if items were submitted, records will be updated to reflect an officer's status. Take time to review your files within Self-Service portal several business days after submitting any readiness item. If there are any errors, please contact the respective team to initiate a review. Per readiness and deployment policies, it is the duty and responsibility of each officer to ensure timely renewal and upload of readiness requirements to maintain compliance.

    • Readiness reports are finalized the 1st day of each month. Requirements for readiness are NOT complete until successfully uploaded to either Self-Service or eDOC-U.

    Items submitted after the month in which they are due will identify the officer as "Not Qualified". That status will remain for the duration of the month until it is addressed and the next month's readiness report is finalized. 2020 Influenza: Officers should see a "Not Qualified" for projected readiness on their Dashboard in preparation for the JAN 1, 2021 readiness check. The seasonal influenza is due for renewal and submission no later than December 31, 2020 by midnight. PHU: Please visit CCMIS > under "Medical Affairs" and "forms" sections to familiarize yourself with the requirements. Additionally, login to CCLMS to view a ~15-min video outlining new PHU requirements effective JAN 1, 2020. PHU due dates are posted both on the officer dashboard and Self-Service - these are auto calculated based on an officer's birthday. PHU waiver extensions granted during COVID-19 will NOT show up on the dashboard. For any officer with a PHU due in MARCH - OCT, will see a PHU extension waiver on file within the Self-Service portal, under "waivers" section. Deployment Role: Include a primary deployment role within Self Service area; additional roles may be added but at least 1 role must be saved to remain "Qualified" for monthly readiness checks. The request to update demographic information is vital as this information is used to both communicate with and deploy officers efficiently. All officers must immediately take action to review and complete missing information for:

    1. Work Phone, Primary Work Email 2. Personal Cell Phone, Personal Primary Email 3. Airport (departure airport for deployment and training purposes) 4. Language(s) spoken 5. Professional Specialties

    Points of Contact: CCHQ is committed to improving our processes and providing quality services. If you have a system, IT or upload concern while in the OSA, please contact the

  • Commissioned Corps Help Desk at: [email protected]. If you have questions regarding information displayed in the OSA, please email the appropriate resource from the list below:

    • Medical: [email protected] • Licensure: [email protected] • Non-medical, Weight Standards and Readiness related inquires, please use the

    Assistance Form located on the Self-Service application menu and send any attachments/documents to [email protected].

    RDB has transitioned from former RedDOG email inboxes to new inboxes with CCHQ re-organization. Please use the following to reach the RDB team:

    [email protected] (for awards, roster updates, deployment-related inquiries)

    [email protected] (non-medical readiness and Weight Standards inquiries) • [email protected] (plans & logistics; responder safety;

    evaluations/metrics) During the ongoing COVID-19 mission response, the RDB team is focusing on mission priorities while maintaining everyday operations and responding to an extensive volume of emails. We appreciate your patience as we work through inquiries in the order in which they are received (responses may take up to 4 weeks or longer).

    mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

    Chief Scientist Officer and 2020–2021 SciPAC Executive Board MembersVoting MembersNon-voting LiaisonsAppendix A: Readiness and Deployment Branch (RDB) Updates