March - Sign In - Commissioned Officers Association

Transcription

C
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VOL. 52, ISSUE 2 A
U.S. P
Salus Populi Suprema Lex Este H
S
March 2015 COA: Protecting the interests of the USPHS Commissioned Corps since 1951
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
O ne of the ques ons that we are constantly asked is, “COA, what have you done for me lately?” Our answer is James T. (Jim) Currie, PH.D o en compliColonel, USA (Ret.) cated by the fact that many of our efforts are long
-term and show results only months a er we commence an opera on. One of those long-term efforts is now coming to frui on, and that is represented by our analysis of the report of the Military Compensa on and Re rement Moderniza on Commission (MCRMC), which can be found in its en rety at http://
mldc.whs.mil/index.php/reports. One of the provisions in the FY 2013 Na onal Defense Authoriza on Act established this Commission, whose job would be that of providing recommenda ons to (1) ensure the long-term viability of the AllVolunteer Force, (2) enabling a “quality of life” for “members of the Armed Forces and the other Uniformed Services” that fosters successful “recruitment, reten on, and (Executive Director, cont’d. on p. 22)
T he Military Compensa on and Re rement Moderniza on Commission report is now being considered by Congress. It proposes significant changes in benefits that would affect PHS officers, including prospec ve changes in pension benefits and near-term changes in healthcare benefits and educa on benefits. For more on this report please see the Execu ve Director’s column in this issue. COA Member Benefits
Capitol Hill Representation
Efforts on Capitol Hill
continually support all Commissioned Corps officers - active-duty,
and retired.
Car Rental Discount Avis & Budget
Members enjoy discount rates on
Avis and Budget rentals.
Financial Services Pentagon Federal Credit Union
PenFed is an on-line credit union
providing full service to members
worldwide.
Frontline
COA’s newsletter reports on monthly activities and items of interest
about the Corps & COA.
Insurance Programs - AGIA
Participate in low-cost insurance
programs that may continue
after leaving the PHS as long as
your membership in COA remains
current.
Local Representation
COA Branches generate new venues
for meeting fellow officers within
your local area while providing a
forum for the discussion of concerns
within the Commissioned Corps.
Publication Public Health Reports
Free subscription to the Journal
Public Health Reports.
Scholarship Program
COA offers thousands of dollars
towards college scholarships for
children and spouses of COA
members.
MPH@GW/MHA@GW
$7500 scholarships to earn completely online, accredited Master of
Public Health and Master of Health
Administration degrees
Ribbon
Authorized to be worn on the PHS
uniform by members in good standing when attending COA functions.
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Legislative Update
Free to ‘Lobby,’ PHS Retirees Make the Case
for USPHS
A few years ago, COA floated the idea of PHS re rees volunteering as grassroots lobbyists on behalf of their service. The idea was to familiarize congressional district staff with the PHS Commissioned Corps. Thirty re rees volunteered. The effort has progressed in a low-key kind of way, with some COA members joining the effort and others dropping out over me. It’s now me for another round of recrui ng. Why re rees? Because they are free of any restric ons on lobbying. Ac ve-duty PHS officers can communicate with their own U.S. Senators and Representa ves, but they cannot do it during work hours, and they cannot use government computers, phones or e-mail accounts. PHS re rees, however, can visit congressional offices whenever convenient, a end Town Halls and other events, put together informa on packets, and meet with elected officials and staff to advance COA’s legisla ve agenda. Most important, they can, by describing their own careers, inform elected officials about the value and contribu ons of the PHS Commissioned Corps in their district, state, the Na on, and the world. Example: Ohio’s 2nd CD
So, what does this grass-roots lobbying look like, exactly? Here’s an example: CAPT Dave Pedersen, a long- me member of COA’s Legisla on and Benefits Commi ee, called the district office of U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup, who represents Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District (Cincinna ). Rep. Wenstrup serves on two House Commi ees of importance to COA – Veterans’ Affairs and Armed Services – and he has both military and public health creden als. A er a few rounds of telephone tag and e-mail exchanges, CAPT Pedersen nailed down a Commissioned Officers Association
face-to-face mee ng with the chief of staff and field representa ve in Rep. Wenstrup’s district headquarters. Both staffers said they had no prior knowledge of the PHS Commissioned Corps. The Conversa on
CAPT Pedersen prepared talking points and incorporated backup materials provided by COA. He covered PHS history da ng to 1798, and men oned the establishment of the Corps as a uniformed service in 1889. He talked about PHS officers’ service in mes of war. He described emergency response deployments, including the recent Ebola response in West Africa. He talked about his own PHS career as well as the broad distribu on of PHS officers across the federal government. He talked about environmental and occupa onal hazard research conducted by 70 Cincinna -based PHS officers assigned to NIOSH. Asked about any “pressing issues,” CAPT Pedersen described, in general terms, the never-ending struggle to maintain parity with the armed services. Asked if there was anything specific he would like Rep. Wenstrup to address, CAPT Pedersen men oned the Transporta on Security Administraon’s inexplicable failure to include PHS officers in the streamlined “pre-check” program that is available to military personnel, their dependents, and even civilian DoD employees. He showed copies of COA le ers from 2013 and 2014, and noted that PHS leaders have answered all TSA quesons and provided all requested data. Follow‐up
The conversa on went well, according to CAPT Pedersen. The district staff offered to facilitate communica ons between COA (Legisla ve Update, cont’d. on p. 3) COA Chair’s Corner
I Need You To Nudge
Dear Fellow Officers and Friends, ore than likely, if you are reading this ar cle right now, you are a member of COA. That’s because one of the benefits you receive as a COA member is access to this newsle er. And while the message I am sending today isn’t directed at you, I need your help delivering it to our Commissioned Corps officers who are enjoying the benefits and value COA provides but are ge ng a free ride on CAPT Sara Newman, USPHS your membership. All commissioned officers (and re red officers) should join COA not only because the dues paying members should not have to cover the costs of the benefits non dues paying officers enjoy, but because without these dues, COA’s sustainability is at risk. Membership dues are the greatest source of COA’s income comprising more than 60% of the Associa on’s budget per year (another 24% comes from COF). Unfortunately, even with all the hard work our Branches, Board directors and COA staff are doing to boost membership, COA’s membership is generally showing a downward trend. We recruit new members each year, and yet we con nue to lose members. Since 2010, COA membership has dropped from 6077 (in 2010) to 5686 (in 2014). In January the COA Board of Directors released the COA 2015-2019 Strategic Plan. And over the past several weeks I have had the pleasure of speaking to several groups (JOAG, Branch Leadership and our Chief Professional Officers) about the contents of the plan and the goals and objec ves we hope to achieve over the next five years. One of the goals that generates the greatest number of ques ons and concern is the first goal of the plan: to maximize and strengthen membership. Many officers are stunned when they learn that less than 60% of our ac ve duty officers are members of COA. In a session with the Junior Officers Advisory Group, one officer asked for sugges ons on how to best encourage senior officers to join COA. That’s not easy for a junior officer to do, but you can understand (or are experiencing) the frustra on when at a lower rank (and income) you are carrying the burden of COA membership while a non dues paying higher ranked (and paid) officer is enjoying those same benefits. M The numbers indicate that the frustra on is jus fied. An average of 70% of our junior officers (ENS, LTJG and LT) are members of COA, while an average 47% of our senior officers (LCDR, CDR and CAPT) are COA members. That’s the simple fact. Our junior officers are carrying the burden, and the trends show that as our junior officers move into more senior ranks, they tend to drop their membership, con nuing this pa ern where our junior officers carry the burden. But in my experience, I find that when I have the chance to talk to our non-member officers about COA, they are indeed interested in joining (or rejoining) COA. Their reason for non-membership is o en uninten onal. They are busy and it simply was not on their radar screen, they didn’t get a reminder to rejoin, they didn’t really think about the implica ons and the importance of membership. O en I don’t even have to talk about the value and benefits of COA. Senior officers, in par cular, understand these benefits. They just needed a nudge. Well, we need your help to nudge. If every ac ve duty COA member were to bring on one ac ve duty officer as a member we could reach 100% membership. Will you take on this challenge? But what should you tell this officer? Talk about the tangible benefits of COA:  membership rates to our annual PHS Scien fic and Training Symposium (and the difference in registra on costs between COA members and non members is nearly enough to pay for your annual membership!)  access to COA member only website, scholarships, fellowships and discounted educa onal benefits  advocacy from COA staff on cri cal benefits impac ng our access to health care, re rement, educa on, and military discounts These are only a few. But don’t forget to men on the intangible benefits, too. COA and COF provide the opportunity for officers to network, serve our communi es, and ul mately, as a member of COA, you are suppor ng the only organiza on on the globe solely dedicated to ensuring we can con nue to do the cri cal public health work we do in uniform. That alone should be enough. Will you help me nudge? And if you want to do even more to support the Corps, please contact Board Director, CDR Blakeley Fitzpatrick, Chair of the Membership Commi ee, blakeleyd@hotmail.com. (Legisla ve Update, cont’d. from p. 2) and the Congressman’s Washington office. If you are interested in joining COA’s grassroots effort, please e-mail me at jrensberger@coausphs.org with ADVOCATE in the subject line. Thank you! —Judy Rensberger March 2015 - Frontline
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Advancing public health and public health leadership for a healthier Nation.
Visit the Foundation online at www.phscof.org.
COF President’s Corner
BRAVO ZULU!*
W e add our Now back to Founda on business. You welcome to know the Founda on Board and COF staff Surgeon General do very good work. Both the small, indusVivek Murthy who trious, group of volunteers on the Board came on board in and the equally small and dedicated staff December of last keep the Founda on on the right track and year. If you have are to be commended too. Almost all been watching the Board Members are heavily involved in news you know he careers and other ac vi es and yet they RADM Robert C. has already been freely give of their me so that the FounWilliams, (Ret.), USPHS involved in public da on can succeed. Examples of what health issues as varied as the measles out- they do are reflected in the notes from our break and medical marijuana. We are glad latest Board Mee ng: to report that he is a member of the Commissioned Officers Associa on and will be Finance Commi ee – RADM Mike Milner a ending and presen ng at the upcoming reported the Founda on is financially staCOF Symposium in May. It is a difficult task ble. The final audit noted no irregulari es to bring oneself up to speed on the Public for the Founda on’s accoun ng. The EsHealth Service and the Commissioned Corps; tate of CAPT Leah Bigalow gi ed $150,000 we offer our support to the Surgeon General to the Founda on. The Estate of Robert in this endeavor at any me. Lathrop gi ed an addi onal $279,000 for unrestricted use. As the flurry of ac vi es con nues that always accompany the arrival of a new Development Commi ee – RADM Surgeon General, I want to take a moment Marlene Haffner reported that for the first to commend those who have served us so half of FY15, dona ons were lower as comwell over the past year and a half. pared to the same me period in FY14. Of course I’m speaking of RADM Boris Lush- RADM Haffner challenged all trustees to niak who excelled as Surgeon General from donate to the Founda on and encouraged July 2013 un l the confirma on of Surgeon the Board to see out addi onal donors. General Murthy. RADM Lushniak earned The John Adams Society, which includes high marks for his outstanding championing individuals who pledged or le a bequest of public health issues like smoking cessa on to the Founda on, con nues to grow as and skin cancer preven on. He led the Com- people learn of this worthwhile charitable missioned Corps with courage, dedica on, endeavor. RADM Haffner encouraged COF and a compassionate sense of humor. He, Staff and the Board to seek addi onal conand RADM Sco Giberson and CAPT Robert tributors to the Society. In addi on, she DeMar no were the core that gave us discussed prepara ons for a Silent Auc on strength and clarity during some tough that will be hosted during the Anchor and mes. They were the pillars that reminded Caduceus Dinner at the Symposium in us that THE uniformed public health profes- Atlanta. COF staff are currently solici ng sionals were s ll standing the watch and items for the silent auc on. If you have keeping us safe. Our thanks go out to these items ( me share proper es, PHS memoragentlemen and the many other team mem- bilia, etc.) you would like to donate to bers of the Office of the Surgeon General. the silent auc on, please contact John McElligo , jmcelligo @coausphs.org. We salute you, BRAVO ZULU! 4
Commissioned Officers Association
Educa on Commi ee – RADM Dick Ber n reported the two officers who accepted the RADM Michael Fellowship program will start classes at the University of Maryland School of Public Health in the first summer session. Registra ons for the 2015 Symposium are slow but should pick up as the early bird deadline approaches. The Board approved the loca on for the 2016 Symposium, which will be announced in Atlanta. Nomina ons Commi ee – CAPT Bill Haffner and his commi ee con nue to vet candidates for one remaining Board posi on which will open on July 1, 2015. The Board approved Michael Terry, son of Surgeon General Luther Terry, for a seat on the Board which starts on July 1. Studies and Research Commi ee – RADM Gary Hartz’s commi ee is working with staff to develop an outline for a new study on the future of the Commissioned Corps. If you would like to help support this effort you can donate money specifically to sponsor the development and publica on of the report. As you can see the Founda on has much underway and much more to do. We are very thankful for the con nued contribu ons of officers like you whose dona ons help to grow the Founda on for the benefit of public health educa on and the USPHS Commissioned Corps. March is a month with many ac vi es, not the least of which is March Madness for all you basketball fans, but I bring to your a enon two days of recogni on that are perhaps not well known. The first is World Kidney Day, March 12th, which seeks to raise awareness of the importance of our kidneys to our overall health. It is hard to believe, but one in ten Americans will be affected by kidney (President’s Corner, cont’d. on p. 21) Commissioned Officers Foundation
Surgeon General, Acting ASH Highlight Symposium Agenda
R ecently-appointed U.S. Surgeon General VADM Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, USPHS and Ac ng Assistant Secretary for Health Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc will headline a robust agenda for the 2015 USPHS Scien fic and Training Symposium in Atlanta, May 18-21. Dr. DeSalvo will deliver the closing keynote on Wednesday and VADM Murthy will close the conference on Thursday. “This is an excellent opportunity for officers to hear directly from the new leadership at the Department of Health and Human Services about priori es and focus areas,” said RADM Bob Williams, (Ret.), President of the PHS Commissioned Officers Founda on. “VADM Murthy will also share what he learned on his current na onwide listening tour.” Karen DeSalvo, MD, MH, MSc VADM Vivek Murthy, USPHS Other keynote speakers will include:  RADM James Curran, MD, MPH, (Ret.) USPHS, Dean of the Emory School of Public Health who will deliver the Luther Terry Lecture on Monday a ernoon  RADM Sco Giberson, BSPharm, PhC, NCPS-PP, MPH, USPHS, Director of the Division of Commissioned Corps Personnel and Readiness who will discuss the Corps’ recent Ebola response  Mike Stobbe, DrPH, who will deliver the C. Evere Koop Memorial Lecture at the Anchor and Caduceus Dinner on Monday evening. He will discuss his book Surgeon General’s Warning: How Poli cs Crippled the Na on’s Doctor.  CAPT Inger Damon, MD, PhD, USPHS and LCDR Leisha Nolen, MD, USPHS, both with the Centers for Disease Control and Preven on. They will provide a ground level look at the Ebola response in the Wednesday opening keynote. Visit h p://symposium.phscof.org/ to review the complete agendas for the week, including Category Day and track sessions, and to register at discounted Early Bird rates. March 2015 - Frontline
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ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM
Category Day Highlights Announced
C ategory Day at the 2015 USPHS Scien fic and Training Symposium will be held on Tuesday, May 19. On this day a endees will meet by professional category (den st, nurse, pharmacist, etc.) for updates on hot topics, trends and other useful informa on related to the profession. Visit h p://
symposium.phscof.org/agenda/category‐day for more informa on. Highlights will include: Den sts  Caries management by risk assessment  Transmission of infec ons agents in dental se ng  Infec ons disease and its role in oral health and treatment of oral disease  Health equality and dispari es Die ans  Childhood obesity preven on: Building blocks for a healthy future  Dietary guidelines for Americans: Transla ng nutri on science to policy  Achievements and challenges of diabetes preven on and weight management in the Indian health system.  Global correc onal public health nutri on issues in involuntary feeding of hunger-striking inmates Environmental Health Officers  How to build a “soil kitchen” and reduce community exposures to lead in urban soils  Taking healthy swimming to the next level: The model aqua c health code  Assessment of new ship construc on and gastrointes nal illness levels  Delivery of a comprehensive ins tu onal environmental health program in the Phoenix Area Indian Health Service Engineers  Leadership roles in the USPHS  Environmental engineering in disease outbreaks  Wastewater treatment: Maximizing water reclama on with membrane bioreactors (MBR's)  Stopping Ebola starts with you Health Services Officers  Promoted officer profile, 2010-2014 trend analysis  Officer perspec ves: Liberia mission  Modified Professional Advisory Commi ee mee ng  Roundtables on an array of topics Nurses  Ensuring nursing excellence in dynamic health care landscape  Trea ng Ebola  Transforming nurse leaders in a dynamic health care environment  Health care in a fla er world Pharmacists  Naloxone and chronic pain management  Using data to improve outcomes  Ebola response  Opera ons and innova ons in clinical trials Physicians  The Carter Center’s mental health program in Liberia  Unaccompanied minors mission  Overview of scien fic publishing  Updates on heat stress preven on and management Scien sts  The cri cal role of communica ons in the Ebola response  Demographic and health behaviors among a diverse group of adult Hispanic/La no Males (Ages 18 to 64 years)  Protec ng public health through improving test methodology and modernizing the FSIS Accredited Laboratory Program  The associa on between doctor-diagnosed arthri s and falls and fall Injuries among middle-aged and older adults Therapists  Career pathways panel  Deep surgical site infec ons in an inmate popula on  Ves bular rehab  Ebola response Veterinarians  An microbial resistance and the human-animal interface: The food safety and inspec on service’s piece of the global puzzle  The role of veterinarians on Federal Advisory Commi ees  Ebola response  Wet lab: Introduc on to animal biosafety level 3 Commissioned Officers Association
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ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM
Symposium Pre-Conference Workshops Announced
J oin us for the following pre-conference workshops at the 2015 USPHS Scien fic and Training Symposium in Atlanta. Visit h p://symposium.phscof.org/agenda/tuesday‐sessions for details. You may sign up for these courses during conference registraon. A minimum of 20 pre-registered a endees are required for a course by April 15 in order to ensure that it will go forward. Sunday, May 17
Leadership Training (8:00 am ‐‐ 4:00 pm): This pre-conference session will promote a culture of leadership within the context of the unique structure of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS). The 2015 all-day workshop/training will focus on cri cal leadership skills that will ensure success in dealing with na onal and interna onal public health crises. Speakers will include senior leaders from within the USPHS and faculty from Emory University. This year’s agenda includes keynote addresses, inter-ac ve exercises, a panel of senior leaders, small group discussions, and break-out sessions that focus on the key leadership skills that are cri cal for managing public health crises. This workshop will build on lessons learned from the 2012 preconference workshop “Leadership in the 21st Century: Empowering Women Officers in the U.S. Public Health Service” and the 2013 and 2014 pre-conference leadership training. Re rement Seminar ($25 fee, 8:00 am ‐‐5:00 pm): All officers nearing re rement, and those who recently re red, will gain helpful informa on from the Separa ons Coordinator of the Commissioned Corps. Other speakers will include representaves from AARP and an investment adviser. Basic Life Support Full Course (1:00 pm ‐‐ 5:00 pm): The American Heart Associa on’s BLS courses reinforce healthcare professionals' understanding of the importance of early CPR, and defibrilla on, performing basic steps of CPR, relieving choking, using an AED, and the role of each link in the Chain of Survival. In this classroom-based course, healthcare professionals learn to recognize several life-threatening emergencies, provide CPR to vic ms of all ages, use an AED, and relieve choking in a safe, mely and effec ve manner. In this course, you’ll learn how to: Recognize the signals of heart a ack and take appropriate ac ons, perform one and two rescuer CPR, gain early access to Emergency Medical Services (EMS), recognize and respond to sudden unexpected death, assist a choking adult, child or infant vic m and perform adult, child and infant CPR. CLASS SIZE LIMITED TO 24 Students. Disclaimer: Use of American Heart Associa on materials in an educa onal course does not represent course sponsorship by the American Heart Associa on. Any fees charged for such a course, except for a por on of fees needed for AHA course materials, do not represent income to the Associa on. Monday, May 18 (Half day in the morning)
Basic Life Support CPR Renewal Course: This course is designed for healthcare providers to learn how to save a life. The course provides informa on for assessing, planning, implemen ng, and evalua on during cardio-pulmonary emergencies. In this course, you’ll learn how to: recognize the signals of heart a ack and take appropriate ac ons, perform one and two rescuer CPR, gain early access to Emergency Medical Services (EMS), recognize and respond to sudden unexpected death, assist a choking adult, child or infant vic m and perform adult, child and infant CPR. Students must bring current BLS card and book to class. CLASS SIZE LIMITED TO 24 Students. Disclaimer: Use of American Heart Associa on materials in an educa onal course does not represent course sponsorship by the American Heart Associa on. Any fees charged for such a course, except for a por on of fees needed for AHA course materials, do not represent income to the Associa on. COA Branch Leadership Workshop: This session is intended for current leaders of COA branches and those interested in leadership roles. It will provide background informa on, skills training and more. Nurse Skills Training: The Nurse Category will again by popular demand present a training session designed to address requested skill-sets required by nurses, as well as other healthcare professionals, during an emergency deployment situa on. There will be seven basic training skills offered by nursing experts from various federal agencies: 1. Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Documenta on 2. Basic Triage – Emergency Management 3. Basic Nurse Care (IV Inser on & Medica on Administra on) 4. Wound Care 5. Basic PPEs Training 6. Immuniza on 7. Direct Access update Each par cipant will receive didac c as well as hands-on prac cum training of each skill. In addi on to the skills training, this year we will also make available Direct Access sta ons providing actual hands-on experience with trouble shoo ng/entry/
upda ng informa on for readiness purposes and the EMR emulator if internet access is available at the conference for endusers to access remotely using their own laptops. Scien fic Skills: This session will help officers develop and hone necessary scien fic wri ng skills. The session will describe the parts of a scien fic abstract (Objec ves, Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions) and the types of informa on each should contain; examine types of scien fic document review and explain how they differ from each other; explore key principles of (Workshops, cont’d. on p. 8) March 2015 - Frontline
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ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM
Symposium Pre-Conference Workshops Announced (cont’d. from p. 7)
“plain language” as they apply to scien fic wri ng, and provide examples of each one; and finally discuss mul ple effecve presenta on strategies and the ra onale for their use. Thursday, May 21 (1:00 pm ‐‐ 5:00 pm)
Basic Life Support CPR Renewal Course: This course is designed for healthcare providers to learn how to save a life. The course provides informa on for assessing, planning, implemen ng, and evalua on during cardio-pulmonary emergencies. In this course, you’ll learn how to: recognize the signals of heart a ack and take appropriate ac ons, perform one and two rescuer CPR, gain early access to Emergency Medical Services (EMS), recognize and respond to sudden unexpected death, assist a choking adult, child or infant vic m and perform adult, child and infant CPR. Students must bring current BLS card and book to class. CLASS SIZE LIMITED TO 24 Students. Disclaimer: Use of American Heart Associa on materials in an educa onal course does not represent course sponsorship by the American Heart Associa on. Any fees charged for such a course, except for a por on of fees needed for AHA course materials, do not represent income to the Associa on. Empowering Ourselves to Op mal Health through Comple‐
mentary and Alterna ve Medicine: Complementary and Alterna ve Medicine promotes op mal health by offering pa ents many self care modali es that will encourage a lifeme of wellness and "build a healthy, vibrant and resilient na on." Please join us and experience Yoga, Qi-Gong (moving medita on), nutri on demonstra on, mindfulness meditaon, acupressure, and Reiki Self-Care. Enlighten yourself to your bodies own self-healing and self-regula ng abili es. COA MEMBERS:
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please visit the COA Members Only
website (www.coausphs.org) to
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including your current email address.
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COF communication!
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Remembering CAPT Matthew Tarosky, USPHS
W e lost an excep onal pharmacist and an exemplary human being in January, a er his year-long ba le with cancer. The many contribu ons by CAPT (ret) Ma hew Tarosky to public health, medical readiness and response, regulatory science, and the menon: What are we going to do about it? toring of young professionals are well known to many of us. And so the ques
Ma hew entered the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps via the Junior COSTEP program in 1987. Twenty-five years later, a er passing through every rank from Lieutenant Junior Grade to Captain, he re red from ac ve duty. In that me, he touched many of us – whether at NIH, FDA, the PHS-1 DMAT, the CCRF/OFRD, many volunteer short term assignments in a variety of clinical se ngs, student recrui ng, or young officer mentoring – and we can’t help remembering his impact. I was fortunate to meet Ma shortly a er I arrived in Washington, D.C. in 1994, and over the ensuing two decades, found him to be everything an officer should be. Working with ac ve duty and re red Corps officers, as well as Ma ’s wife, we believe we have found a way to individually and collec vely honor CAPT Tarosky. The Commissioned Officers Founda on has agreed to establish a Ma hew Tarosky Memorial Fund, which they will hold un l such me that a Board in the process of being created can determine just exactly how to op mally u lize those funds to best memorialize CAPT Tarosky. The Board will then present that proposal to COF for their approval. Although plans are not complete at this me, we promise that the impact of your contribu on will be felt and remembered for a very long me. A similar message has been circulated among pharmacist officers, but CAPT Tarosky’s impact was far broader than that. Serving in many assignments at the FDA, a mul tude of deployments, and an array of short term volunteer assignments, he touched officers and civilian employees in every professional category. For that reason, we are submi ng this ar cle for publica on in the COA Bulle n in case others would also like to memorialize him. Your dona on should be sent to: Commissioned Officers Founda on for the Advancement of Public Health 8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 200 Landover, MD 20785 A n.: John McElligo Mark your dona on specifically for the Ma hew Tarosky Memorial Fund, and ask that no fica on of your gi be provided to Ma ’s wife at the following address: Judith Howard Tarosky 109 Pinewood Circle New Hope, PA 18938 Be assured that your contribu on will be combined with those from the rest of us to memorialize CAPT Tarosky in a way which will make his family, his fellow officers, the Commissioned Corps, the public health community, and all who knew Ma proud. The Commissioned OPfficers Founda on is a 501(c)(3) charitable organiza on, and as such will furnish you with documenta on for tax purposes. Thank you for your considera on and quick ac on to memorialize someone who truly made a difference. RADM (ret) John Babb John.babb@rocketmail.com March 2015 - Frontline
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Commissioned Officers Foundation
Acknowledges Donations Received January 16 - February 15, 2015
LEADERSHIP FRIENDS The Estate of CAPT Robert L. Lathrop, (Ret.) CAPT John J. Henderson, (Ret.) CAPT Dianne T. McRae, (Ret.)** CDR James L. Kenney, III LCDR Harlem J. Gunness CAPT Charlo e A. Spires RADM Richard J. Ber n, (Ret.)^^ CAPT Peter L. Putnam, (Ret.) CAPT David R. Snavely, (Ret.)** CAPT James L. Brese e, (Ret.) CAPT Eugenia F. Adams, (Ret.)** CAPT Daniel A. Diggins, Jr.** CAPT Pauline R. Jones, (Ret.)** CDR Robert P. Blereau** CAPT Merilys P. Brown, (Ret.) CAPT George A. Durgin, Jr. *Dependent Scholarship Program Fund **C. Evere Koop Living Legacy Êmerging Leaders Scholarship Fund ^^Ma hew Tarosky Memorial Fund ^^În Memory of CAPT Gene Migliaccio’s Father, Louis Migliaccio PLATINUM RADM Thomas J. McGinnis, (Ret.)^^ CAPT Mark N. Strong^^ GOLD CAPT Carol A. Baxer* SILVER CAPT Raymond L. Clark, (Ret.) CAPT M. Patricia Murphy^^ BRONZE CAPT Kenneth L. Dominguez** CAPT Laura L. Pincock^^ RADM Fred G. Paavola, (Ret.)^^ RADM John T. Babb, (Ret.)^^ RADM Pamela M. Schweitzer^^ CAPT Diahann L. Williams^ CAPT Joseph F. Piffat, (Ret.)** LT Kevin E. Herkenham^^ RADM Jerrold M. Michael, (Ret.)^^^ CAPT Alice M. Haggerty, (Ret.)** LCDR Chae Un Chong^^ T Donations Can be Made
at Several Levels:
Leadership Society .... $10,000
President’s Society .... $5,000
Founder’s Society .... $2,500
Platinum .... $1,000
Gold .... $500
Silver .... $250
Bronze .... $100
Visit www.phscof.org/giving to
donate online today!
he PHS Commissioned Officers Founda on (COF) recently received a generous bequest from the estate of the late CAPT Leah Bigelow, USPHS (Ret.). CAPT Bigelow remembered the Founda on in her will, and the money she gave has been invested and will provide future income for COF ac vi es, including scholarships for junior officers to a end the annual USPHS Scien fic and Training Symposium. If you would like to become a member of the John Adams Society by including the Founda on in your will, please visit h p://www.phscof.org/giving. The website can guide you as you consider such a bequest, which should be made only a er consulta on with your tax advisor. 10
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Navigating the Board for Correction of PHS Commissioned Corps Records
W hile most PHS officers perform their du es and complete their careers without incident, adverse situa ons some mes do arise. Your career could be in jeopardy or, in many cases, the damage has been done and you have already been separated without medical compensa on, received a nega ve performance or evalua on or have suffered an adverse discharge that has cut short your career and damaged your reputa on. The Law Offices of David P. Sheldon, PLLC have represented many current and former PHS officers with a variety of performance, physical disability, discrimina on and other issues. The firm has even successfully defended a PHS officer before the Supreme Court of the United States, winning the case 9-0. It is important to understand and appreciate the full import of your par cular circumstance. Depending on the nature of the situa on, you may need to file a grievance or an equal employment opportunity complaint. But more o en than not, officers must ul mately appeal their ma er to the Board for Correc on of PHS Commissioned Corps Records to finally get the relief they seek. What is the Board for Correc on of PHS Commissioned Corps Records? Created by Congress a er World War II the Board for Correc on of PHS Commissioned Corps Records is a board of civilians essen ally ac ng as an extension of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to hear a variety of claims from PHS members. The Board has the power to “correct any record” when “necessary to correct an error or remove an injus ce.” The Board’s power is extremely broad. It can, for example, upgrade an adverse discharge, change a disability ra ng, reinstate a former member, expunge nega ve evalua on reports, or cancel a debt, just to name a few. Relief o en means the applicant is en tled to re rement benefits, back pay, and other financial compensa on they were deprived of. Useful ps and insights from the professionals for cases before the Board for Correc on of PHS Commissioned Corps Records:
Contact a lawyer. If you are facing adverse ac on or have already suffered one, contac ng a lawyer with experience with the PHS could make all the difference. The stakes can be incredibly high so if you feel like you’ve suffered or will suffer an error or injus ce, contac ng an a orney as early as possible could make all the difference. Exhaust your remedies. Before you can appeal to the Board for Correc on of PHS Commissioned Corps Records, you must exhaust the inter-service remedies applicable in your case before the board will consider the ma er. What remedies you must exhaust depends on the par cular issues of your case so it is important to review the regula ons to see what the first steps might be. You should always consult an a orney before doing so. Preserve the evidence. Success before the Board for Correc on of PHS Commissioned Corps Records begins much earlier that you might imagine. The Board does not inves gate your claims so it is the applicant’s responsibility to gather and submit all the evidence of their error or injus ce. Whether or not you hire an a orney, it is very important that you get everything in wri ng, if possible, and save all documents, regula ons, emails and any other piece of evidence that might support your applica on down the road. A lawyer can assist you in gathering evidence a er the fact, but preserving evidence as an adverse situa on evolves could make the difference between success and failure. Know the deadline but do not fret. The Board for Correc on of PHS Commissioned Corps Records imposes a three-year deadline from the date of the error injus ce to submit an applica on for relief. However, this deadline is tolled while a member is on ac ve duty and even if it has been more than three years, the board rou nely waives the deadline “in the interest of jus ce.” Be aware of the deadline but do not let it deter your efforts because, most likely, you can s ll bring your claim to the board. Disclaimer: This is an adver sement. This informa on is not offered as legal advice and should not be used as a subs tute for seeking professional legal advice. Contact the Law Offices of David P. Sheldon, PLLC to see how they can help you with your unique case. The firm’s website is www.militarydefense.com. You can also submit an inquiry by e mail to info@militarydefense.com or call (202) 546-9575. March 2015 - Frontline
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USPHS Athletics
D eputy Surgeon General RADM Boris Lushniak has challenged the Corps to have at least 100 riders at the 2015 Des Moines Iowa Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. This ride, known as RAGBRAI, will take place 19-25 July, covering 462 miles across the state from Sioux City to Davenport. The deadline is 15 March, and you can sign-up for the ride at h p://ragbrai.com. The team name is “USPHS Bike Team Group# 45057.” For addi onal details contact CAPT Shelley Hoogstraten at slhoogmil@icloud.com. Uniform Updates: What’s new?
By LCDR Sco Steffen, USPHS A s we all know, one of the hallmarks of being a Corps officer is wearing uniforms. That being said we get accustom to the way things look and some mes this results in compliancy or resistance to change. Uniforms are no different. In fact, many of our sister services are making uniform changes, too. On 29 April 2014, Personnel Policy Memorandum (PPM) 14-002 was issued describing the changes being made to our uniform policy. This PPM provided an overview of the changes affec ng Commissioned Corps Instruc ons (CCIs) 411.01, 412.01, 421.01, 413.01, 421.02, and 431.01. Below is a brief summary of the changes that were implemented on 1 January 2015. The number of required uniforms has changed. Officers will now be required to only have two uniforms: the Service Dress Blues (SDB) and the Opera onal Dress Uniform (ODU). The Summer Whites are now classified as an op onal uniform like the Service Khakis. Numerous changes, some slight, were made to most of the uniform devices like the Cap device, collar device, Field Medical Readiness Badge, sleeve device (SDB Blazer), shoulder boards, belt bucket with insignia (male only), and shoulder marks. However, please note if you recently (a er March 2012) purchased any of these items, you should have the correct device. The presenta on referenced below has pictures comparing old and new devices to aid officers in confirming that they have the newly authorized devices. As a result of the new uniform policies, a variety of new uniform op ons are now available for officers. Officers are now authorized to wear black garrison caps, black watch caps, black Army cardigans, and khaki over-blouse shirts (females only; both regular and maternity wear) under certain circumstances. Please note that proper wear of the over-blouse is tedious so please refer to CCI 421.02 and/or the presenta on referenced below for further clarifica on. Addi onally, some modifica ons have been made to name tags and beret wear, which is also captured in the presenta on below. These changes may seem substan al, but they were made to help keep are uniforms more consistent between each other (i.e., more uniform). In addi on, most of these items can be easily obtained at your local uniform shop or online. It is our responsibility to give our uniforms the respect they deserve. This starts with having the most current devices and components described in the Commissioned Corps regula ons. For a comprehensive presenta on on the uniform changes and a Service Khaki refresher that was conducted at FDA this past summer please refer to the presenta on on the COA website via USPHS Uniform Policy, as of 25 June 2014. 12
Branch of the Year Nominations Sought
N omina ons for Large Branch of the Year and Small Branch of the Year will be accepted from any COA member in good standing. The most likely sources of nomina ons will be individuals most knowledgeable of Branch ac vi es (e.g., COA Board liaisons, branch officers and agency managers). All nomina ons must be transmi ed electronically to Teresa Hayden Foley, Chief Financial Officer, by e-mail to thayden@coausphs.org. Each shall consist of a transmi al le er that summarizes the basis for the nominaon and such addi onal material as is required to support the nomina on. The suppor ng material should reflect ac vi es and accomplishments that are considered deserving of special recogni on, (e.g., notable community or facility-based projects, unusual efforts to inform and encourage Branch member par cipa on, successful interac ons with other branches, and effec ve advocacy for commissioned officer interests, etc.). Selec on Determinants and Weigh ng The Awards Commi ee will consider all material provided with the nomina on transmi al le er. The Commi ee will pay special a en on to the size of the Branch rela ve to its accomplishments. The Commi ee will give addi onal weight to accomplishments of Branches that have been in existence five years or less. In considering the merits of the respec ve nominees, the Awards Commi ee will give about 50% weigh ng to a global assessment of Branch esprit, enthusiasm, and the rela ve impact of Branch ac vi es/
accomplishments as described in the nomina on. Examples are: notable community or facility-based projects, successful interfaces with other Branches, effec ve local and/or na onal advocacy for commissioned officer interests. Note that the emphasis should be on ac vi es that are completed or substan ally underway, rather than planned future ac vi es. Special considera on will be given to Branches that have improved drama cally over past years in terms of increased membership, or depth and breadth of mee ng programs, and/or extent of community ac vi es. In addi on, the Awards Commi ee will give about 50% weigh ng cumula vely to the following factors:  The frequency of Branch mee ngs. This may include other than face-to-face mee ngs with adequate descrip on.  The degree of par cipa on and scope of topics presented at general mee ngs of the Branch.  The extent to which the Branch par cipates in ac vi es (e.g., commi ees and programs) benefi ng the Na onal Commissioned Officers Associa on or the Commissioned Officers Founda on. * Details for criteria are available online at www.coausphs.org. To ensure considera on, nomina ons must be received by April 10, 2015. March 2015 - Frontline
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COA Branch Activities
Developing Public Health Professionals for the Future: Student Commissioned
Officers Association
By CDR Michael Verdugo, USPHS I n the summer of 2012, a group of student pharmacists, a pharmacy Jr COSTEP and a Pharmacy Officer conceived the idea of crea ng a Student Chapter of the Commissioned Officers Associa on. The Chapter’s purpose would be to bring together students studying in fields leading to commissionable degrees and USPHS officers to introduce promising students to the USPHS as a career op on to benefit the USPHS, our communi es and the na on. This idea was opera onalized in the Fall of 2012 at the University of Minnesota, Duluth (UMND) campus. The founding group of students enlisted Professor Dr. Timothy Stra on from the College of Pharmacy in Duluth as Faculty Advisor and registered the Chapter as an official UMND organiza on. Soon a er, newly-elected Bemidji COA Branch President, CDR Michael Verdugo, formally cons tuted and chartered the Student Commissioned Officers Associa on (SCOA) as a chapter of the Bemidji Branch of the Commissioned Officers Associa on, with the following charge: “The purpose of UMD Student Chapter of the Bemidji COA is to foster interest in USPHS careers among UMD students enrolled in health professions or pre‐health professions programs, health‐related services such as environmental health or healthcare administra on, social work, computer science, or engineering, and to provide opportuni es for these students to network and interact with USPHS commissioned officers in educa onal, professional, and service‐related se ngs.” The organiza on is the first of its kind. By November of 2012, SCOA leadership included a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Communica ons Czar (every high level ini a ve needs a Czar), Faculty Advisor, and Bemidji COA Branch President/SCOA Liaison. The team pursued ambi ous goals that included developing a Medical Reserve Corps Unit for students, crea ng a Mentoring Program to connect students with Ac ve Duty USPHS Officers, conduc ng presenta ons about the USPHS on campus, par cipa ng in COA Bemidji Branch conference calls, dra ing all documenta on and wri en materials necessary for these ac vi es, and recrui ng student members. By the end of the summer of 2013, the SCOA Chapter had successfully completed outreach ac vi es across campuses and disciplines reaching University of Minnesota students majoring in Computer Science, Engineering, Medicine, Pharmacy, Social Work and students from the College of St. Scholas ca majoring in Nursing, Physical Therapy and Occupa onal Therapy. Chapter leaders also launched a six-month COA Student Mentorship Network Program, partnering six student pharmacists with Ac ve Duty PHS Officers in the Bemidji Area. In the spring of 2014 they created a promo onal video and a Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA)-style informa onal manual to increase awareness and interest in the USPHS as a career. These projects drew upon the experiences of 30 Ac ve Duty PHS Officers across seven different categories. The CYOA-style informa onal manual has been forwarded to USPHS 14
leadership to consider its poten al role to support recrui ng efforts among students in disciplines needed in the USPHS. In the mean me, UMND SCOA leadership con nued to grow the SCOA concept, leading to a SCOA Chapter star ng on the University of Minnesota –Twin Ci es campus. UMND SCOA also presented a poster at the 2014 USPHS Scien fic and Training Symposium in Raleigh, NC. Star ng a SCOA chapter creates great opportuni es for local COA branches, the Na onal COA and the USPHS to realize an untapped impact opportunity for protec ng, promo ng, and advancing the health and safety of the Na on by directly engaging the next genera on of public health professionals. Readers interested in addi onal informa on and resources on how to start-up a SCOA chapter, should please email Kathryn Gustafson (gusta598@d.umn.edu), Sean Navin (sfnavin@umn.edu) or CDR Michael Verdugo (michael.verdugo@ihs.gov). Commissioned Officers Association
USPHS Commissioned Officers at Yosemite National Park
By CDR Ma hew Weinburke and LCDR Brian Burt, USPHS Y osemite Na onal Park (Yosemite) is an interna onally Yosemite EMS and YOSAR. LCDR Tim Ye is a Senior Clinical Nurse, a recognized na onal park that receives almost four million visi- SAR team member, and a Nurse Officer. He arrived in March of tors a year. It is known for its waterfalls, deep valleys, grand mead- 2011. ows, ancient giant sequoias, glacially carved granite domes, and vast wilderness areas. Last year the park celebrated the 150th anniversary CDR Ma hew Weinburke of the Yosemite Grant, which was the first land grant to protect wild arrived in June of 2011. He is lands for the enjoyment of the American people, and in 1890, assigned as a Public Health Yosemite became one of the first designated na onal parks in the Program Manager performUnited States. A far lesser-known fact about this great park is that it ing environmental health has become the duty sta on of seven USPHS officers who serve in and industrial hygiene reseveral unique posi ons that support the mission of the Na onal sponsibili es. Among his roles, he serves as the park’s Park Service. coordinator of the disease The USPHS has a long history of working with the park service and and illness response proCDR Weinburke, Vernal Falls Yosemite Na onal Park. Since 1918, the U.S. Public Health Service gram, and his job also and the Na onal Park Service have worked together to protect the involves backpacking to and inspec ng the five remote lodging eshealth of visitors in America’s parks. Although most of US na onal tablishments called High Sierra Camps. parks do not have any directly-assigned USPHS officers, Yosemite has the dis nc on of having more directly-assigned officers than any CDR David Engelstad has been at the park longest, having arrived in other park or unit in the Na onal Park service. June of 2008. He is an Engineering Officer and is Design Branch Chief for the Project Management Division. Finally, the newest PHS officer Of the seven officers, four work at the Yosemite Medical Clinic to the Yosemite family is LCDR Chris Fehrman. He arrived in January (YMC): a physician of 2014 and is an environmental engineer, an Engineering Officer, (LCDR Ralph Groves), and assigned as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, a physician assistant Compensa on, and Liability Act (LCDR Brian Burt), a (CERCLA) Project Manager for clinical nurse manag- Project Management. er (LCDR Jennifer Legge ), and a regis- In spite of o en hec c and unpretered nurse (LCDR dictable work demands, the YosemiTim Ye ). The three te PHS con ngent regularly finds remaining officers me to help out in the local commuinclude two engi- nity and beyond. For example, CDR neers (CDR David Engelstad serves as a judge engineer Engelstad and LCDR of senior engineering projects at the Chris Ferman), and University of California at Merced, (L‐R) LCDR Tim Ye , LCDR Ralph Groves, LCDR an Environmental and he recently hosted a visi ng Brian Burt, and LCDR Jennifer Legge . (Photo foreign dignitary, Mr. Robert Monde, Health/Industrial courtesy of LCDR Brian Burt) (L‐R) Robert Monde, Ac ng Hygienist (CDR who is the ac ng superintendent Superintendent, Ngorongoro Ma hew Weinburke). for the Ngorongoro Conserva on Conserva on Area, Tanzania; Area in Tanzania, a sister park to CDR Engelstad and Olotumi LCDR Brian Burt arrived in May of 2011. He is an Advanced Physician Yosemite. Laizer (Photo courtesy of CDR Assistant, in the Health Services Officer Category and is assigned to Engelstad) the YMC. He performs pa ent care and is the Assistant Medical The officers get together for both Director for Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR). LCDR Jennifer informal and formal (e.g., promo on ceremonies) gatherings and Legge is a Senior Nurse Manager and the Clinic Manager for YMC. they par cipate in volunteer events such as the Yosemite Faceli , an She arrived in April of 2011. She is working on a MPH through the annual event conducted to scour areas of the park in order to clean University of Florida. LCDR Ralph Groves also arrived in April of 2011 up trash and debris a er the busy summer season. Pictured on p. 19 and is a medical officer. He is the YMC Medical Director and pro- are four of the officers volunteering in the event’s 11th season, which vides direct pa ent care, as well as oversees the prac ce of the YMC occurred from Sept. 26 through Sept. 28, 2014. clinical staff and all other park medical personnel, which includes (Yosemite, cont’d. on p. 17) March 2015 - Frontline
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New England Branch
A en on COA Members & Local Branches N a onal COA appreciates your me and efforts involved in crea ng submissions for COA Frontline publica ons. Please note that for all submissions for the Frontline publica on, the required Guidelines are available at www.coausphs.org, Members Only, Quicklink/Frontline. Direct all submissions to Front‐
line@coausphs.org. PLEASE note the BRANCH NAME in the email subject line. For Local Branches reques ng inclusion of an adver sement in Frontline, please provide the adver sement in PDF format, in adherence with the 15th day of the month deadline.
16
(Yosemite, cont’d. from p. 15) As Yosemite celebrates its 125th anniversary as a na onal park, these seven officers proudly serve both the USPHS and the Na onal Park Service, while they help to ensure the safety and health of the millions of visitors who come to enjoy the park’s beauty on an annual basis. Check out Yosemite’s 125th Anniversary Website: h p://
www.nps.gov/featurecontent/yose/anniversary/
yosemite125th.com/index.html Yosemite Faceli event. (L‐R) CDR David Engelstad, LCDR Tim Ye , CDR Ma hew Weinburke, and LCDR Brian Burt. (Photo courtesy of CDR David Engelstad) March 2015 - Frontline
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Working for you at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
By Holly Petraeus, CFPB Assistant Director, Office of Servicemember Affairs
Did you know that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has an Office of Servicemember Affairs? We want the Public
Health Service to know that we’re here, what we do, and how our work can help you.
The CFPB was created by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. We’re an independent federal agency
with the mission to make the consumer financial markets work for consumers, so they can see the costs of consumer financial products
and services up front, and so businesses that play by the rules aren’t undercut by those that break the law. The Office of Servicemember
Affairs within the CFPB is there to see that servicemembers and their families receive a strong financial education so they can make better-informed consumer decisions, to monitor their complaints about consumer financial products and services – and responses to those
complaints – and to coordinate the efforts of Federal and State agencies to improve consumer protection measures for the families of
those serving our Nation.
We know that PHS officers and their families are assigned to duty stations at home and abroad, and that you experience many of the
same challenges as other uniformed personnel: deployments, frequent moves and walking into new communities where you don’t know
the reputation of local businesses. And we understand that those challenges can sometimes have powerful financial repercussions. We
also know that there are businesses and scammers that specifically target servicemembers and veterans with bad deals and outright ripoffs. If they are breaking any of the Federal consumer financial laws that we enforce, we can call them to account. Since the CFPB
opened its doors in July 2011, in fact, we have recovered nearly five billion dollars for consumers, including servicemembers, through
our enforcement actions.
So what are some of the things that we’ve seen that might be of interest to you? Here are a few:
Mortgage Advertisements. If you are a veteran or qualify for a VA loan, you may have found yourself getting lots of official-looking
direct-mail, telling you about the vast sums of money you could qualify to borrow, either to refinance or to buy a home. We saw those
ads, too, and joined with the Federal Trade Commission in putting a number of those lenders on notice for potential violations of the
Mortgage Acts and Practices Advertising Rule. When it comes to mortgage ads, either in print or on TV, here are some things to be wary
of:
Official-looking logos implying that the ad comes from a government agency such as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or the
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Government agencies may guarantee some loans, but they are not involved
in direct lending, or in advertising mortgage loans.
Promises of amazingly low rates – which may turn out in the fine print to only be in effect for a short time.
Promises that a reverse mortgage will let you stay in your home payment-free for life. Typically borrowers with reverse mortgages still
have to keep up with taxes, insurance and maintenance – and could lose their homes if they don’t.
Announcements of “pre-approval” and large amounts of cash or credit available to you. Typically there’s no guarantee that you’ll be
approved for a loan, or know the size of the loan for which you’ll qualify, this early in the process – and without doing a lot of paperwork.
GI Bill Benefits. If you qualify to use the GI Bill to pay for your education, or plan to pass on those benefits to your spouse or children,
think carefully before you select a college. For-profit colleges, in particular, may have an extra incentive to enroll those with GI Bill benefits. A for-profit college must get at least 10% of its revenue from sources other than Title IV federal education funds administered by
the Department of Education. Since GI Bill benefits are not Title IV funds, for-profit colleges may seek that qualifying non-Title IV revenue by enrolling students who are using the GI Bill. We have heard of some very aggressive/questionable marketing to veterans and
their families by some institutions of higher education, and they may also be encouraging the use of expensive private student loans to
pay for the tuition and fees not covered by the GI Bill. Here are some questions to ask of a college before spending GI Bill benefits
there:
Ask if your education benefits will cover the total cost of the program. If not, consider Federal student loan opportunities before private
student loans, which have fewer protections.
(CFPB, cont’d. on p. 19) 18
(CFPB, cont’d. from p. 18) Ask about their accreditation and whether they are sure it is accepted for the career or job you’re interested in.
Ask if their credits transfer to other schools.
Ask the percentage of their graduates who found employment in the field they studied.
Ask how many students graduated from the program they started.
If it’s a vocational program, ask how many of their graduates actually sit for the licensing exam. Ask how many pass.
-Check out CFPB’s College Cost Comparison tool at www.consumerfinance.gov/paying-for-college/ to learn more, and “know before
you owe!”
Pension Advance Products. After you devote years of your life to service in uniform, Uncle Sam often provides you with a lifelong pension
that is worth a great deal of money over the long term. This guaranteed monthly payment has attracted so-called “pension-poachers” that
may seek to profit from your service. Here’s the way it normally works: a financial entity offers to pay you a lump-sum payout in return for
your monthly retirement payments. These offers are often described as loans whose payments just happen to equal the amount of your pension benefits. While it may not be illegal for officers to enter into agreements using their retirement pension, these products often amount to
payment of only pennies on the dollar and the so-called advances are reported to carry interest rates from 27 to 106 percent. There are many
of these offers on the internet, often with patriotic-sounding names and logos. Here’s what to do if offered a pension advance:
Say no to arrangements that allow a creditor to access the bank account where you receive your pension.
Demand to see a copy of the contract and take it to a trusted financial expert or legal advisor before signing.
Get trusted financial expert advice if you need emergency funds. There may be a number of other options available to you that are less
costly.
Help filing for VA benefits. Another area of concern is the self-styled “VA-accredited” advisors who have been preying on elderly veterans, gaining their trust by offering to help them file a claim for VA disability or other benefits. Here’s what you should know about applying
for VA benefits:
Federal law prohibits advisors, including lawyers, from charging to assist with initial applications or claims for VA benefits. If an advisor is
charging a “consultation fee” up front to do so, they are not complying with the law (and are probably not recognized by the VA).
An advisor who claims to be able to get your VA benefits for you more quickly than anyone else is not being truthful. All VA claims go
through a standard evaluation process that no one can bypass to get it done faster.
An advisor who offers to help you qualify for a low-income VA benefit such as “Aid and Attendance,” even if you have too much money to
qualify, may be looking for a way to gain access to your finances. They may offer to take control of your accounts so they can “help”
you appear to have a low income by moving your assets into an inaccessible trust. This could disqualify you from other government
benefits and possibly result in even worse consequences, so you should never agree to such services.
CFPB Resources. We hope you’ll take a look at our website, www.consumerfinance.gov/servicemembers, where we have a lot of resources
for you. Here are some specific links that may prove helpful:
Ask CFPB: www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb – Here you’ll find answers to over 1,000 consumer financial questions, some specific to the
uniformed services. If you can’t find your question listed, submit a new one to us.
Tell your story: help.consumerfinance.gov/app/tellyourstory – Tell us your story, good or bad, about your experience with consumer financial products and services. Your story will help inform how we work to protect consumers and create a fairer marketplace.
Submit a Complaint: There are multiple ways to submit a complaint with CFPB.
Online: consumerfinance.gov/complaint
Phone: 855-411-CFPB (2372); TTY/TDD 855-729-CFPB (2372); hours of operation 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through
Friday
Fax: 855-237-2392
Mail: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, P.O. Box 4503, Iowa City, IA 52244
So, now you know about the Office of Servicemember Affairs at the CFPB and how our work can help you! To learn even more, connect
with us on Facebook (CFPBMilitary) or Twitter (@CFPBMilitary), or email us directly at military@cfpb.gov. It’s our honor to serve those
who serve our country, and that includes you!
March 2015 - Frontline
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Welcome
New COA Members
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(President’s Corner, cont’d. from p. 4) disease. At present, chronic kidney disease is incurable and Yours in public health, requires life-long treatment. The cumula ve global cost for dialysis and transplanta on over the next decade is predicted to ex- Bob Williams, P.E., DEE ceed one trillion dollars. So treat your kidneys well – drink plenty RADM, USPHS (ret) of water (at least 6-8 cups daily). And for those of you at high risk, President PHS Commissioned Officers Founda on get your kidney func on checked regularly. The second day of recogni on is Na onal Doctors Day on March *How the sea services convey “Well Done.” 30th. We all know that “PHS Docs Rock;” but how o en do we take the me to tell them so. Towards the end of March, find your favorite PHS physician and shake their hand. Tell them you appreciate their service – I know you’ll get a smile in return! $7500 Scholarships for GW Degrees
T
hanks to a partnership with the George Washington Milken Institute School of Public Health, COA members are eligible to receive a
$7,500 scholarship to attend one of GW’s renowned online master's degree programs:
MPH@GW — A Master of Public Health that develops leaders who impact the health of communities worldwide. Learn more.
MHA@GW — An Executive Master of Health Administration for professionals with three or more years of experience in the health care or
health services industry who are seeking leadership roles in their organization. Request more information.
21
Executive Director, cont’d. from p. 1
careers,” and (3) “modernize and achieve fiscal sustainability for the compensa on and re rement systems” for the Uniformed services. COA has monitored the work of the MCRMC since it was created, and Jerry Farrell, my predecessor as COA Execu ve Director, used his personal acquaintance with one of the Commissioners to advance the cause of the Public Health Service as the Commission pursued its objec ves. The Commission issued an interim report last year, and on 29 January 2015, it released its final report. COA Government Relaons Director Judy Rensberger and I were on-hand to receive hard copies and a briefing, and the following day COA Deputy Execu ve Director John McElligo and I spent the day with other members of The Military Coali on dissec ng and analyzing the 280-page report. Since that me we have been studying and analyzing the report with the considerable help of the analysis done by the COA Legisla on and Benefits Commi ee’s task force on the MCRMC Report, led by CAPT Michelle Colledge and CAPT Nita Sood. Judy, John, and I briefed Surgeon General VADM Vivek Murthy and his staff on this report on 3 February, and on 11 February we briefed RADM David Score, Director of the Commissioned Corps of the Na onal Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra on. As Co-Chair of TMC’s Guard and Reserve Commi ee, John has been in a terrific posi on to represent COA and PHS in mee ngs with Commission staff and with Senate Armed Services Commi ee (SASC) staff. In the la er mee ng he gleaned some good intel as to the thinking of the SASC staff, and we have used such as we dra ed our own analysis. On 9 February COA received a le er from leadership of the Senate Armed Services Commi ee (le er can be found on COA’s website at http://www.coausphs.org/
documentsSASC Invitation for MCRMC Comment 4
Feb 15pdf, invi ng COA to submit its views on the fi een recommenda ons set forth by the MCRMC. COA has now provided its views, which are contained in a twelve-page analysis hand-delivered to the SASC on 20 February. This detailed analysis can be found on the COA website at http://
www.coausphs.org/documents/
COA_Views_on_MCRMC_2.pdf. A summary of our analysis of the recommenda ons which we thought would have the most poten al impact on PHS officers is the focus of this column. Commission Recommenda on #1: Re rement Pension
Today’s officers who serve twenty years or more receive a monthly pension based upon the formula of years of service (YOS) x average of last 36 months of base pay at me of rerement x 0.025. This results in a pension of 50% of monthly base pay a er 20 YOS and 75% of monthly base pay a er 30 YOS. Three-fourths of PHS officers qualify for this re rement benefit because they serve 20 years or more. This means that 25% receive no pension as a result of their PHS service. The Commission would change this situa on, but—I emphasize—these changes would only apply to officers entering the PHS (or any uniformed service) a er enactment of the law making these changes. That means that none of you will be affected by these poten al changes in the pension system—unless you want them to. The Commission would allow currently-serving officers to opt-in to the new system if they so desire. The Commission proposes to decrease the mul plier in the above formula from 0.025 to 0.02, thus reducing the monthly pension for a 20-year re ree from 50% of high-3 average base pay to 40% of high-3 average base pay. They would compensate for this decrease by establishing a US Government (USG)-matched 401(k) plan. PHS officers have been able to contribute unmatched funds to the federal Thri Savings Plan since the year 2000, and this proposal would enable them to con nue to do so, but with a USG match of 1% of base pay regardless of the PHS officer’s contribu on and an addi onal match a er 2 YOS of up to 5% of base pay through 20 YOS. The match would not apply during years of service 21-30. The Commission addi onally proposes a “con nua on bonus” at year 12, proving the officer agrees to remain in the PHS for an addi onal 4 years. The exact amount of this bonus is not spelled out by the Commission, but it would be a mul ple of monthly base pay. Because these proposals would not apply to currently serving PHS officers, we saw no reason to oppose them in their en rety. If you joined the PHS a er their enactment, this is what you would be receiving in benefits—assuming Congress enacts the Commission’s recommenda on. What we did ques on was the effect of these changes on reten on, especially for years 21-30. We also ques oned the methodology used by the Commission to determine the value of the present pension benefit as they developed their proposal. We suggested that the Congress consider a higher mul plier than 0.02 for years 21-30 (as was done under the largelyabandoned REDUX re rement op on) and also consider connuing the 401(k) match a er 20 YOS. You can read more of our analysis of this recommenda on on the COA website at http://www.coausphs.org/documents/
COA_Views_on_MCRMC_2.pdf. Recommenda on #2: Survivor Benefit Plans.
(Execu ve Director, cont’d. on p. 23) 22
Proposed changes would affect officers receiving Dependency Indemnity Compensa on from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which includes very few, if any, PHS officers. Recommenda on #5: Establish a Joint Readiness Command
This recommenda on is totally DoD-centric. We ques oned why the Commission did not include the Surgeon General or the PHS in its analysis of this proposed 4-star command. Recommenda on #6: Healthcare
This is one that has great implica ons for PHS officers and their dependents. The Commission would abolish the current TRICARE system and replace it with a system for dependents called TRICARE Choice. This program would parallel the system that federal civilians enjoy and would be administered by the federal Office of Personnel Management. It would allow PHS dependents to access civilian healthcare providers at li le or no cost. Ac ve duty PHS officers would con nue to use Military Treatment Facili es (MTFs) as their primary source of healthcare unless they serve in remote loca ons. In that event they would be able to access civilian healthcare providers as their dependents would, using TRICARE Choice. TRICARE Choice would be paid for by a non-taxed Basic Allowance for Healthcare, similar to the Basic Allowance for Housing, which would be provided to the ac ve duty servicemember. The Commission’s recommenda on also includes an increase in the premium paid by re rees under Medicare age. Non-Medicare re rees currently pay a premium equal to 5% of the total cost of the coverage. The Commission would increase this premium by 1% per year for 15 years un l it reached 20% of the total premium. Actual dollar amounts for the premiums were not provided by the Commission. Recommenda on #7: Special Needs Dependents
COA supports this recommenda on, which would increase the coverage available for dependents with special needs. Recommenda on #8: Collabora on between DoD and VA
COA supports this proposal, which calls for DoD and VA to do a be er job of exchanging electronic records. It also suggests combining the DoD and VA drug formularies. COA suggests that if this is done, the DoD formulary be used, as it is more robust than is the one for the VA. Recommenda on #9: Combine Military Exchanges and
Commissaries into One En ty
We do not see this as a change that would benefit the servicemember. It is clear from press reports that the Defense Department wants to cut the commissary benefit by reducing the current commissary subsidy and decreasing commissary staffing and hours of opera on. Exchanges operate as discount department stores, with profits going into military Morale, Welfare, and Recrea on funds. Commissaries operate as a true benefit to servicemembers, selling groceries at cost plus a 5% surcharge. Neither en ty can be jus fied today as absolutely necessary for the well-being of the force, as both exchanges and commissaries grew up to serve a force that was sca ered around the country in areas where there were limited shopping opportuni es for either groceries or hard goods. Such is clearly not the situa on today. Exchanges operate largely on non-appropriated funds, while commissaries receive a subsidy from the Defense Department and levy a 5% surcharge on grocery items that are sold at cost. Surveys have shown that SMs and their families regard both exchanges and commissaries as benefits of service, but that commissaries are seen as being much more valuable than exchanges. We believe that merging the exchanges and commissaries would inevitably result in higher prices at commissaries, to the detriment of this benefit. We also do not believe that either the Commission or anyone else can determine with any degree of accuracy the savings that might accrue from a merging of the back-of-store operaons of the exchanges and commissaries, as es mates of such savings cited by the Commission (Pp. 146-47) range from $151 million to $664 million per year. The magnitude of difference in such es mates makes us believe that they are no more than guesses. We would leave the present system of exchanges and commissaries as they are today. Recommenda on #11: Safeguard Educa on Benefits for
Servicemembers and Their Dependents
We believe that the educa on benefit in the Post-9/11 GI Bill is a significant tool for recruitment and reten on and should be retained as is. We therefore oppose several of the Commission’s recommenda ons on educa on benefits. We strongly disagree, for example, with the Commission’s recommenda on (p. 171) that, “Congress should approve a Sense of the Congress resolu on affirming that DoD and the Military Services may approve or deny requests to transfer Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits in such a way that encourages reten on of individuals in the Military Services, and recommending that they be more selec ve in gran ng transferability of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.” We believe this is one of the most bone-headed recommenda ons in the en re report. If March 2015 - Frontline
(Execu ve Director, cont’d. on p. 24) 23
the Commission is a emp ng to hurt recruitment and reten on, this is a wonderful way to do so. Encouraging DoD and the Services to deny GI Bill transferability is precisely the wrong message to send to the field. This is an earned benefit, and though the authority to deny transferability is included in present law, we are unaware of any instances where such authority has actually been exercised. The Commission also recommends that dependents who have received transferred GI Bill benefits not receive the Basic Allowance for Housing that is currently provided them. The Commission’s jus fica on for this proposal (Pp. 167-68) is based on assump ons that conflate the cost of a ending college with what is paid to the SM dependent. Today’s BAH currently supplements the $19,198 maximum the GI Bill pays for tui on and fees and actually allows someone to a end college in a fully-funded manner. It seems to us that the Commission does not recognize the potent tool that the Post 9/11 GI Bill offers for both recruitment and reten on, and its proposals to diminish or undermine it are simply out of touch with reality. 24
These are the most cri cal recommenda ons offered by the MCRMC. It is clear from what we have heard from Senate staff and what we have observed during the early Congressional hearings that both the Senate and the House of Representa ves have conducted on the report, that members of Congress are taking these recommenda ons quite seriously. We con nue to work within The Military Coali on (TMC) to formulate a response to the report, but it appears likely that TMC will not be able to reach a consensus posi on on some of the recommenda ons, with re rement and healthcare likely to be the s cking points. We welcome your feedback on the report, which you can access in full at h p://
mldc.whs.mil/index.php/reports. These are only recommenda ons, and it is most unlikely that they will be adopted by the Congress without change. We will con nue to engage on your behalf, and unlike your fellow officers who have not joined COA, you have a voice on the Hill, and you will be heard. ‐Jim Currie Commissioned Officers Association
25
A bove is a truncated version of the le er that COA received from four leaders of the US Senate Armed Services Commi ee invi ng COA to submit its analysis of the Military Compensa on and Re rement Moderniza on Commission’s recommenda ons. The full le er can be found on the COA website at h p://www.coausphs.org/documents/SASC_Invita on_for_MCRMC_Comment_4_Feb_15.pdf. COA’s full analysis can also be found on the website at h p://www.coausphs.org/documents/COA_Views_on_MCRMC_2.pdf. COA Execu ve Director Jim Currie has devoted his column this month to the report and its recommenda ons. 26
Preview of New COA Website
T he COA Communica ons and Public Rela ons Commi ee is hard at work. In addi on to helping to tell your story and promote the Commissioned Corps, they are volunteering to provide input on the design of a new COA website. The current website is outdated and desperately in need of an overhaul. We’re working on it. The image to the le is a mock-up of the new website. Disregard the images and text. They are only filler for what will come later. Thanks to professional photographers who have side careers in the Public Health Service, we will have high- quality images to go with updated stories about PHS ac ve duty and re red officers. Highlights of the new site:  Responsive Design: The site will adjust to the device you are using, whether it is a desktop computer monitor or a Smartphone.  Fresher Content: COA staff will improve our efforts to post stories that ma er to you, including COA efforts on Capitol Hill and pu ng a spotlight on the good work officers do to improve public health.  Members Only: Without members, COA would not exist. Our Members Only portal will be upgraded and provide you with an improved user experience. In the future, it will be easier to recover a login password and renew your membership online.  Local Branches: Many members stay connected to COA through Local Branches. The new website will provide ps for Local Branches to stay ac ve and connected to their communi es.  Anchor and Caduceus Podcast: The new website will include easy ways to listen to interviews of health leaders and subscribe through iTunes.  Get Involved: Ever wonder who chairs a certain COA commi ee or how you can volunteer? The new site will include contact informa on for key personnel. As always, we welcome your feedback. Please email any comments to coamembership@coausphs.org or call us at 301-731-9080. Send us your photos and content to post online. Follow COA on Facebook
and Twi er @coausphs
27
The COA Frontline (ISSN 10937161) is published monthly except
a combined issue January/February and July/August by the
Commissioned Officers Association of the United States Public
Health Service, 8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, Landover, MD
20785, (301) 731-9080; Fax: (301) 731-9084; Periodicals Postage
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Commissioned Officers Association, 8201 Corporate Drive,
Suite 200, Landover, MD 20785.
A report of timely information concerning activities of the
Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service.
Distributed exclusively to Association Members.
Executive Director
Jim Currie
jcurrie@coausphs.org
Program Assistant
Donna Sparrow
dsparrow@coausphs.org
Deputy Executive Director
John McElligott
jmcelligott@coausphs.org
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Erica Robinson
erobinson@coausphs.org
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Teresa Hayden Foley
thayden@coausphs.org
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