The EPAC welcomes your suggestions. Meetings are open to all PHS Engineers, and those outside the Washington, D.C. metro area may attend via conference call by dialing 919-856-4188.

CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 1:08 p.m. ET. Roll call was taken. Substantive comment was solicited for the January 22^nd meeting minutes, no further corrections were required, and the January meeting minutes were approved. The next meeting will be held April 22, 1999, at 1:00 p.m. in the National Institutes of Health's Natcher Building, Conference Room 'A' in Bethesda, MD. To attend via conference call, dial 919-856-4188.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Office of the Chief Engineer: RADM Tom Gallegos reported the following:

Chief Engineer's Newsletter: There is a need for articles for the Newsletter. The Newsletter will not be mailed any longer, but will be distributed by either e-mail or posting on the web site.
EPAC Strategic Plan: RADM Gallegos thanked everyone for their input in developing the Engineering Category Strategic Plan which was presented to the Office of the Surgeon General. The plan was well received, and RADM Gallegos encouraged anyone that has not yet read the plan to do so. The SG has developed a work group to compile the Strategic Plans from each category into a single Strategic Plan, and hopes to complete the task before the COA Meeting in June.
SAME Convention: RADM Gallegos will be attending the Society of American Military Engineers convention in April, to be held in Houston. The Commissioned Corps (CC) will now be recognized along with the other uniformed services during the ceremony.
Recruitment: One of the biggest challenges facing the engineer category is recruitment, with 40% of the category retirement eligible and the incoming officer recruitment rate very low. RADM Gallegos and CAPT Tom Bedick will be meeting with CDR Kevin Dermanoski (Division of Commissioned Personnel) to determine what the EPAC can do to assist DCP in recruitment of engineers.
New Chief Engineer Selection: RADM Moritsugu (Deputy Surgeon General) reported at the CPO/PAC meeting that the selection process for the new Chief Engineer is progressing and is currently at the DHHS Secretary level. An appointment appears imminent, though no appointment date is available.
CPO/PAC Meeting of March 25, 1999:

• DSG Meeting with DHHS: RADM Moritsugu and CAPT Davidson (DCP) met with Mr. John Callahan (DHHS) and the agency leadership to make them more aware of the CC. Mr. Callahan was interested in the awards and promotion process, and the agency leadership indicated a desire for more Flag officers in their agencies. RADM Moritsugu advised that the only way to provide more Flag officers is to increase the size of the CC. RADM Moritsugu indicated the meeting went well, and he looked forward to meeting with them again.
• Commissioned Corps Hiring at NIH: DCP has also met with the NIH and has conducted several workshops to acquaint them with the CC and to encourage the hiring of CC officers.
• Medical Marijuana: RADM Moritsugu advised that with regard to the recent ongoing discussions on medical marijuana, that the Surgeon General has not taken a position on this issue.
• OSG Volunteers: The OSG is in need of volunteers for evenings or weekends as time permits due to their limited staff.
• Promotion Boards: CAPT Davidson indicated that the promotion board process is underway, and that promotions will be announced by June 1, 1999 via the web.
• CC Application Process: CAPT Davidson also announced that DCP is still working on streamlining the application process and making it easier, and that applicants will receive feedback on the possibility of future employment in the CC. Also, DCP is working to make the application process available through the Internet.
• DCP Database: Before the COA meeting, select officers will participate on a trial basis in updating their entries in the DCP database through the Internet, prior to full implementation throughout the CC. Full implementation will not occur until security procedures are established, at which time all data will be able to be entered from remote locations.
• Reaffirmation of Oath of Office: CAPT Davidson attended a reaffirmation of the oath of office with the Bureau of Health Professions, and would encourage the reaffirmation in a ceremony throughout the CC to be conducted by category, location or the most appropriate for the individual situation.
• CC Ceremony Protocol: A work group is developing standard protocols for use by all officers for promotions, retirement ceremonies, and oath of office ceremonies, as varying protocols are currently used throughout the CC for each of these ceremonies.
• OSG Position on Physical Fitness: The OSG has placed high importance on physical fitness and will be providing guidance through criteria being developed by the physical therapist category, which they hope to present during the COA meeting in June.
• CC Awards: Wall space has been dedicated on the third floor of the Parklawn Building for display of category awards. A work group is being formed to determine which awards would require the signature of the SG; RADM Gallegos has volunteered the engineer category for work on this group, which will be chaired by CAPT Cynthia Pond, CPO of the veterinarian category.
• COs and EEO: A recent law has been enacted providing COs with the opportunity to utilize the EEO grievance process and the OSG is establishing protocols for this process.

 

EPAC Meetings: Members should provide reports in electronic format so as to allow the draft minutes to be distributed for review within one week of the meeting, and posting on the web site shortly thereafter. Mr. Iannacchione has indicated a desire for a meeting to be held in Pittsburgh, to allow members to visit the Pittsburgh Research Laboratory. CAPT Bedick will discuss a date for the meeting with Mr. Iannacchione, preferably not to occur in October to avoid new fiscal year funding concerns.
Civil Service Involvement in the EPAC: The EPAC was identified by RADM Blackwell at the March 25, 1999 CPO/PAC meeting as a PAC that was attempting to involve Civil Service employees in their PAC.

3. DCP Liaison: CAPT Bedick introduced CDR Dermanoski as the new DCP Liaison:

CC Recruitment: CDR Dermanoski distributed the following documents:

• a report listing the distribution of CC engineers by agency and discipline;
• a report listing engineer applicants including the applicants' contact information, education including degree, etc.; and,
• a comparative pay scale between CC and private sector entry level engineering positions.

4. CCRF Liaison: CAPT Rodenbeck reported the following:

CCRF Training Coordinator: CDR Kathy Downs has been selected as the new CCRF Training Officer and is scheduled to report to the Office of Emergency Preparedness on April 1, 1999. CDR Downs previous duty assignment was with the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, so she comes equipped with quite a background with the CCRF. This appointment is expected to provide better clarification of CCRF training requirements.
CCRF Member Status: The Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) has requested that all current members of the Commissioned Corps Readiness Force (CCRF) reconfirm their status via the Internet (http://oep.osophs.dhhs.gov/ccrf/) or by memorandum to the OEP.  Members can now access and update their contact information (e-mail address, work and home addresses and phone numbers), and potential members can request applications, via the web site and then clicking the “Login” button.

5. COA Liaison: CAPT Rick Barror reported the following:

COA Meeting: May 7, 1999 is the last day for registration at the hotel for the June COA meeting, and May 10, 1999 is the last day for pre-registration for the COA meeting. Appreciation was expressed to CDR Jo Ann Griffith for coordination of the Engineers Symposium at the COA meeting.
COA Scholarships: The COA is offering $8000 in scholarships to dependents of COs that are members of the COA, with individual scholarships ranging from $500 - $2000 each.
EEO Process for Commissioned Officers: The Health Professions Education Partnerships Act of 1998 was signed by the President on November 13, 1998 which removed PHS COs from under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and placed them in the same category as Officers of the Armed Services, which denied them the rights to Title VII procedures available to the Civil Service. This Act was not a major change in policy as it effectively returned PHS COs to the position that preceded to a Justice Department policy decision which had placed COs under Title VII. The COA requested in a letter to the SG that this issue be addressed, and an interagency committee is scheduled to meet the week of March 29, 1999 to address the impact on COs. The COA has also expressed concern about the fact that COs are finding it increasingly difficult to deal with EEO and adverse actions, and has requested the SG have someone that can serve as an advocate for COs in dealing with either EEO actions or adverse actions taken against officers.

6. Job Vacancies: The PHS Engineers Home Page has a link list of vacancies within all the DHHS OPDIVs, which can be found at http://usphsengineers.org/vacancy.htm.

EPA: The EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Health Effects and Standards group has a vacancy that closes on April 9, 1999. Interested parties can contact CDR Eric Crump for further information.
NIOSH: There is an internal announcement within CDC for the Facility Engineer position for NIOSH's Cincinnati Laboratory.
St. Elizabeth's Hospital: St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, D.C. has a vacancy listed as "open until filled" for a seasoned engineer (CO-5 or CO-6).

OLD BUSINESS

Mentoring Ad-hoc Subcommittee: An ad-hoc subcommittee was established before the January EPAC meeting, and CAPT Gene Sullenger has agreed to serve as Chair of the subcommittee. An article will appear in the next OCE Newsletter requesting those interested in serving on the subcommittee to contact CAPT Bedick. The Dental PAC has an active mentoring program which may serve as a model for a mentoring program for engineers. The ad-hoc subcommittee has been asked to determine"what needs to be done?" and "how can we do it?" CAPT Bedick reiterated that if a mentoring program is to be implemented, it will happen because of the EPAC, because DCP does not have the time or the resources to dedicate to this program. DCP also has information available on its web site.
Engineer's Regalement: A draft flyer has been prepared announcing the regalement for Wednesday, May 26, 1999 at the National Navy Medical Center picnic pavilions. This year's event will be a cook-out instead of being catered like the most recent regalements, in an attempt to minimize costs for Engineers and their families and to encourage socializing. Volunteers are needed to cook and clean-up afterwards, and are asked to contact either CAPT Sullenger or CDR Faaland. The announcement will be mailed to all PHS engineers in the D.C. Metro area, and attempts will also be made to reach all retired PHS engineers in the area.
Healthy Buildings Discussions with the DSG: CAPT Dan Hightower, accompanied by CAPT Bill Brodt (NIH) and Mr. Charles Blumberg (NIH), met with the DSG on March 9, 1999 for a lengthy discussion on the EPAC's Healthy Buildings proposal. The DSG requested that prior to forwarding the proposal to the SG, that data be provided quantifying the deaths and illnesses attributable to unhealthy buildings so as to substantiate the need for the effort outlined within the proposal. CAPT Hightower is receiving input from members of the Building Design and Construction subcommittee and from outside organizations identifying sources for the requested data. Anyone knowing of additional data is asked to contact CAPT Hightower.
DCP/CCRF Professional Specialty Codes and Proficiency Levels: The Emergency Preparedness subcommittee submitted a proposal to the EPAC for forwarding to DCP and OEP in 1997, but the proposal was withheld due to the transition within the CCRF program at the time. The proposal provided for amplification upon the professional specialty codes to better identify the specializations of CCRF members, and thus allow the CCRF to select the proper officers for a particular mission. CAPT Rodenbeck will provide a copy of the proposal for distribution to the EPAC, prior to the EPAC taking action at the April meeting.

NEW BUSINESS

Chief Engineer's Newsletter Articles: The EPAC Chairperson will be providing an article for each issue of the Chief Engineer's Newsletter, and each of the subcommittees are encouraged to develop articles. The next deadline for the submission of articles to LCDR Jacqui Parker is April 30, 1999.
Updated Emergency Preparedness Training and Resource Fact Sheet: The annual update of the Fact Sheet currently available on the web site was presented to the EPAC for review and comment. Since there was no comment, it was decided that the Fact Sheet would be updated.

SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

1. Awards: CDR Maurice West provided the following report:

USPHS Engineering Literary Awards: Twenty-five papers covering all five categories were submitted. The first round of internal review by PHS engineers is complete. Seven papers from the Applications, Research, and Publications categories have been forwarded for external review by engineering reviewers from industry, academia, consulting, and non-PHS governmental departments. Reviews will be completed by March 31, 1999. Selection of award recipients will be completed and forwarded to the OCE and EPAC Chairperson by early April. Awards will be presented during a ceremony held as part of the USPHS Professional Association Meeting in Alexandria, VA on June 6 - 9, 1999.
Ian K. Burgess Outstanding Young Engineer of the Year (YEOY) Award: The announcement, instructions and nomination form for the YEOY were published in the December 1998 issue of the PHS Engineer Category News Report and is posted on the PHS Engineers web page. Nominations must be submitted to CDR Maurice West by March 31, 1999. As of March 25, one nomination has been received. This award will be presented at the USPHS Professional Association Meeting in Alexandria, VA on June 6 - 9, 1999.
Recognition of Contributions to the EPAC: The awards subcommittee is evaluating what awards are available to recognize individuals or groups who have made contributions to the EPAC. These would include letters of appreciation, certificates of appreciation, and PHS awards. Work currently underway includes identifying the protocol and approval chain for the various proposed awards.
Additions to Awards Table: The subcommittee is researching awards appropriate for recognizing outstanding achievement in industrial hygiene and construction projects.

2. Building Design & Construction: The subcommittee did not meet, so there is no report this month.

Next Meeting: The next meeting of the BD&C Subcommittee will be April 13 at 1:00 p.m.

3. Career Development: Ms. Lisa Hayes reported the following:

Engineers Symposium: The agenda for the symposium is close to being finalized, and will be posted on the web page soon. CEUs will be awarded for attendance at the symposium.
Civil Service Involvement in the EPAC: A subgroup is addressing methods for involving CS engineers in the EPAC. One suggestion for developing the interest of CS Engineers is for the EPAC to provide more focus on professional development, while another suggestion is to make it more attractive for CS engineers to attend activities such as the Engineers' Symposium by dropping the registration fees or paying for lunch. This group will continue to meet to discuss these issues.
Career Development Topics: A second subgroup is working on receiving input from junior engineers within the PHS on career development topics. The intended audience is CO-2 or CO-3 and GS-5/7/9 engineers with less than 8 years of experience. The subgroup has targeted contacting these engineers during the summer of 1999, and the subgroup will meet in April to discuss how the junior engineers will be contacted.
Welcome Package: The first set of welcome letters from the Chief Engineer were sent to new engineers in PHS OPDIVs. The welcome packages with a cover letter from the EPAC Chairperson should be sent within the next month.
Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Career Development Subcommittee will be April 13, 1999 at 2:00 p.m. ET.

4. Emergency Preparedness: CAPT Rodenbeck reported the following:

USAID Training Course: Several engineers, including RADM Gallegos, attended an U.S. AID training course in Washington, D.C.  Feedback is that this was an excellent course that may provide Engineers with an opportunity to become involved with international deployments.  USAID hopes to offer additional training courses in the future, and information will be provided when it is received.
CCRF Training Requirements and Materials: The subcommittee is working on refining the training requirements for CCRF and identifying the materials associated with the training. This will be the primary content of the presentation for next year's COA meeting.
Engineer's Disaster Response Handbook: The subcommittee is in preliminary discussions regarding developing an Engineer's Disaster Response handbook.
Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Emergency Preparedness subcommittee will be April 1, 1999 at 3:00 p.m. ET.

5. Information: CAPT Kevin Chadwick reported the following:

Web Site Workgroup: CDR Skip Lightner reported that the web site workgroup must set up a mechanism to receive EPAC web site content based on their calendar of deliverables. Some PHS engineers are interested in submitting articles about their work for the web site. The subcommittee requested that the web workgroup consider setting up a system for all PHS engineers to submit items for posting on the web site. This would include criteria for submissions and appointment of an editor to receive the items and prepare them for the webmaster. The web site group will continue to meet to resolve these issues.
E-mail Directory: The subcommittee is compiling an e-mail directory of all engineers in the PHS.
Chief Engineer's Photo Archives: LCDR Hung Trinh is working on a cataloging and storage policy for the Chief Engineer's photo archives. One possibility is making electronic thumbnail photos available.
COA Meeting Exhibit: The EPAC will be assisting the Chief Engineer in putting together a category exhibit for the COA meeting. The subcommittee needs photos that show a project or engineers in your OPDIV. Please send material for copying to CAPT Chadwick.

6. Recruiting and Retention: CDR Eric Crump reported the following:

The Recruiting and Retention subcommittee met on February 11 and on March 4 and discussed the following topics:
COSTEP Engineers: The subcommittee did an informal survey of COSTEP hiring for each OPDIV. Outside of IHS, most OPDIVs seem to be recruiting few COSTEPs, if any. The issues seem to be costs and FTEs. Many OPDIVs have intern programs that appear to be less costly than the COSTEP program. In particular, the senior COSTEP program is problematic because an FTE needs to be kept open until the senior COSTEP graduates - and few OPDIVs can, or are willing, to do this. Since the subcommittee thinks the COSTEP program is a fruitful recruiting opportunity, it is concerned about this. The subcommittee plans to analyze the COSTEP process - application, recruitment, hiring, funding - and discuss how it can encourage the use of COSTEPs.
Engineers Week 2000: The subcommittee discussed development of flyers or pamphlets to send out during next year's Engineers Week to promote the COSTEP program and PHS engineering. CDR Kevin Dermanoski, our category staffing officer, has sent the subcommittee some materials that the Pharmacist PAC has used. The subcommittee believes these are an excellent starting point, and will use these along with other materials to develop an engineer pamphlet. We hope to present this to the wider EPAC for comment within the next couple of meetings.
Fact Sheet on Hiring CO's: The subcommittee believes that one reason OPDIVs are not hiring COs could be a lack of familiarity with the process. For Civil Service engineers, each OPDIV has human resources staff throughout the country which are intimately familiar with the CS personnel process. This is not the case for COs. The subcommittee feels it would be helpful to develop a fact sheet for people in the OPDIVs who make hiring decisions. The fact sheet would describe how to bring a CO aboard, and list sources of information and guidance on the process. We are now researching the hiring process for various OPDIVs.
Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Recruiting and Retention subcommittee will be April 1, 1999 at 1:00 p.m. ET, and the phone number will be 919-541-4427.

7. Rules: CAPT Cris Kinney reported the following:

The Rules Subcommittee met on March 11, 1999 and determined the current membership role. The subcommittee will meet every other month. The subcommittee also established general goals for the year, as follows:

• Update the Bylaws with current goals for each subcommittee
• Coordinate the self-nomination process via e-mail, the Chief Engineer's Newsletter, and the web site
• Coordinate the election of the Chair-Elect for 2000

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 2:35 p.m. ET.
 

EPAC Meeting Participation

Participants (Members in bold, with alternates attending matched by number to the members absent):
CAPT Richard F. Barror (Ex Officio), CAPT Thomas M. Bedick (NIH), LT Mark Burke (IHS),¹ CAPT Kevin S. Chadwick (IHS), CAPT Terry L. Christensen (NIH), CAPT Joseph Cocalis (CDC), CDR Eric L. Crump (EPA), CDR Kevin Dermanoski (Ex Officio), CAPT James A. DiNovo (FDA), CDR Robert W. Faaland (FDA), RADM Thomas G. Gallegos (Ex Officio), CDR Jo Ann Griffith (EPA), Ms. Lisa Hayes (At Large), CAPT Daniel L. Hightower (NIH), CAPT E. Crispin Kinney (IHS), Ms. Danielle Langmann (ATSDR)², CDR Louis A. Lightner (HRSA), CDR Kenneth F. Martinez (At Large), LCDR Kenneth R. Mead (CDC), Mr. Steve Richardson (ATSDR), CAPT Sven Rodenbeck (At Large), Ms. Gail Scoggins (ATSDR), LCDR James Simpson (FDA), CDR George Smith (EPA), CAPT Gene Sullenger (FDA), Mr. F. Mitchell Williams (Ex Officio)

Members Absent:
LTJG Alan Fogarty (IHS), Mr. Anthony Iannacchione (CDC), LCDR Jacqueline Parker (IHS),¹ CDR Maurice C. West (ATSDR)²
 

Authorization
 

I have recorded the above EPAC meeting minutes.

/signed/                                            26 APR 99
F. Mitchell Williams, P.E.                     Date
Executive Secretary, EPAC
 

I have read the above minutes which accurately describe this meeting, and on behalf of the EPAC approve their distribution.

/signed/                                            03 MAY 99
CAPT Thomas M. Bedick, P.E.           Date
Chairperson, EPAC
 

I authorize distribution of these minutes.

/RADM Robert C. Williams for/        22 JUL 99
RADM Thomas G. Gallegos, P.E.        Date
Chief Engineer, USPHS
 

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