What's New
HHS remembers
On Monday, September 11, HHS commemorated the National Day of Remembrance on social media. “Today, on the National Day of Remembrance, we mourn the people we lost 22 years ago today and honor the first responders who risked their lives to help others — you will never be forgotten.” Click on the image to go to 9/11 stories from the U.S. Department of Defense.
TODAY: Today with Macrae
Join Jim for funding and program updates, plus hear from guests about the importance of folic acid supplementation in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month.
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Join the session
If you prefer to join by phone: 833-568-8864
Webinar ID: 160 345 8842
You can find recordings and presentation slides from 2018 to the present in the webcast archives.
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NEXT TUESDAY: BPHC All-Hands
Join Jim for a recap of NACHC CHI, updates on the HHS Pulse Survey, and more!
Tuesday, September 19
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Join the day of the session
Call-in: 833-568-8864
Webinar ID: 160 988 4745
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NEXT WEDNESDAY: HRSA All-Hands
HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson and other speakers will highlight the exciting work across the agency, share important information, and tell your stories.
Submit questions in advance to askquestions@HRSA.gov.
There are two options to participate: virtually via Zoom or in person at 5600 Fishers Lane.
Wednesday, September 20
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
5th floor Pavilion rooms
Join the day of the session
Call-in: 833-568-8864
Webinar ID: 160 267 3603
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Uniform Data System Mapper to sunset in March 2024
HRSA is launching an enhanced Health Center Program GeoCare Navigator that will be available in early 2024 on data.hrsa.gov. The Uniform Data System (UDS) Mapper will sunset in March 2024. There will be no gap in access to a mapping tool.
How the UDS Mapper sunset will affect BPHC staff
The UDS Mapper will continue to be available to BPHC staff, as well as health centers and other external users, through March 2024. User guides and recorded webinars will be available on the UDS Mapper Tutorials and Resources webpage through March 2024. Please note that live UDS Mapper webinars and trainings will no longer be held after September 2023.
The new mapping tool will be user-friendly and more tailored to Health Center Program needs. Users will still be able to:
- Evaluate geographic reach, penetration, and growth of the Health Center Program and its relationship to other federally linked health resources.
- View critical geographic and demographic data at the ZIP-code level, leveraging a variety of datasets (including UDS) to support improved access to health care.
For more details, see frequently asked questions.
Next steps
HRSA and BPHC resources, such as Notices of Funding Opportunities, web content, and technical assistance resources, should direct health centers and other external stakeholders to the new Health Center Program GeoCare Navigator starting in early 2024. We tentatively plan to announce the launch the week of January 29. At that time, BPHC staff will be asked to remove references in these materials to the UDS Mapper tool and replace them with references to the new tool. Language and links will be provided. Training resources will be made available for the new tool (more details to come).
Interested in UDS training? See the article about the UDS 101 course.
Curated resources on child and adolescent health
BPHC staff curated a packet of training and technical assistance materials about child and adolescent health. These materials will help health centers develop processes for improving service delivery and outcomes for these patients. Our National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAPs) developed these resources on telehealth, food insecurity, mental and behavioral health, oral health, staffing shortages, and retention.
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Read the annual BPHC TA Outcomes Report
The 2023 BPHC Technical Assistance Outcomes Report is now available. This report highlights significant technical assistance (TA) resources, impacts, and outcomes achieved by BPHC staff and awardees from July 2022 through June 2023.
This report is for BPHC staff only. You should use it to address the TA needs of awardees, identify gaps in existing training resources, and identify other BPHC offices/divisions that you could collaborate with or approach as a helpful source when developing TA. Many thanks to the TA Coordination Council (TACC) members who worked with their respective offices to identify more submissions for this report than ever before!
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Share BPHC picnic and staff retreat photos
Tuesday’s BPHC picnic was filled with good food, fun, and musical talent under sunny skies at Meadowbrook Park! Did you snap some good pics? If so, upload them to the BPHC Picnic photo album. Let’s see your best shots of BPHC staff enjoying lunch, providing entertainment, and challenging each other to ladder ball, cornhole, axe throwing, and other games! Stay tuned for a picnic wrap-up at next week’s BPHC All-Hands and in the Insider.
If your office is holding a staff retreat this fall, please share photos! Upload them to the appropriate month folder in the Recent BPHC events photo album. You may see them in a BPHC or HRSA All-Hands webcast!
Back to School photos wrap-up
Thank you to everyone who submitted a back-to-school photo to our 2023 album. Check out these BPHC kids and grandkids on their first day of school!
  Pictures submitted by: (First row, from left) Katie Ballengee, David Danoff, Maria LoPiccolo, Amy Strain, Elizabeth Goodger; (Second row, from left) Jenny Song, Janel Parham, Manpreet Malhi, Amy Harbaugh; (Third row, from left) Christina Lachance, Mylandar Davis-Ardila, Bryna Forson; (Fourth row, from left) Lauren Spears, Chandra Jolley, Kate Mitchell.
Getting to know Amalie Malochée
Editor’s note: Interested in participating in a “Getting to know” column for the first or second time? Take a look at the revised questions to see what’s involved and check out our Getting to Know BPHC Staff page.
Meet Amalie Malochée, Pathways Intern, OPPD:
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Before working at BPHC, what was the most unusual or interesting job you ever had?
Post Hurricane Katrina I was part of the relief effort delivering Red Cross and FEMA funds into the hands of the large Vietnamese population in Biloxi, Mississippi. Many of them had bunkered down in their only home — large fishing boats — during the storm. I was astounded by the care, donations, and support the large Vietnamese diaspora community organized amongst themselves prior to receiving any relief interventions.
What is your favorite book?
Most recently, “Parable of the Sower” and “Kindred” by Octavia Butler. They were books that transfixed me while also weaving rich texture and narrative into my perception of American slavery and the dystopian future.
What is your favorite food and why?
Rasam Indian Soup — sweet and sour and served for breakfast. I very much fell in love with this morning staple while studying in India, even in the heat!
If you could be any animal, what would you be?
My son would be a Velociraptor because he could run really fast, and land animals have less things to worry about than those in the ocean. I couldn’t agree more.
Learn more about Amalie. Email BPHC Insider to submit your name for a future Getting to Know.
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HRSA & HHS Happenings
HRSA’s Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off on September 26
National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed each year from September 15 to October 15 to celebrate the achievements, histories, traditions, and cultural diversity of Hispanic/Latino Americans. The 2023 Hispanic Heritage Month theme, “Todos Somos, Somos Uno: We Are All, We Are One,” reinforces the diversity of the Hispanic community, as well as the power that comes from being a united community.
Register now for HRSA’s 2023 Hispanic Heritage Month kickoff celebration!
Tuesday, September 26
5th floor Pavilion rooms and Atrium
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
In-person Latin Fest by HRSA’s Hispanic Employee Resource Group (ERG) celebrating food, music, art, and culture, along with informative tables from national Hispanic organizations and various ERGs.
2:00 p.m.-3:15 p.m. ET
Hybrid kickoff event to celebrate and highlight the agency’s work in improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities for the Hispanic population.
Registration page
Learn more at the Office of Minority Health Hispanic Heritage Month website and the National Hispanic Heritage Month federal web portal.
Meeting of HRSA’s Council on Employees with Disabilities
Join HRSA’s Council on Employees with Disabilities for its monthly meeting featuring guest speaker Carol L. Dobak, Department of Education Deputy Commissioner. Email CEDERG@hrsa.gov for details.
Thursday, September 21
11:00 a.m.-noon ET
Join the day of the session
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TODAY: Roundtable discussion promotes language justice
The Interdepartmental Health Equity Collaborative (IHEC) Practice Work Group is hosting a Virtual Roundtable. You are encouraged to attend if you are engaged with language justice activities or limited English proficiency initiatives. Federal staff who work to address health disparities and support efforts to advance health equity, policies, and practices are also invited.
Promoting Language Justice: Propelling Language Access to Achieve Equity Virtual Roundtable
3:00-4:30 p.m. ET
Registration page
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Learn about the Hatch Act
Join HRSA Ethics to discuss the prohibited and permitted activities under the Hatch Act, which governs the political activity of federal employees.
Understanding Ethics: A HRSA Miniseries
Wednesday, September 20
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Join the day of the session
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Lunch ‘n’ Learn on insider threats
Don’t miss the Healthy Technology Lunch ‘n’ Learn webinar with guest speaker Jeffrey Camerato from the Office of National Security. He will discuss the importance of remaining cyber vigilant and how to detect and report an insider threat.
Wednesday, September 20
Noon-12:30 p.m. ET (presentation)
12:30-1:00 p.m. ET (question-and-answer period)
Registration page
Visit the HHS CyberCARE intranet page to see related articles.
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CDC webinar on access and equity for people with disabilities
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was the first federal legislation to address access and equity for people with disabilities. In September, the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Rehabilitation Act will be recognized. To honor this major milestone, the CDC will sponsor a virtual event that features Tiffany Yu, a disability influencer.
Attend for a vibrant and interactive discussion on a variety of topics:
- Heterogeneity within the disability community
- Defining ableism
- The importance of disability inclusion
- The power of belonging
- Being a disability ally
- The role of public health in addressing the needs of people with disabilities
The Power of Belonging: Understanding Ableism and Why Addressing It Matters
Thursday, September 21
1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Register in the Learning Management System (LMS).
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Donations for Feds Feed Families reach 7 million pounds!
To date, more than 7 million pounds of food have been donated by federal employees to the 2023 Feds Feeds Families campaign, with HHS contributing 129,959 pounds (of which HRSA contributed 1,178 pounds). See the dashboard for the latest results. The campaign ends Saturday, September 30. Let’s finish strong!
This week’s theme is food security and nutrition. In 2020, more than 38 million Americans, or one in 10, experienced food insecurity, which is associated with adverse social and health outcomes. You can help reduce food insecurity where you live by donating to a local food bank.
Remember to log your donation on the Feds Feed Families Hub's Record Donations Form. Give credit to HRSA when you record your donation. If you place your donation in the boxes located in the 5600 Fishers Lane Atrium, volunteers will record your donation on behalf of HRSA. See the list of most wanted items (PDF).
For more information, see the HHS Feds Feed Families intranet site and the FAQs on the Feds Feed Families website.
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Staffing Updates
New hire
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Jessica Tambu, Public Health Analyst, OHCPM, effective Sunday, September 10.
Departure
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Benjamin Picillo, Statistician, departing from OQI and transferring to CMS, effective Saturday, September 23.
BPHC job announcements
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BPHC Lead Public Health Analyst, GS- 0685-14, Rockville only, closes Friday, September 15.
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BPHC Public Health Analyst, GS-0685-09 (FPL 13), Rockville only, closes Friday, September 15.
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BPHC Direct Hire Statistician, GS-1530-11 (FPL 13), Rockville only, closes Friday, September 15.
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BPHC Direct Hire Statistician, GS-1530-12/13 (FPL 13), Rockville only, closes Friday, September 15.
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OPPD Public Health Analyst; GS-9, 11, 12, 13 (or Commissioned Corps in analogous positions); lateral reassignment opportunities; BPHC employees only; duty stations will not be changed; closes at 5:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 20.
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BPHC Direct Hire Supervisory Physician – Office Director, GS-0602-15, Rockville only, closes Friday, September 22.
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BPHC HHS-wide Supervisory Public Health Analyst — Office Director, GS-0685-15, Rockville only, closes Friday, September 22.
For other jobs at HRSA, visit USAJOBS.
For other detail opportunities, go to the Detail and Deployment Opportunities SharePoint page.
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