What's New

NEXT TUESDAY: BPHC All-Hands Join Jim for a recap of NACHC CHI, updates on the HHS Pulse Survey, and more! Tuesday, September 26 2:30-3:30 p.m. ET Join the day of the session If you prefer to join by phone: 833-568-8864 Webinar ID: 160 878 9337

Final BPHC 2023 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey response rate

Thank you for participating in the 2023 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS)! BPHC achieved a final adjusted response rate of 79%. The higher the response rate, the more useful the results because we know they are more representative of our entire workforce.

You can expect to hear more about FEVS results, data tools, and action planning resources in the coming months. Visit the HRSA FEVS SharePoint for additional information and updates.

Remember, your input helps leadership better understand employee viewpoints and helps guide FEVS Action Plans, which are crucial for transforming actions that support employee satisfaction and engagement.

Congratulations to BHW on winning the 2023 FEVS bureau-to-bureau friendly competition with their final response rate of 83%. Watch out because we're aiming to take the lead next year!

BPHC-wide Technical Assistance Coordination Council update At the beginning of 2023, BPHC launched the Technical Assistance Coordination Council (TACC) comprising staff and leadership representing every Office. The Council develops high-level strategic guidance for BPHC staff on how we and our strategic partners coordinate and deliver technical assistance (TA). Its motto is “Defining how to harness and deliver the best TA resources in a coordinated way.” Read the TACC Charter. Refer to the newest guidance from the Council as you consider developing TA or connecting your cohorts to TA on specific topics: BPHC TA Outcomes Report (PDF): Highlights significant innovations, activities, and best or promising practices that can be replicated. TA Identification Criteria Recommendations PowerPoint: Assists Offices in determining and prioritizing which TA activities/outcomes to share across BPHC. TA Framework Partner Chart: Lists BPHC TA priorities and identifies which Offices are the leads or co-leads for each. Use the chart to find Office contacts who can connect you to appropriate TA resources and activities. As a reminder, the Health Center Resource Clearinghouse is the repository for TA resources developed for health centers by HRSA-funded TA partners. Interested in learning more? Feel free to reach out to your Office representatives on the TACC or email the TACC mailbox.

HRSA spotlights BPHC’s Alek Sripipatana, winner of nonprofit’s Government Executive of the Year Award Read this week’s HRSA Weekly profile on Alek Sripipatana, Director of BPHC’s Data & Evaluation Division. Last week, he received the Government Executive of the Year Award by Service to the Citizen (STTC). “STTC was a fabulous platform for highlighting the accomplishments of the Health Center Program and celebrating the efforts of millions of civil servants who serve the American public,” said Dr. Sripipatana. If you missed it, listen to Tom Temin’s 10-minute July 27 “Federal Drive” interview with Dr. Sripipatana. He discusses how data improves customer service at HRSA.

Next BPHC Data Community of Practice Meeting — 2022 Health Center Patient Survey This month's BPHC Data Community of Practice (CoP) will explore the 2022 Health Center Patient Survey (HCPS) and its importance to the Health Center Program. Colleagues from OQI's Data & Evaluation Division will share key insights from the 2022 HCPS. They will also detail how to locate HCPS resources within the HRSA Data Warehouse. The CoP meets every month to explore various aspects of data and understand how we use them across BPHC. Tuesday, September 26 Noon-1:00 p.m. ET Join the day of the session Contact bphcdatacop@hrsa.gov if you would like to receive a recurring calendar invitation to the monthly meetings or join the CoP Teams channel.

BPHC BOOK Q & A session

Come to the Q&A next week to learn more about this new tool.

Thursday, September 28
2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
Join the day of the session

Share your feedback (or submit questions ahead of next week’s session) in this two-question survey. If you see something wrong, or think something is missing, contact your office BOOK Club member (listed on the Help page).

Got photos? Please share!

Missed last week’s BPHC picnic? See a collage of some of the photos (below) or visit the BPHC Picnic photo album, which has over 100 photos already. Keep adding yours so we can remember this momentous occasion!

If your office or area is holding a staff retreat this fall, please share photos in the Recent BPHC events photo album.

Getting to know: FTCA

Editor’s note: This occasional column will help you better understand functional areas/divisions across BPHC and how they work together to support our mission.

Today’s Getting to Know column features FTCA, which is part of OQI. We spoke with its leaders to get a better understanding of their work.

Read the complete interview, excerpted below.

What are some key ways that FTCA supports OQI and BPHC as a whole?

The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) Medical Malpractice Program provides no-cost, medical malpractice liability coverage to federally qualified, deemed health centers for the performance of medical, dental, surgical, and other approved health care services. Because the government provides their malpractice coverage, these health centers can save the money they would have spent on insurance and use it for other things.

FTCA also ensures deemed health centers have implemented key policies and procedures to help keep patients safe. These policies help mitigate clinical risk for BPHC, the health center, and its providers.

What do you want BPHC staff to know about FTCA?

We develop TA and training resources to support the health center workforce in keeping our patients safe while providing high-quality health care.

Recently we have come up with what we call “The 4 Cs of FTCA” TA:

• Compliance
• Court (Litigation)
• Clinical
• Customer Experience (CX)

We work in an ever-changing landscape where policy, legal, and medical collide. To accomplish the 4 Cs effectively and efficiently, collaboration and coordination must be the CORE of it all!

If FTCA had a biography, what would the title be?

“Is it Defensible? The legal, clinical, programmatic, and public lens of FTCA”

Health & Wellness

Upcoming wellness webinars FedStrive and WorkLife4You sponsor the webinars below. WorkLife4You is a 24/7 personalized assistance program that provides guidance on health and wellness. To access resources and register for other WorkLIfe4You webinars, log in with username hrsa and password hrsa. You may also call 800-222-0364; TTY: 888-262-7848. For additional resources, see HRSA’s WorkLife Programs page. TODAY: Succeed at Work — Overcoming Burnout If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of everyday life, this webinar will help bring your life back into balance. Learn to identify the symptoms of burnout and strategies for coping with and avoiding it. 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET Registration page Confident Parenting: Important Teen Health Issues This candid webinar will help parents understand the physical changes of boys and girls during puberty and how to cope with these changes. Speakers will discuss the importance of supporting your teen’s mental and physical health. Wednesday, September 27 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET Registration page

HRSA & HHS Happenings

TODAY: 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. 11:00 a.m.-noon ET Join the session

TODAY: 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 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET Register in the Learning Management System (LMS).

NEXT TUESDAY: HRSA’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration Register now for HRSA’s 2023 Hispanic Heritage Month kickoff celebration! It begins at 1:00 p.m. with an in-person Latin Fest in the 5600 Fishers Lane Atrium, followed by the hybrid kickoff event which will highlight the agency’s work in improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities for the Hispanic population. Tuesday, September 26 2:00-3:15 p.m. ET Registration page Want to learn more? See these resources: HRSA’s Hispanic Employee Resource Group (ERG) Office of Civil Rights, Diversity, and Inclusion’s statement on Hispanic Heritage Month (PDF), which announces the new HRSA en Español website President Biden’s proclamation on Hispanic Heritage Month, in which he praises the leadership of one of his four Latino Cabinet members — HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra — and tens of thousands of other Latino public servants Office of Minority Health’s Hispanic Heritage Month website Hispanic Heritage Month federal web portal

2023 HHS Departmental Awards ceremony

Join in the celebration of this year’s HHS Departmental Awards recipients! These are the highest awards issued by HHS to individuals and groups.

This year, the Office of Human Resources received over 70 nominations covering over 1,000 HHS employees in eight operating/staff divisions. View the winners and their accomplishments on the Departmental Awards page on the HHS intranet.

Congratulations to the BPHC employees who formed the HRSA Health Center COVID-19 Response Team for being awarded the Secretary's Award for Meritorious Service: Christine Wong, Aimee Bellman, Shafali Srivastava, Theodore Hufstader, Hilary Price, Hannah Reisner, Suma Nair, Felicia Sanchez, Alison Schaeffer, Larry Byrd, Sophia Adamantiades, Xuan Le, Michelle Wojcicki, Sue Lin, and Kristen Hansen.

Thursday, September 28
11:00 a.m. ET
The Great Hall of the Hubert H. Humphrey Building
200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C.
Light refreshments will be served in the East Wing following the ceremony.

To view the event remotely, go to HHS Livestreaming and select “2023 HHS Departmental Awards Ceremony” when available.

U.S. Public Health Service promotion event Attend the USPHS Commissioned Corps Promotion Ceremony celebrating HRSA and SAMHSA officers. Friday, September 29 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET Attend in-person at 5600 Fishers Lane, 5th Floor Pavilion, or virtually.

Feds Feed Families campaign ends next week The 2023 Feds Feed Families campaign ends Saturday, September 30. The campaign has brought in nearly 8 million pounds of donated food! See the dashboard for the latest results. When donating to a food bank, remember to log it 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). If you are Washington, D.C., on Thursday, September 28, consider registering for FedsWISH, the second annual Feds Walk in Support of Health and Hunger (Relief). Beginning at 10:30 a.m., participants will walk from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Whitten Building to the Lincoln Memorial and back where the event will end in a post-walk rally. The event is free but bring two cans or two pounds of food and wear orange, the color of hunger relief. You may also organize and participate in your own 2-mile or 30-minute walk, roll, or physical activity at work or in your community anytime through Saturday, September 30. Wear orange and share photos of your activity with us at BPHCinsider@hrsa.gov! See the FedsWISH flyer (PDF) for more information. For more information about the campaign, visit the HHS Feds Feed Families intranet site.

Staffing Updates

New hire

• LT Robert Brown, Public Health Analyst, OHCIO, effective Monday, September 18.

BPHC job announcements

• BPHC Direct Hire Supervisory Physician – Office Director, GS-0602-15, Rockville only, closes Friday, September 22.
• BPHC HHS-wide Supervisory Public Health Analyst — Office Director, GS-0685-15, Rockville only, closes Friday, September 22.
• 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 Friday, September 29.
• BPHC Administrative Officer, GS-341-12/13 (FPL 13), Rockville only, closes on Friday, September 29.
• BPHC Lead Administrative Officer, GS-0341-14, Rockville only, closes on Friday, September 29.

For other jobs at HRSA, visit USAJOBS.

For other detail opportunities, go to the Detail and Deployment Opportunities SharePoint page.

DWM Important Updates and Reminders

Schedule excess annual leave by December 1

Request "use or lose" annual leave and have it approved by your supervisor by Friday, December 1. To avoid forfeiting this leave, you must use it by Friday, January 12, 2024. “Use or lose" annual leave is the amount of annual leave that exceeds your applicable annual leave ceiling.

If you are not planning to take all your “use or lose” annual leave, consider donating it to the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program.

For more information, see the HRSA Broadcast message or contact BPHCTimeAttendance@hrsa.gov.

Travel-trip cancellations

Was your upcoming trip canceled? No problem! Notify your Travel Coordinator (TC) or BPHCTravel@hrsa.gov right away. Your TC will ensure that your flights, hotel(s), and travel authorization are canceled to avoid unnecessary fees.

Questions? Contact BPHCTravel@hrsa.gov.

Deployment reminder for Commissioned Corps officers

Commissioned Corps officers who are called for deployment are expected to follow instructions in the briefing and package provided to them by the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) when making their own travel arrangements. Refer to the job aid (PDF) for a refresher if needed.

If you have specific questions, contact BPHCTravel@hrsa.gov and do not reach out to individual DWM staff as this could cause delays.

Canceling telework or adding an ad hoc telework request

Coming into the office for a meeting? Need to request ad hoc telework? Before verifying your timecard in ITAS, be sure it accurately reflects the days you teleworked and reported to your duty station. Reach out to your timekeeper or BPHCTimeAttendance@hrsa.gov for assistance.

2023 Combined Federal Campaign now open

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra broadcast the opening of the 2023 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). Read his statement (PDF), in which he announced the new theme: “Give Happy.” The solicitation period runs until Monday, January 15, 2024. HRSA expects to kick off this year’s campaign next month.

Join the kickoff for the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area (CFCNCA) on the CFCNCA’s YouTube channel on Tuesday, September 26, at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Pledges made by federal donors during the campaign season will support eligible nonprofit organizations that provide health and human service benefits throughout the world.

Visit GiveCFC.org or download the CFC Mobile App to browse thousands of charities and make your pledge, either through monetary or volunteer-hours donations. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to make a one-time donation, you can now use the Text-to-Donate program. Bookmark HHS’ CFC intranet page to stay up to date on this year’s campaign progress.

BPHC’s CFC coordinators will be announced soon.

Contact your BPHC CFC keyworker with questions:

• Rebecca Fitzmaurice (OAA/DWM)
• Diane Reed (OAA/DWM)
• Sharonn Starks (OHCPM)
• LCDR Lorraine Williams (OHCPM)
• Tirzah McClinton (OPPD)
• Ed Brown (OPPD)
• Shirsa Roy (OPPD)
• Woodly Thelusma (OSBO)
• Bryna Forson (OHCIO)
• Lybbi Martin (OQI)
• Andre Jones (OQI)
• Zaneta Clarke (OQI)

Training & Staff Development

New training date — BPHC Communicating Data Insights

The ability to share key data insights with diverse audiences is an important skill to master in a data-driven organization. Learn how to present data in a meaningful and memorable way using the insight sandwich technique.

BPHC Communicating Data Insights
Wednesday, September 27
11:30 a.m.-noon

Pre-work: Watch the BPHC Presenting Data to all Audiences recorded offering.

Register in the LMS.

TODAY: Deadline to apply for BPHC Influencer Community of Practice engagement coordinator position

Looking for a way to enhance your leadership and communication skills? Consider applying for an engagement coordinator role in the BPHC Influencer Community of Practice.

Engagement Coordinators will collaborate with the BPHC Training Team to:

• Champion the Community of Practice to BPHC staff and recruit new members.
• Lead online discussions in the MS Teams group and encourage participation.
• Coordinate an in-person event to market the community to the bureau.
• Facilitate a discussion in an influencer Community of Practice session.

Time commitment: Two hours a month from October 1 to March 30, 2024.

Submit an application by close of business TODAY.

DUE NEXT WEEK: Mandatory 2023 HRSA No FEAR Act training

You must complete the “2023 HRSA No FEAR Act” training no later than Saturday, September 30. Look under “Current Learning Activities” in HRSA’s LMS to find the course. DWM will monitor your compliance and report it to BPHC senior leadership.

HRSA is committed to achieving and maintaining a harassment-free work environment. In line with this commitment, all employees must complete the training within 90 days of onboarding and every two years thereafter.

Policy Tip

Did you know?

If a health center provides "new patient visits" that involve a greater intensity of services based on locally prevailing rates and actual health center costs, then the health center may create a separate fee in its fee schedule for those types of visits. However, a health center cannot have sliding fee discount schedules that are different for new versus established health center patients. Sliding fee discounts must be applied uniformly to all patients and must be based only on income and family size.

To learn more about this topic, and to find answers to other questions, check out the Health Center Program Compliance FAQs.

Systems Corner

Salesforce training for creating dashboards Dashboards help us to visually understand changing business conditions based on real-time data. Learn how to present your Salesforce data in the form of graphs and charts by building dashboards to highlight trends and performance within your teams and offices. Wednesday, September 27 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET Join the day of the session You can find recordings and presentation slides on the Salesforce Training Page and the BPHC Salesforce Resources Page.

BHCMIS training

• See upcoming classes on the IT Systems training calendar.
• Find information on IT Systems training materials.

In Case You Missed It

A Round-Up of Previously Announced Items Access the slides and recordings for the September 14 Today with Macrae in the webcast archives. The Uniform Data System (UDS) Mapper will sunset in March 2024 and an enhanced Health Center Program GeoCare Navigator will be available in early 2024 on data.hrsa.gov. For more details, see frequently asked questions. Learn more about the UDS dataset and UDS resources by enrolling in the one-hour asynchronous course, UDS 101: Introductory Session on Data Resources for Health Center Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research. See last week’s Insider for photos of BPHC kids and grandkids on their first day of school. See the list of end of year fiscal deadlines (PDF), which must be completed this month. Need a photo or graphic for a slideshow, a newsletter article, or other communications materials? See the August 17 Insider and the BPHC Graphics SharePoint site for guidance. Commissioned Corps Officers with more than 60 days of annual leave from fiscal years 2020-2022 have until the end of this month to use this leave according to the current leave directive (PDF). For group exercise classes, see the September schedule (PDF). Read the September 2023 Fitness Center newsletter (PDF).

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