TODAY: HRSA Honor Awards Ceremony

HRSA’s 41st Annual Honor Awards Ceremony is today, November 2, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET at the Hilton, 1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. Light refreshments will be served after the ceremony.

The shuttle bus will leave from the entrance of 5600 Fishers Lane at 10:30 a.m. ET and will run continuously until 12:30 p.m. ET. Return trips will begin immediately after the ceremony with the last return trip at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Join the session
Join by phone: 833-568-8864
Webinar ID: 161 668 1454

NEXT WEDNESDAY: BPHC All-Hands

Join Jim for updates from the Technical Assistance Coordination Council, CFC, and more!

Wednesday, November 8
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
Join the day of the session
Join by phone: 833-568-8863
Webinar ID: 161 549 5584

Review tool for BPHC Program Specialists: School-based service sites

OPPD's Policy Division released an internal BPHC resource tool (PDF) to help Program Specialists review change in scope requests for school-based service sites (SBSS). It summarizes key Health Center Program compliance issues and poses five questions to consider when evaluating a request. If you have questions about this resource tool or a change in scope that you're working on, contact the OPPD Policy Division through the Policy Portal available on the BPHC Contact Form. 

Until the FTCA assessment questions are removed from the HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) STAR system, we instructed MSCG consultants to mark all responses within the FTCA Deeming Requirements section of the OSV STAR report as "yes" and enter standardized text into the comment fields. We already provided the standardized text, so you should not need to do anything else.

All FTCA-deemed health centers must comply with FTCA program requirements. We will continue to assess their compliance through the FTCA deeming and re-deeming processes, and FTCA-specific site visits. Health centers can find more information and resources about FTCA on our website.

NEXT WEEK: Newsletter Deadline Change for Veterans Day

We moved up the newsletter deadline next week because of the Friday (Veterans Day) holiday. Submissions must be approved by COB Wednesday, November 8.

We also updated the publication schedule and deadline for the week of Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 23). We will not publish the Insider that week. Submissions must be approved by COB Wednesday, November 22.

We’ll hold late submissions for subsequent issues. Questions? Email the Digest or Insider mailbox.

Review lessons learned during Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2023, which ended on October 31, highlighted the importance of staying aware of cyber threats such as phishing.

Some warning signs that an email might be a phish include:

• They create a sense of urgency or claim to need help.
• They ask for your personal info.
• They want you to download a file or click on a link.

Cybercriminals are crafty and may send emails that look legit but aim to steal your information. Trust your gut, stay cautious, and report those phishing emails. Think before you click!

For more tips on avoiding phishing scams and past Cybersecurity Month articles, visit the HHS CyberCARE intranet site. While you’re there, test your cyber knowledge with the online crossword puzzle and answer the question of the week about phishing.

Getting to know Jade del Vecchio

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 Jade del Vecchio, Presidential Management Fellow and Public Health Analyst, Policy, OPPD:

What is one thing your co-workers would be surprised to learn about you, for example, a hidden talent?
I’ve learned 13 styles of dance — ballet, modern, jazz, rumba, and more!

Where did you grow up and what do you like best about your hometown?
I grew up mostly in Silver Spring, Maryland, and love the delicious and diverse food options.

I’m happiest when:
I’m outside in nature. Look up “forest bathing” and give it a try!

What is your favorite quote, motto, personal mantra, or the best advice you ever received?
“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.” – Ruther Bader Ginsburg

If you were stuck on an island, what three things would you bring with you?
A LifeStraw water bottle, “The Stand” (unabridged edition) by Stephen King, and (I know it’s not practical!) my dog, Butterbeer.

Learn more about Jade. Email BPHC Insider to submit your name for a future Getting to Know.

CFC cause of the week: Animal welfare

Did you know that here in the United States, there are nearly 1,300 estimated endangered species? Annually, there are 6 million animals in shelters waiting for their fur-ever homes.

Those who have adopted beloved animals from shelters and rescue organizations can thank donors and volunteers for the veterinary support and other resources that help keep animals safe and healthy while they wait to find their families. CFC animal welfare charities promote a hopeful future for scaly, furry, feathered, and fin-covered species alike.

Learn more:

• Cause of the Week: Animal welfare
• CFC Donors webpage
• HHS CFC intranet page

Questions? Contact BPHC CFC Coordinators Jasmine Hawkins and Zaneta Clarke or your CFC keyworker listed in the September 28 Insider.

Save the date: HHS-wide town hall on November 9

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra invites you to an HHS-wide town hall meeting on Thursday, November 9, at 11:00 a.m. ET. Details will be shared soon.

“We will use this time together to celebrate some of the Department’s biggest achievements over the last year, and look forward to what we are planning, what we hope to achieve, and the role that we can all will play in making the Department even more successful in the year ahead,” says Secretary Becerra.

If you have questions and suggestions for topics to be covered, send them to townhallquestions@hhs.gov by COB on Tuesday, November 7.

DUE MONDAY: Veterans Council contests and Veterans Day observance 

The HRSA Veterans Council is sponsoring two contests and entries are due by Monday, November 6. Winners will be announced at the Council’s Veterans Day observance:  

Thursday, November 9
Noon-1:00 p.m. ET
Registration link

Logo contest

Passionate about graphic design? Put your talent to the test. Submit your logo design for the HRSA Veterans Council to veteranscouncil@hrsa.gov with the subject: Submission — VC Logo.

Veteran story

Did a veteran inspire you to serve in the U.S. military? Maybe it was a friend, a family member, or someone famous? Please share your story in 200 to 250 words. Email it to veteranscouncil@hrsa.gov with the subject: Submission — Veteran Story.

A Round-Up of Previously Announced Items

• Missed the HRSA All-Hands? See the recording.
• Encourage health centers to use the BPHC Contact Form (General/Other HRSA > Other Topics) to submit World AIDS Day photos with a short description and names and titles of people. Deadline is Wednesday, December 6, with a completed Photo Release Form (PDF) for each person in the photo.
• Learn some ways to help prevent breast cancer in our October Take 5 to Thrive column, posted in the Take 5 to Thrive archive.
• Don’t forget to complete BPHC’s 2023 DEIA Challenge — 10 activities that will increase your knowledge of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Contact Mackenzie Galloway with at least one activity you’ve completed to receive your BPHC DEIA Champion badge to add to your signature block.
• See the HRSA Office of Human Resource’s COVID-19 Vaccination Leave guidance.
• Review the recent HHS guidance on using leave to vote or volunteer in an election: Promoting Access to Voting (PDF). Also, review the Hatch Act Political Restrictions for Federal Employees.
• Request "use or lose" annual leave and have it approved by your supervisor by Friday, December 1. For more information, see the HRSA Broadcast message or contact BPHCTimeAttendance@hrsa.gov.

Mandatory trainings due soon!

HHS requires all employees to complete the following mandatory trainings. If you’re planning “Use or Lose” leave in December, consider taking these sooner than later:

• Records Management Training: Due by Friday, December 29. In addition to HHS employees, contractors must complete this training.
• Annual Ethics Training: Due by Sunday, December 31. HRSA federal staff who have not completed their training may have their network account/email locked on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.

You are automatically registered for both trainings. Please log in to the LMS to complete them as soon as possible.

Power platform group

Looking for help with M365 Power BI and Power Platforms? Join the Power BI and Power Platform user groups (click “Launch it now”) to access the collective knowledge of users across HRSA and NIH.