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DEPLOYMENT: MESSAGES FROM THE AO |
1/25/2008 - CMO Spotlight – Important 2008 Immunization and FOH Update
CMO Spotlight – Important 2008 Immunization and FOH Update
The process for immunizations and clinical services from Federal Occupational health (FOH) is under review. Until further notice, all services from FOH must be pre-approved.
For immunizations: utilize local sources such as your fulltime healthcare employer or health department following routine CDC-recommended immunizations for healthcare workers (HCW). Have the healthcare provider record all immunizations on your International Vaccine Card (Yellow Card). Self-maintain your Yellow Card and all other documentation of immunizations. Provide a copy (not original) of the Yellow Card to your team Administrative Officer.
NDMS will not be responsible for any cost incurred for receiving CDC recommended immunizations. Immunizations are the responsibility of the healthcare worker (HCW), and best received in the local community where your risks are greatest, and seasons and supplies are better known. The NDMS immunization program is voluntary, but full immunizations will determine priority for any ESF-8 deployment. Incomplete series (e.g., Hep B) can deploy to low-risk environments (e.g., no sewage or flood) with Office of the Chief Medical Officer approval.
NDMS Headquarters is developing a system for online self-reporting of immunizations. If the pilot is successful, individuals will be able to self-report immunizations and other aspects of the Occupational Health and Safety program.
1/14/2008 - ALL DMORT Training & NDMS Training Summit
To: All DMORT 7 members Date: 14 January, 2008
From: John E. Filippi, DDS (Training Officer) john F. Frasco, DDS (Admin Officer)
Subject: NDMS Training Summit and ALL DMORT Training
The NDMS Training Summit is scheduled for March 15-19, 2008 at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. From the preliminary information available, it appears to be a very well developed program with many sessions of significant importance to disaster response personnel. Unique to the Training Summit this year is the addition of the first ALL DMORT training. The ALL DMORT training will be held on the first two days of the NDMS Training Summit, March 15 – 16, 2008. The DMORT Training Steering Committee has assembled a remarkable program covering the NDMS/DMORT Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) adopted by HHS/ASPR. The SOP’s have been developed by NDMS/DMORT over the past several years with the assistance of DMORT members from around the Country and involving every team in the NDMS/DMORT system. The SOP’s have been approved by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Additionally, the NDMS/DMORT/DPMU, over the past three years, has been able to enhance and develop a highly sophisticated system of Information Technology (IT) specific to Morgue Operations and disaster management. The DPMU IT personnel with the assistance of the NDMS IT personnel have planned a hands-on training for all areas of Morgue Ops with a full DPMU Morgue set-up. All DMORT team members attending the DMORT training in Nashville WILL have the opportunity to work with the new IT systems.
Due to budgetary restraints, not all of the 1,400+ members of DMORT nationwide will have the opportunity to attend the ALL DMORT training at the NDMS Summit in Nashville. Since the Federal budget has recently been signed by the President, it should be released to us in the very near future. Once we have the team budget in hand, we will have a better understanding of how many team members will be able to attend the ALL DMORT training. Your four DMORT 7 Command staff are mandated to attend and will be traveling to Nashville for the ALL DMORT training and the NDMS Training Summit on non-Team funds. Members selected to attend the ALL DMORT training will be traveling to Nashville pursuant to the restraints of the team budget.
With the transition form DHS/FEMA to HHS has come some significant privileges as well as new, important responsibilities. The NDMS System Development Unit has directed that the funded NDMS members attending the ALL DMORT training and/or the NDMS Training Summit will accept the role of ‘Train-the-Trainer’. Attendance at the training is NOT a free ride to a tremendous location on Federal dollars, it IS an investment in the preparedness and operational readiness of the teams. If you are going to enter the lottery listed below, and are selected to attend the Summit, you must be willing to teach/present the information you learn and bring it back to the team for future regional training sessions. You must be willing to create power point presentation (30-45 minutes) and deliver it to the team at future training regarding what you learned at the Summit 2008. Please be advised that all Command staff members are required to meet the same obligation.
Funded members are required to attend ALL of the DMORT training sessions. Summit registration badge scanning will be made at the door to each venue with reports developed for the team Command staff. Failure to attend any required sessions could result in the individual withdrawal of funding for part or all of the DMORT training.
The DMORT 7 Command has decided to select the members attending the ALL DMORT training on March 15 – 16th by a modified lottery.
Since we do not know the final ramifications of the FY 08 team budget, selected members may be offered to travel in one of three categories:
• FULLY FUNDED – all travel, lodging, meals & incidentals (M &IE) plus salary
• PARTIALLY FUNDED – all travel, lodging and meals and incidentals (M&IE) only, NO SALARY
• USERRA only – no funding for travel, lodging, meals & incidentals), no salary
IN ORDER TO BE ENTERED INTO THE LOTTERY, YOU MUST COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION AND RETURN IT BY REPLY EMAIL (ONLY – NO FAX, NO SNAIL MAIL) BY 1700 HOURS (CDT) ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2008.
(YOU MAY SELECT ALL THAT APPLY TO YOU, IF YOU ONLY ONE OF THE FULLY FUNDED, PARTIALLY FUNDED OR USERRA ONLY AND THE MEMBERS ARE TRAVELING IN A DIFFERENT CATEGORY, YOUR BALLOT WILL BE EXCLUDED)
BALLOT
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SEE YOUR EMAIL FOR THE 'OFFICIAL BALLOT'
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The names of all members who have submitted a willingness to attend the ALL DMORT Training will be selected at random (yes, we will pull them out of a hat!). A ballot ‘received’ email will be sent to each entrant upon receipt of the ballot. Please do NOT write a litany of why you should be selected. Check off the responses on the ballot above that apply to you and send it in
Please understand:
The deadline for submission of the ballot is firm (COB Friday, January 18, 2008)
All members selected to travel to the ALL DMORT Training must travel in the same category (Fully funded, Partially funded, USERRA only). This is an NDMS rule, not a DMORT 7 rule – it is not negotiable.
Travel for the ALL DMORT training, if funded, will be air flight (arrival on 03/14/08 and departure on 03-17-08) from selected City-Pair airports only (unless use of POV can be substantiated as beneficial to the government). If salary is offered, it applies to actual training session attendance hours.
There is no salary for travel time.
Double occupancy lodging is required.
If you are selected and choose to remain in Nashville to attend the NDMS Training Summit (March 17 – 19, 2008, it is at YOUR OWN EXPENSE.
The use of ‘MAYBE’ as an answer to the above questions in not acceptable and the ballot will be rejected.
Once we have the final team budget and know how much money we can utilize for the ALL DMORT training attendance, the selected team members will be notified by email and additional information will be provided for travel and registration.
YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR BALLOT BY 1700 CDT ON 01-18-2008 TO John.Frasco@hhs.gov
IF YOU SEND YOUR BALLOT TO MY PRIVATE EMAIL, IT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
All DMORT members not selected to attend the ALL DMORT training are welcome to attend the ALL DMORT training and/or NDMS Training Summit at their own expense. If you choose to pursue this avenue, please send me an email for details on how to register for the Training &/or Summit. There is no Registration fee for NDMS members.
2008 NDMS Training Summit Web Site http://www.ndms.chepinc.org/
To allay the fears generated by some malicious rumors: Depending on how the FY08 team budget develops, there may be a regional team training later this Spring or Summer.
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12/3/2007 - US Bank – Online Access
Excerpts from the NDMS Weekly Update 2007-11-29 US Bank – Online Access for Cardholders All NDMS US Bank cardholders are encouraged to register with US Bank for online access to their account. Online access provides the ability to view statements and transactions as well as updating demographic information with the bank. Access the site via https://access.usbank.com/cpsApp1/index.jsp, choose Register Online. The Organization Short Name is “hhst” (no quotation marks). Online access does NOT allow the ability to make payments online at the present time.
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11/29/2007 - myPay
Excerpts from the NDMS Weekly Update 2007-11-29
Visit “MyPay” to Update/Review W-2 Information
All civilian HHS employees will automatically receive their Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, by mail in January 2008.
Please make any needed corrections to your address of record by December 14, 2007 using the myPay website (https://mypay.dfas.mil/mypay.aspx). To do so, login to myPay under "Pay Changes" and select the option "Correspondence Address." The Post Office will not forward W-2s.
If you prefer an electronic copy of your W-2, login to myPay under "Taxes," select the option "Turn on/off Hard Copy W-2," and follow the screen instructions. You will have the opportunity to print a W-2 from the myPay website beginning in January 2008. Both electronic and hard copies meet IRS requirements to attach to your tax return.
If you have any problems or questions, please contact the Payroll Services Division at 301-504-3301.
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11/29/2007 - Shephardson Award Nomination
Excerpts from the NDMS Weekly Update 2007-11-29
National Disaster Medical System
NDMS Weekly Update
29 November 2007
Thomas J. Shepardson Award Memorandum
November 23, 2007
MEMORANDUM
TO: All NDMS Employees
FROM: Jack W. Beall /s/
Director, National Disaster Medical System
SUBJECT: The Thomas J. Shepardson Award
In recognition of the founder of DMORT, the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) is planning to present the first annual “Thomas J. Shepardson Award” at the NDMS Training Summit in March 2008.
The selection criteria will not be based on team rank, number of deployments, popularity, or professional affiliations, but rather on the qualities Tom Shepardson possessed and brought to his tenure with NDMS, specifically leadership, vision, service, and commitment to stakeholders and those we serve as NDMS employees. All employees of NDMS have an opportunity to nominate personnel on their team who have demonstrated these traits. This award is a great inspiration for all and will serve to recognize those truly dedicated employees who time after time commit themselves to serving others.
To begin this initiative, I have asked the Management Working Group to select the members of the awards panel, including a group chairman, by January 31, 2008. This panel will receive nominations, which should include a written justification, from NDMS team personnel until February 15, 2008. The nominations will go through a comprehensive selection process, which will culminate in the presentation of the award at the NDMS Training Summit.
I ask for your support in this endeavor.
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