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NEWSLETTER

U.S. Public Health Service SUMMER 2017 Inside this Edition……………. .......... Page

EHO Promotions!............................ 1 EHOPAC Vice Chair Updates ............ 5 EHOPAC Ex-Officio Updates ............ 6 Behind the Scenes of the EHOPAC Newsletter ..................................... 8 PAC Subcommittee Highlights ......... 9 PAC Liaisons Highlights ................. 12 Using Social Media to provide information to EHOs ..................... 13 Highlights from the 2017 USPHS Symposium EHO Category Day ...... 15 Have an idea for our next EHO Newsletter? ................................. 18 EHOPAC Survey Results ................ 19 EHOs in Action: Remote Area Medical Event in Chattanooga, TN ............. 21 Soliciting for EHOs in Action! ........ 23 From Sanitarian to EHO: Category Name Evolution ............................ 24 EHO Officer Spotlight: A Week in the Office of the Surgeon General ....... 25 Awards Corner ............................. 26 The Story Behind the New EHO Category Coin ............................... 28 VA Guaranty Home Loans and the Home Buying Process ................... 30 EHOPAC Quarterly Meetings ......... 32 About this Edition ......................... 33 Get in Touch & Follow Us .............. 33

EHO Promotions!

By CDR Jill Shugart, EHOPAC Chair

Greetings EHOs,

I hope everyone’s summer is off to a great start! Bravo Zulu to all of the EHOs who were just promoted!

Captain (O-6)

Commander (O-5)

Lieutenant Commander (O-4)

Lisa J. Delaney

Timothy E. Jiggens

Bradley S. King

Christopher S. Lafferty

Stephen R. Piontkowski

Hristu B. Chepa

Christopher A. Fletcher

Eun G. Lee

Jason A. Lewis

Danielle S. Mills

Jessica L. Otto

Melva J. Palmer

Amanda M. Parris

Jessica E. Pharo

Racquel Y. Williams

Kyle K. Wright

Catherine C. Beaucham

William B. Burrows

Brian R. Czarnecki

Scott M. Daly

Christopher D. Dankmeyer

James D. Gooch

Jona M. Johnson

Dustin B. Joplin

Sarah A. Meehan

Brandon Parker

Timothy A. Shelhamer

Kimberly J. Smith

Please join me in congratulating these officers on a job well done! As you know, the promotion success rates were slightly lower this year.

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EHO Promotions! (continued)

For all categories except Medical and Dental categories and the Research Officer Group (ROG), the success rates were:

O-6: 18%

O-5: 25%

O-4: 67%

The EHOPAC has several resources available to you if you were not promoted, but more importantly, to help you become a successful EHO. Please check out the EHOPAC website at https://dcp.psc.gov/osg/eho for information on career development, such as the newly updated milestones document and most recent benchmarks and CV template; how to participate in the Recruit an EHO or (RAE) program where you can adopt-a-school or get recognized for recruiting at a local or national event; and learn the benefits of hiring a JRCOSTEP in order to sharpen your leadership and mentoring skills. I am also very excited to share that the EHOPAC Mentoring and Orientation Subcommittee will be rolling out the new EHO Mentoring program this summer. More details to come on the EHOPAC Listserv soon!

Finally, there are several ways to build and maintain your officership skills. Volunteering on the EHOPAC or becoming a voting member along with the activities above are only a few examples. Additional ideas are to join your state, regional or local section or chapter of the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), or Commissioned Officers Association (COA); or become an active member of the Junior Officer Advisory Group (JOAG) and there are many more possibilities available. I challenge you to find a new activity that inspires you!

It was wonderful to see many of you at COF this year! Wishing you a happy and safe summer!

V/r, CDR Shugart EHOPAC Chair

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Your 2017 EHOPAC Leadership

CDR Jill Shugart, CDC EHOPAC Chair

CDR Chris Van Twuyver, FDA EHOPAC, Vice Chair

CAPT Alan Parham, ATSDR Chief Professional Officer

CDR Jessica Otto, FDA

EHOPAC Secretary/Treasurer

LT Daniel Malashock, EPA EHOPAC Executive Committee Liaison

CDR Carolyn Oyster, USCG EHOPAC Ex-Officio

See EHOPAC Voting Members on the Next Page

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2017 EHOPAC Voting Members

CDR Luis Rodriguez, CDC Communications

LT Erin Kincaid, CDC Communications

CDR Monica Leonard, CDC Mentoring & Orientation

CDR Michael Quinn, DOI Mentoring & Orientation

CDR Darren Buchanan, IHS

Information Technology CDR Stephen Piontkowski, IHS

Career Development

CDR Jamie Mutter, CDC

Awards CDR Elena Vaouli, ATSDR Marketing & Recruitment

CDR Timothy Albright, FDA Marketing & Recruitment

LCDR Carla Tuite, FDA Career Development

LCDR Matthew Deptola, NIH

History

CDR Katie Hubbard, IHS

Policy & Standards

LCDR Daniel Adams, EPA

Readiness LCDR Travis Bowser, IHS

Training & Events

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EHOPAC Vice Chair Updates By CDR Chris van Twuyver, EHOPAC Vice Chair

Greetings EHOs,

In addition to serving as the EHOPAC Vice Chair, I am also serving as the Acting Chair of the Readiness Subcommittee. I am sharing the most recent EHO readiness projections and data available to date. Our current projected readiness percentage for EHOs is 68.90%, which places our readiness rank at 7th out of 11 categories.

Reasons officers are not meeting basic readiness: 76 officers were projected as “not qualified” due to missing a single readiness requirement. Missing APFT was the most frequent single reason for officers to be projected as “not qualified,” followed by missing or expired BLS. Missing immunizations ranked as the third most common single reason for officers to be projected as failing to meet basic readiness requirements. An additional 31 officers were found projected as “not qualified” due to missing multiple readiness requirements (APFT, BLS, immunizations, etc.).

Strategies to help maintain basic readiness status 1. Check your readiness status on a quarterly basis 2. Consider scheduling reminders to check your basic readiness in Outlook (or similar program) 3. Schedule physicals, BLS classes, and immunizations well in advance of when they are due

Resources for the maintaining Basic Readiness 1. Readiness Essentials: https://dcp.psc.gov/ccmis/ReDDOG/REDDOG_essentials_m.aspx 2. Readiness Down to Basics document: https://dcp.psc.gov/CCMIS/RedDOG/Forms/Basic_Readiness_Checklist.pdf 3. APFT Instructions: https://dcp.psc.gov/CCMIS/PDF_docs/PHS%20APFT%20Procedures%20&%20Instructions.pdf 4. APFT Questions: https://dcp.psc.gov/CCMIS/RedDOG/REDDOG_APFT_frequently_asked_questions_m.aspx

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EHOPAC Ex-Officio Updates By CDR Carolyn Oyster, EHOPAC Ex-Officio

Happy Summer, EHOs!

In this edition I want to discuss medical records and the criticality of submitting medical conditions to the Medical Affairs Branch (MAB). During our Summer EHOPAC Meeting (13June2017) I discussed the need for EHOs to submit 1 year (PHS form 2807-1) and 5 year (PHS form 2808) medical reports to MAB. I also reminded officers to submit copies of any new medical or mental health diagnoses they receive over the years they are commissioned. I will call this packet you submit to MAB your Official Medical Record (OMR). An officer’s OMR documents and describes what has happened to us, medically/mentally, over the course of our service careers. MAB recommends all officers submit yearly PHS form 2807-1 or if any new conditions develop.

For example, if an officer has ankle surgery, he/she will need to submit to MAB copies of the medical records relating to the surgery, outcome of surgery and most likely outcome of post-surgery Physical Therapy on a PHS form 2807-1. A quick review of the MAB website, https://dcp.psc.gov/ccmis/DCCPR_medical_affairs_m.aspx, explains what medical functions MAB must perform for PHS officers. To highlight, MAB must maintain each officer’s actual OMR to determine medical readiness and fitness for duty. MAB also must provide the VA information relating to PHS officers. What this means: MAB will submit to the VA each officer’s OMR and the VA will use THIS file to determine a disability rating. A disability will not be determined by your records, but by what MAB has documented as your medical/mental health conditions. Supplemental documents may always be included based on your personal records, but if you have not declared a condition to MAB, there is no guarantee the condition will be used by the VA to determine disability percentages.

Because of this, I continually recommend EHOs submit a yearly PHS form 2807-1 to MAB. Should you have additional questions regarding what medical/mental health conditions to submit, please contact MAB directly. If you have questions for the EHOPAC on this subject, that do not include discussion of personal medical diagnoses, please submit questions to our anonymous Q&A website at: https://goo.gl/Igy9TD and we will answer them at our Fall EHOPAC meeting.

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One final item regarding readiness and fitness for duty: MAB is working out the best way to determine both of these items for PHS officers. As mentioned during the 2017 Symposium, MAB plans to begin enforcing height and weight standards in the fall of 2018. Therefore, height and weight standards may soon be reported on annual APFTs and will most likely require verification by a medical provider or clinic.

Submit to MAB Annually Submit to MAB every 5 Years

PHS form 2807-1 PHS form 2808 PHS Form 6355

Before you submit medical conditions to MAB, I recommend you verify what they have already documented within your OMR. You can easily do this by contacting MAB and signing a MAB Medical Release Form. On this form, select the option for MAB to release a copy of your “entire record.” Double check all the information MAB has on file for you is accurate, and then fill in the gaps. Please remember, medical records maintained at Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) do not go to MAB. You will need to acquire copies and submit paperwork to MAB. To make this process easy, MTFs provide a service where officers can request a hard copy of all records within their MTF system (Army, Navy and Air Force). You will need to speak to the records department at your local MTF to learn the process to request a copy of those records.

Finally, it is a good practice to have a backup copy of all your medical records. I always instruct officers to scan medical records to PDF and save on a disk or to an external hard drive. Please note, MAB has a goal to create a secure portal site to allow officers to scan and upload all medical records. Please be looking for this in the future to aid in medical document upload.

In the meantime, all medical examination forms must be MAILED or HAND-DELIVERED to MAB. DO NOT FAX completed forms. While it is not required, the EHOPAC recommends officers send medical records to MAB via certified or registered mail for self-assurance and record keeping.

Please mail your medical records to:

U.S. Public Health Service DCCPR/Medical Affairs Plaza Level, Suite 100 1101 Wootton Parkway Rockville, MD 20852

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Behind the Scenes of the EHOPAC Newsletter By LCDR Jonathan Blonk, EHOPAC Publications Team Lead

Greetings! As the new Lead Editor for the publications team, I would like to let you know a little bit about the group, and what goes into putting this newsletter together. While the newsletters may look simple and effortless, a complicated system of organization is needed to track all of the updates and submissions that go into this publication.

We are also lucky this year to have a new publications team which consists of three groups. The Logistics Support Group interfaces with the EHOPAC subcommittees and liaisons to get updates, information, and ideas for stories and articles. The Writing Support Group is responsible for editing and polishing submitted materials as well as writing and developing stories from ideas submitted to the newsletter. And lastly, our Visual Support Group is responsible for assembling all of the text, charts, graphs, and photos into the beautiful layout you enjoy every quarter.

The previous five newsletters incorporated two special articles in addition to the updates provided by PAC leadership, subcommittees, and liaisons. In this edition, we are excited to expand the publication to 33 pages and share with you nine (9!) interesting articles on a wide variety of EHOPAC activities. We hope you enjoy this issue and that it will inspire you to contribute an article, idea or experience of your own to the next newsletter. For officers who would like any assistance in writing an article, we have a dedicated writing support group that is here to assist with that task. Our goal is that more of your inspiring stories and ideas can be shared. Please contact me at jonathan_blonk@nps.gov if you are interested.

If you enjoy reading this newsletter, but are worried you may be missing out on important updates between their quarterly publishing, we encourage you to check out our friends at the COMMS Social Media Team. They are responsible for regularly updating the Open and Closed EHO Facebook pages with a wide array of timely information and current events relating to EHOs. What are the Open and Closed EHO Facebook pages you ask? Check out page 13 of this newsletter for more information!

YOUR EHOPAC

PUBLICATIONS TEAM

LCDR Jonathan Blonk, NPS Team Lead

CDR Bryan Christensen, CDC

Writing Support

LCDR Kazu Okumura, FDA

Logistics Support

CDR Keith Schwartz, HRSA

Visual Support

CDR Melva Palmer, FDA Writing Support

CDR Racquel Williams, CDC

Logistics Support

LCDR William Bird, FOH

Visual Support

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PAC Subcommittee Highlights

Marketing & Recruitment General Duty Updates – From the July 2016 EHO Open Period, 54 viable applicants were identified. As of May 2017, 29 boarded EHO applicants are in need of securing their first duty assignment and 13 have been hired. If you are a hiring official and would like more information about these officers seeking assignments, please contact AAP’s CO-Chair LT Bradley Benasutti at Bradley.benasutti@fda.hhs.gov.

APPLICANT

UPDATES

AS OF May

2017

54

EHO Applicants

Successfully Boarded

13

Have Secured

Federal Positions

29

Are in Need of

Securing a Billet

Recent policy updates from DCCPR indicate that:

• Incomplete general duty applications will no longer be accepted and will be returned automatically. Affected applicants will be able to apply again in the future.

• Applicants will no longer be able to appeal medical determinations.

2017 JRCOSTEP Updates – The 2017 JRCOSTEP season is in full swing! Nineteen JRCOSTEP have reported to their duty stations. IHS has the most JRCOSTEPs, at sixteen. The CDC has two and the FDA has one. An email was sent out to all JRCOSTEP Preceptors reminding them to collect the JRCOSTEP Narrative before the JRCOSTEP leaves their duty station.

Summer 2017

JRCOSTEPs

19

IHS

16

CDC

2

FDA

1

Recent policy updates from DCCPR indicate that JRCOSTEPs will have to complete mandatory requirements as part of their program, including online training and an unscored APFT.

Seeking 4 Adopt-a-School Representatives – We are currently seeking four (4) EHOs to serve as Adopt-a-School Representatives at the following schools:

• Dickinson State University

• Mississippi Valley State University

• Texas Southern University

• University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

If you would like to volunteer or have further questions, please contact LCDR Don Hoeschele at d_hoeschele@nps.gov.

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PAC Subcommittee Highlights (Continued)

Awards & Recognition

Officers who received awards in the last quarter outside of the Commissioned Corps are showcased on page 26. If you (or a fellow EHO) have received an award (outside of EHOPAC awards and Commissioned Corps awards) in the previous quarter that you would like to see featured in the next EHOPAC newsletter, please send the following information to the Awards & Recognition Subcommittee Chair, CDR Jamie Mutter, at zwy4@cdc.gov.

Mentoring & Orientation

EHO Mentoring Session at the USPHS Symposium – The EHO Mentoring Session held during the USPHS Symposium in Chattanooga was a resounding success! A total of nine junior officers were paired with senior officer mentors during the event. Thank you to all who participated and to the conference organizers for supporting this valuable session.

EHO Mentoring Program – The EHO Mentoring Program will be re-launching in July. Please be on the lookout for upcoming announcements and sign up details. The formal mentoring program seeks to pair senior officers with junior officers who are seeking professional guidance and career advice. Junior and senior officers are highly encouraged to participate.

Policies and Standards

In recent months, the highest priority for the Policies and Standards Subcommittee has been managing the Environmental Health Officer (EHO) application and appointment process. We have kept in close contact with DCCPR during the EHO open application window as they’ve conducted preliminary screening for eligibility of interested applicants. The EHO open application window closed on June 15th. We have received 35 applicant packets of CVs and personal statements for review. Policies and Standards Subcommittee members have conducted a preliminary review of the packets to ensure they meet eligibility based on our appointment standards. We are now convening a panel of senior EHO officers to review and score the applicants.

Another project our subcommittee has been actively engaged in, in partnership with the EHOPAC Ex-Officio Chair CDR Carrie Oyster, is updating the EHOPAC Bylaws to ensure they are a true reference and guidance document for the day-to-day operations of the EHOPAC.

Career Development/Training & Events

The Career Development (CD) Subcommittee worked with the Training and Events Subcommittee as well as the Mentoring and Orientation Subcommittee to manage the one on one mentoring sessions with senior officers at this year’s symposium. We were thrilled to have had nine EHOs take advantage of this opportunity and are grateful to the eight senior officers who participated as mentors. The CD Subcommittee is actively working on revisions to the CV template and CV cover sheet template and guide. We are also working on putting together some resources and a template for the Officer’s Statement and Reviewing Official’s Statement. Finally, we have completed the career progression milestones and revised the CD section of the EHOPAC bylaws.

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PAC Subcommittee Highlights (Continued)

Career Development/Training & Events The Career Development (CD) Subcommittee worked with the Training and Events Subcommittee as well as the Mentoring and Orientation Subcommittee to manage the one on one mentoring sessions with senior officers at this year’s symposium. We were thrilled to have had nine EHOs take advantage of this opportunity and are grateful to the eight senior officers who participated as mentors. The CD Subcommittee is actively working on revisions to the CV template and CV cover sheet template and guide. We are also working on putting together some resources and a template for the Officer’s Statement and Reviewing Official’s Statement. Finally, we have completed the career progression milestones and revised the CD section of the EHOPAC bylaws.

Communications

EHOPAC Communications Survey – Results from the EHOPAC Communications Survey were presented to EHOPAC Voting Members in April and during the Summer EHOPAC Meeting in June. For more information about the results, please check out page 19. Special thanks to our Planning Team for all their hard work!

Connect On Facebook! – Stay on top of all things EHO by checking out our EHO Closed Facebook Group page! To join, please visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/101483319904462/, log in, and click the green “Join Group” button. Also check out the EHOPAC Open Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/US-Public-Health-Service-Environmental-Health-Officers-180811921960576/. Our Social Media Team works hard to grow our online presence and is always looking for content to post!

EHOPAC Newsletter – Our Publications Team has been extremely busy putting together this newsletter! To learn more about what goes on behind the scenes of the EHOPAC Newsletter, check out the article on page 8.

Purchase a New EHO Category Coin! The EHOPAC is selling the NEW category coins for $10. If you would like the coin mailed to you, there will be an additional $4 shipping cost.

The coin features the EHO logo (as shown on the right) on one side and the Seal of the U.S. Commissioned Corps on the other. Anyone interested in purchasing coins should use the fillable and mail-able PDF form available via the link below:

https://dcp.psc.gov/osg/eho/documents/EHOPAC_Coin_Order_Form_2017.pdf

If you have questions you can contact LCDR Jessica Otto at usphsehopac@gmail.com or 240-402-1876.

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PAC Liaisons HighlightsCommissioned Corps Women’s Issues Advisory Board (CCWIAB)

Submitted by CDR Monica Leonard

The Commissioned Corps Women’s Issues Advisory Board (CCWIAB) was founded in 2011 under former Surgeon General VADM Regina Benjamin and supports the 2009 Executive Order establishing the White House Council on Women and Girls. Members are appointed by the Surgeon General, including appointment of a Flag officer as chairperson. To ensure multiple viewpoints, an officer from the Medical, Dental, Engineering, and Environmental Health categories sits on the board at all times.

Members meet on several subcommittees including pregnancy, violence prevention, outreach, recruitment, and membership. Issues currently under review include:

• Deployment challenges

• Pregnancy related issues

• Domestic violence prevention and treatment

Our next CCWIAB meeting will occur on Tuesday, July 25th. Please see below for a link to our current publications and feel free to contact CDR Monica Leonard: zgf7@cdc.gov if there are questions.

Additional information can be found at: https://dcp.psc.gov/osg/ccwiab/ccwiabresources.aspx

Junior Officers Advisory Board (JOAG) Submitted by LCDR Katie Bante

The Junior Officer Advisory Group (JOAG) is dedicated to the Junior Officers of the United States Public Health Service. Any junior officer at the rank of LCDR/O4 and below who participates in the JOAG meetings and serves on one of JOAG's committees or workgroups is considered an active participant of the JOAG. There is no formal process for becoming a general member. If you are interested in leadership opportunities in JOAG please visit the website: https://dcp.psc.gov/osg/JOAG/default.aspx

The next JOAG General Meeting is on August 11th from 1300-1400 EDT. The call in number is 641-715-3580, and the passcode is 131583. The agenda will be distributed through the JOAG listserv, and the featured "JO Voice" topic during the meeting will be Promotions.

Additional Information can be found at: https://dcp.psc.gov/osg/JOAG/meetings.aspx

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Using Social Media to provide information to EHOs An Interview with LT Tyler White, by LCDR Jonathan Blonk

LT Tyler White is an Environmental Health Officer stationed with the Coast Guard. When he is not providing safety and environmental expertise, he serves as the Team Lead for the Social Media Group of the EHOPAC Communications Subcommittee. LCDR Jonathan Blonk sat down to interview LT White and learn more about the Social Media Team.

What does the Social Media Team do?

“The Social Media Team is made up of LT Catherine Beaucham, LT Erin Kincaid, LCDR Kristen Szenderski and myself. Together we manage two social media avenues for the EHOPAC: the closed Facebook Group and the Open Facebook Page. They are great ways to reach out to both current officers and the public with news from the PAC and information relevant to EHOs. Our main goal is to provide fresh updates as they develop, for more timely communication than other publications.”

Pictured on the right, the USPHS EHO “Open” Facebook page

How are the Facebook pages different?

“The Closed Facebook Group is intended for current or former EHOs to share internal category information. This platform provides the PAC another means of reaching officers with relevant and important information. As designed, membership is for current and former EHOs only and requires approval – so don’t be alarmed if you get a message from one of our team when you request to join the group! Examples of content include: listserv communications, sharing experiences of EHOs in action, questions posted by fellow EHOs, action items needed for EHOs, etc.

The Open Facebook Page is outward facing, designed to reach prospective EHOs and external stakeholders. Anyone can “like” and follow the page, no membership is required. Examples of content include: category opening announcements, recruitment information, shares from federal agencies that highlight accomplishments/news relevant to EHOs, etc.”

How do you receive the information which gets posted on both sites?

“We receive most of our post information from the EHOPAC leadership and subcommittees. When relevant, we try to share important communication from the EHOPAC listserv to help ensure EHOs get the information they need. We also take interesting and important posts from federal agencies in which EHOs work and share them on our pages. Especially for the open page, this helps highlight some of the exciting things EHOs do every day.”

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Using Social Media to provide information to EHOs (Continued)

“Any EHO can submit a post, and it will automatically notify our team so we can review the post for approval. We have some federal restrictions and guidelines we have to follow, so EHOs shouldn’t be discouraged if their post is edited or deleted. In order to post information to the Closed Facebook page, the officer has to join the group. For either platform, please feel free to send the information straight to us for a post, event, picture, or poll. We are especially interested in posting more pictures of EHOs in action!”

Are There Any Other Social Media Platforms for the EHOPAC?

“The EHOPAC did have LinkedIn and Google+ accounts. Neither platform received very much traction. The social media team is absolutely open to expanding into other media forms, and will be revisiting this thought at the beginning of the next year. However, for now we are sticking with the two Facebook pages to ensure we maximize those efforts before pursuing additional accounts.”

What Are the Future Goals for the Social Media Team?

“I’d say there are two focus areas for our team in the coming year. First, we want to help other EHOPAC subcommittees share their messages and accomplishments via social media. We have received some good post suggestions relating to marketing, recruitment, athletics, etc. The more we can get the word out to EHOs and external stakeholders about EHOPAC initiatives, the better! Second, we want to improve our tracking mechanisms to show the impact of social media communications. Facebook offers some great tools for metrics, and we are refining quarterly reports to PAC leadership about results, accomplishments, and opportunities for the future. We always welcome input. If you have idea you would like to see on our social media pages, please send your suggestions to our team!”

Pictured above, the EHO “Closed” Facebook page, available only to EHO Officers.

Signup to be a member of the Closed Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/101483319904462

The Open Facebook page can be viewed at: https://www.facebook.com/US-Public-Health-Service-Environmental-Health-Officers-180811921960576

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Highlights from the 2017 USPHS Symposium EHO Category Day Submitted by: CDR Eva McLanahan, LCDR Beth Wittry, LT James Gooch, and LT Ronan King

Chattanooga was an idyllic location for the 2017 USPHS Scientific and Training Symposium. It was a scenic town, adjacent to the Tennessee River and surrounded by mountains, and walkable to all the parks, restaurants, and attractions.

EHO activities kicked off on Tuesday afternoon, with a successful EHO mentoring event. This event provided EHOs the opportunity to have their CV and files reviewed, as well as guidance for career progression. The EHO Social was held later that night at the Chattanooga Brewing Company. At least 40 people attended the social and intermingled with fellow officers. The EHO Category Day was exceptional with more than 50 environmental health professionals from across the country in attendance.

Pictured above, CDR Carrie Oyster presented CAPT Parham with a USCG floatation device.

The morning started with updates from the EHO Chief Professional Officer (CPO) CAPT Alan Parham, and EHOPAC Chair, CDR Jill Shugart. Afterwards, CDR Carrie Oyster (Ex-Officio Chair) presented CAPT Parham with a USCG life ring to thank him for all his hard work and dedication as CPO. All EHOPAC voting members who served with him during his 4-year tenure as CPO signed the life ring.

Many thanks to CDR Jessica Otto for transcribing electronic signatures to marine-grade vinyl stickers to place on the ring. The inscription on the life ring reads: “CAPT Alan Parham, Chief Professional Officer, Environmental Health. Keeping EHOs Afloat Since 2013.”

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Pictured above, EHO Mentoring Session Above, CAPT Charles Otto sharing wisdom and lessons learned during his 30-year career.

The keynote speaker, Dr. David Dyjack, was phenomenal as he discussed his role as NEHA President, and the work he has done on behalf of environmental health professionals. His presentation resonated with many officers, as he explained many challenges regarding environmental health perceptions and delivered advice about communication within communities and partnerships with other health fields.

Above, four EHO CPOs: CAPT Michael Welch, CAPT Craig Shepherd, RADM John G. Todd, and CAPT Alan Parham.

Above, RADM John G. Todd presents CAPT Michael Welch special gift as 2017 Todd Award winner.

The speaker line-up for the rest of the day was impressive, as EHOs informed the audience about various career fields and assignments and the environmental health impacts. During lunch, a panel with EHOs involved in the Flint response spoke about their roles and experiences. EHOs conveyed the public health issues of the Flint crisis and the interventions conducted by CDC.

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Highlights from the 2017 USPHS Symposium EHO Category Day (continued)

CAPT Parham presented the 2017 EHOPAC Awards to award recipients to recognize officers’ hard work and perseverance. The awardees were: CDR Michael Quinn for the Edward Moran Award, LT Tyler White for the John C. Eason Award, CDR Martin Smith for the Thomas E. Crow Mentor Award, and CDR Joe Laco for the Responder of the Year Award. RADM (ret.) Todd made a special appearance and presented the RADM John G. Todd Award to CAPT Michael Welch.

Pictured above, EHO Category Day attendees with Acting Surgeon General, RADM Sylvia Trent-Adams and Director of DCCPR, RADM Joan Hunter.

The day ended with an address from CAPT Charles Otto imparting his 30-year experience with the USPHS. He shared his lessons learned during his career and advised EHOs to: choose great bosses, to grow where you walk, leave a legacy for those that follow, and have fun in the journey.

Stay tuned for the dates of the 2018 USPHS Scientific and Training Symposium which will be held in Dallas, TX. Yee-haw!!!

Additional EHO Symposium photos can be viewed at: https://goo.gl/photos/Pqxwa7QrVEcqytWj9

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Have an idea for our

next EHO Newsletter?

For questions or to send in ideas, please contact

LCDR Jonathan Blonk at Jonathan_blonk@nps.gov

Articles

●

Discussion Topics ●

Examples of EHOs

in Action ●

Retirement Wishes ●

Other Informational Material

Submissions must be

Relevant to the EHO

Officers, Professional in

Nature, Demonstrate EHO

Work in the Field, or Seek to

Improve Knowledge of a

Relevant Topic or Opportunity

Disclaimer

All ideas will be reviewed and carefully considered, however this solicitation

should not be considered as an agreement or guarantee that your material will be

selected for publishing in the newsletter.

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EHOPAC Survey Results By CDR Melva Palmer and LCDR Dana Robison

The EHOPAC Communications Subcommittee conducted a survey of Environmental Health Officers (EHO) in 2016 to identify communication gaps and opportunities within the PAC. The goals of the survey were to determine how the EHOPAC can improve communication; how easy EHOs find it to find PAC-related information; the type of information that EHOs regularly want or need; the communication channels that EHOs rely on, and to receive feedback from EHOs on the format and content of the new website, the open PAC meeting, the quarterly newsletter. The survey results were used to develop recommendations for how the EHOPAC can improve and enhance communications.

The 28-question survey was open for four weeks and had a 43% (n=147) response rate. The high response rate for the survey was partly due to leaving the survey open for four weeks and sending several targeted email reminders. Mid-career officers, O-3s, and O-4s had a higher survey response rate than O-2s.

Over 80% of EHOs initially heard about the USPHS at their respective

universities or colleges.

Figure above: Survey response rate by rank.

EHOPAC Category Communications

A majority of respondents rated EHOPAC communication as good or very good. Respondents requested that the PAC increase deployment-related communications. Although officers receive EHO-related information from a variety of sources, the majority of survey respondents (95%) receive their information through the EHOPAC email listserv. A large majority of those surveyed requested the PAC to develop a Google Calendar to assist with training, continuing education opportunities, meetings, and deadline reminders.

Figure on the right: Responses to how well the EHOPAC communicates information

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EHOPAC Survey Results (Continued)

EHOPAC Website

The majority of officers responded that they are aware of all sections of the website and find them helpful or very helpful, but 38% of officers were still unaware of the new EHOPAC website. Though resources on the website were viewed favorably by a majority of EHOs, several suggestions were received for how they could be improved. EHOs submitted the following suggestions for additional website content: • expand training and continuing education information; • deployment opportunities and status of current deployments; • expand promotion materials (e.g., sample CVs): • promotion board feedback; • EHO job vacancy listings and information for new applicants: • award examples and guidance.

Open PAC Meetings

Over a third of all officers attended all or part of the September 2016 Open PAC Meeting, but a number of officers indicated that they were unable or unwilling to attend the Open PAC Meetings. A small number of officers indicated that the topics and content of the Open PAC Meeting were not worth their time, but the majority of officers said they did not attend due to work commitments or a large volume of agency-related commitments. Distributing meeting notes after the meeting allows officers with other commitments to quickly scan meeting notes and stay engaged on PAC issues.

Quarterly Newsletter

Eighty-one percent of the EHOs surveyed think the newsletter is a useful approach for communicating information to officers in the field. The high proportion of officers that were familiar with the publication may indicate that the methods of distribution (i.e., EHOPAC Listserv and Facebook) have generally been very effective.

Respondents indicated that the EHOPAC Newsletter is a consistent form of communication, especially considering that the website has historically experienced many issues. Overall, officers appreciate and approve of the EHOPAC’s newly implemented improvements in communications. While several officers cited time constraints to reading the newsletter, the remaining officers overwhelmingly praised its utility and their desire to read it.

Officers were eager to provide ideas for how the EHOPAC can expand the scope of the newsletter to better provide them with relevant information and resources. The EHOPAC Publications team has begun to incorporate ideas proposed by survey respondents. This will significantly expand the scope of the newsletter and increase its value to the category.

Next Steps

The EHOPAC Communications Survey resulted in helpful feedback and suggestions for the EHOPAC. In general, feedback was very positive and officers are happy with the leadership’s efforts to improve communications. Improvements to communication include the development of a Google Calendar and expanded outreach to junior officers. The PAC will continue to use the EHOPAC listserv as a primary source of information and continue to focus recruitment and promotion efforts at universities and colleges as well as continuing providing information through the EHOPAC Newsletter.

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EHOs in Action: Remote Area Medical Event in Chattanooga, TN Submitted by: CAPT Holly Williams, CDR Eva McLanahan, and LT Sarah Meehan

In late 2016, the USPHS Commissioned Corps and Remote Area Medical (RAM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to share resources and information, as well as provide direct clinical care. With this partnership at RAM events we are able to provide free medical, dental, and vision care to any individual in need on a first come, first served basis. This MOU will also provide an opportunity for more Corps officers to receive training in a field environment.

Pictured above: RAM Dental Station set up in Red Bank High School’s gymnasium

One hundred fifteen USPHS Commissioned Corps officers, including six Environmental Heath Officers (EHOs), participated in the first RAM event under this MOU June 3-4, 2017 at Red Bank High School in Chattanooga, TN. The six EHOs were as follows: CDR Eva McLanahan, LCDR Daveta Bailey, LCDR Andrew Kupper, LCDR Martin Stephens, LT Sarah Meehan and LT Joel Merriman. Officers worked with 64 RAM volunteers to provide 641 patients from eight states care over the two-day clinic period. Of these 641 patients, 410 received dental care, 127 medical care, and 260 vision evaluations.

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EHOs in Action: Remote Area Medical Event in Chattanooga (Continued)

EHOs supported the RAM mission in various roles that were critical to making the event a success. CDR McLanahan and LT Merriman served on the planning committee, which worked for months prior to the event. In addition, CDR McLanahan and LT Merriman represented EHOs well in leadership positions: CDR McLanahan was the Public Information Officer and was responsible for all media inquiries, worked with media onsite, and escorted high level visitors through the clinic. LT Merriman functioned as the Day Safety Team Lead. In this role, he developed the Health and Safety Plan for the entire operation. LCDR Bailey led the Preventive Medicine Branch, which included fellow EHOs LCDR Martin Stephens and LT Sarah Meehan.

The Preventive Medicine Branch worked with the Safety Team to monitor proper application of infection control protocols and food safety, as well as making sure that all officers and RAM volunteers were kept caffeinated and hydrated through the long 12-hour work day. LCDR Andrew Kupper worked collaboratively as part of the Safety Team to keep the event safe through continuous surveillance and monitoring of the event, crowd control and offering patients assistance with things such as where to find gas or food. As always, EHOs remained flexible in their duties during this deployment. According to LT Merriman, LCDR Kupper “volunteered without hesitation in a time of need” to remove dental waste as part of the “slop” team.

The event was highly successful and RAM was pleased with the work completed by our officers. Officers volunteered their time and provided their own transportation to the event – even from places as far away as Alaska and Hawaii. There will be additional RAM volunteer opportunities for EHOs in the future, so be sure to keep an eye out for ways you can participate and get involved!

Pictured above; Top Row: LCDR Martin Stephens (Prev Med), LT Joel Merriman (Safety), LCDR Andrew Kupper (Safety); Middle Row: LT Sarah

Meehan (Prev Med), CDR Eva McLanahan (Public Information), LCDR Daveta Bailey (Prev Med); Bottom Row: Acting Surgeon General RADM

Sylvia Trent-Adams, Division of Commissioned Corps Personnel and Readiness Director, RADM Joan Hunter.

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Soliciting for EHOs in Action!

Want to be featured in the next EHOPAC Newsletter?

Help us to get to know you better and appreciate your hard work! We are soliciting for EHOs to share their experiences and memorable moments in the field or recent deployments, as well as other opportunities they have had to apply their environmental health skills. If you are interested in being featured in the next EHOPAC Newsletter please contact us for more information.

Email Jonathan_blonk@nps.gov for more information!

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From Sanitarian to EHO: Category Name Evolution By CDR Victoria Murray, LCDR Matthew Deptola, and CDR Bryan Christensen

In 1948, the Environmental Health Officer Category was established in the US Public Health Service (USPHS). However, it was first introduced as the Sanitarian Category. The “sanitarian” name held up until October 1, 1999. Upon its inception, our Sanitarian Category included officers that were non-sanitarians, but those officers were removed in 1952. President Lyndon Johnson ordered a reorganization of the USPHS in 1967, which in turn created the Sanitarian Career Service Board in 1968. The Sanitarian Career Service Board became known as the Sanitarian Career Development Committee, and was referred to as the Sanitarian Professional Advisory Committee (SPAC).

As early as 1968, category name changes were suggested to represent a broader number of environmental health professionals. The early proposals for the new category to be called “Environmental Health Specialists” faced significant resistance from the SPAC. The SPAC continued to function until October 1, 1999 when the Sanitarian Category converted to Environmental Health Officer Category. Also at this time, the SPAC changed to the Environmental Health Officer Professional Advisory Committee (EHOPAC). According to PAC meeting minutes from 1998 and 1999, the category began a restructuring initiative, and the category name change proposal was a section of a greater platform to significantly revise the entire promotion regulation. CAPT Thomas E. Crow (SPAC Chair and 6th Chief Sanitarian Officer) reported that the proposal to officially change the name of the Category to Environmental Health Officer moved forward as part of a bigger compendium to adjust the Departmental Operating Memoranda.

The name change ruling would need to wait for the resolution of the other outstanding issues. A request was made in order to address the name change separately. However, per legal counsel with the Office of the Surgeon General, the proposal for the category name change could not be detached from the larger proposal of changes in an attempt to expedite the process. Category leadership viewed the new proposal as a means to restructure the category. The proposed category name change was then considered a positive step to move the category in line with current and future professional needs while addressing changes to the category’s identity. The category name change became effective October 1, 1999, under a revision to Instruction 1, Regulation CC43.0, "Titles" of the Commissioned Corps Personnel Manual.

At the time of the name change in 1999, there were 352 active duty officers in our category, serving in the following agencies: AHRQ, ATSDR, CDC, EPA, FDA, IHS, HRSA, NIH, OS, PSC, and SAMHSA. As of May 2017, the EHO Category has 350 officers serving at the following sixteen agencies:

ACF ATSDR BOP CDC CMS DHS DOD EPA FDA HRSA IHS DOI NIH OS PSC USDA

1 18 2 76 2 16 2 11 97 4 85 12 9 9 5 1

Considering that EHOs work broadly across environmental health fields, including industrial hygiene, epidemiological surveillance, disease prevention, radiological health, food safety, infection control, injury prevention and education, and emergency preparedness, the category name change was essential to the evolution of the EHO Category and the field of environmental health.

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EHO Officer Spotlight: A Week in the Office of the Surgeon General Contributed by LCDR Katie Bante

LCDR Katie L. Bante, a JOAG voting member, received an exciting opportunity to spend one week with the Office of Surgeon General (OSG) and a visit to the Division of Commissioned Corps Personnel and Readiness (DCCPR).

Photographed above, LCDR Katie Bante with former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy

A Unique Perspective into Daily Operations In a climate where priorities are dynamic and consistently shifting, LCDR Bante observed how much OSG and DCCPR accomplish in order to keep Commissioned Corps going. During her week-long tour, LCDR Bante’s agenda included an in-depth overview of the daily activities of OSG, highlighting how critical PHS officers are in meeting public health needs where she is stationed in Alaska, and following up directly with OSG and DCCPR staff on specific questions she had received about promotions, readiness, uniforms, and more.

Lessons Learned LCDR Bante learned that the OSG office runs on a very tight budget. In fact, it doesn’t have its own budget and instead receives around $2 million in funds annually from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. DCCPR functions are funded through Health and Human Services Service and Supply Fund. She also learned that all documents (i.e., policies, memos, medical requirements, etc.) requiring the Surgeon General’s signature are routed through the OSG Operations Director. Everything the office receives must be logged and responded to, including congressional requests, equal opportunity act complaints, mail/email, Freedom of Information Act requests and more. However, all of this must be put on hold if leadership has a request.

Highlights of Her Experience Two highlights of LCDR Bante’s experience included attending the Surgeon General’s weekly all-hands meeting and having an opportunity to fully appreciate first-hand all of the work it takes to keep the Commissioned Corps running.

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Awards Corner

Many of our Environmental Health Officers receive recognition from professional organizations, agencies,

and other entities for their outstanding work in the field of environmental health. The following officers

received awards in the previous year and represented our category with pride and distinction.

CDR Michael Quinn National Park Service, Branch Chief - Occupational Safety and Health, Office of Risk Management, Washington, DC

CDR Quinn was recognized by the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) for co-producing a series of instructional videos for use by National Park Service (NPS) employees assigned to Serious Accident Investigation (SAI) teams. The video series received First Place in the Internal Communication category during the 2017 NAGC Blue Pencil and Gold Screen Awards. The videos are a joint project developed by the Office of Risk Management and NPS Harpers Ferry Center. CDR Quinn serves as lead instructor and program manager for the SAI program. The videos can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6W0MmLd6Ok&list=PLjAAJrzzSRMIZAysXF__FtDUwrNVM8KJT

Pictured above, video screenshot title screen for the instructional videos created by CDR

Michael Quinn.

LCDR Kazu Okumura, FDA International Policy Analyst, College Park, MD and CDR Matthew Walburger, FDA Supervisory Consumer Safety Officer, Fresno, CA

These two officers were awarded an FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs Honor Award for their work on the Taiwan Dairy Audit Team. The award was for work done to negotiate, plan, and execute an audit requested by the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration to study the U.S. Dairy safety system and compare it with the Taiwan Dairy safety system. This collaboration was a prime example of “International Capacity Building” as mandated under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This was accomplished through enhancing partnerships with other Federal and State Agencies and the foreign government of Taiwan. Training foreign governments on U.S. requirements of safe food is one of the six elements Congress identified in Section 305 of the Act which is included in FDA’s International Food Safety Capacity-Building Plan. This audit also served as a training for the Taiwan food safety officials.

LCDR Candis M. Hunter CDC/NCEH, Environmental Health Scientist, Atlanta, GA

Young Government Leaders, Atlanta Chapter Young Gov40 Award was presented to aspiring government leaders under the age of 40 who demonstrate the values of public service. The award was presented during a Public Service Recognition Week ceremony at Atlanta City Hall in May 2017. http://www.cbs46.com/story/35439783/public-servants-under-age-40-receive-younggov40-awards.

Pictured above, LCDR Candice Hunter.

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LCDR John Hansen, Institutional Environmental Health Resident, IHS, Rockville, MD

Awarded Best Student Poster in the Sampling and Laboratory Analysis Committee category at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference & Expo in Seattle, WA. LCDR Hansen’s poster described his evaluation of employee exposure to nitrous oxide during dental procedures, and potential factors for mitigating exposure. This thesis project also met the requirements for LCDR Hansen to earn a Master of Science in Public Health degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD this summer.

Pictured above, LCDR John Hansen.

CDR Victoria A. Murray, FDA Program Manager, Detroit MI

FDA Commissioner’s Special Citation - 2017 FDA Presidential Inauguration Coordination Group for excellence in planning, coordination, and response in support of food safety training and surveillance for the 2017 Presidential Inauguration National Special Security Event where she served as Deputy Planning Section Chief and Situation & Document Unit Leader.

FDA Group Recognition (Crosscutting) - Burkholderia cepacia Inspection, Analysis and Compliance Group for outstanding efforts and collaboration in investigating, assessing, and addressing an outbreak of Burkholderia cepacia infections associated with an FDA regulated product (liquid docusate sodium) because of her work as Compliance Officer and Recall Coordinator handling the Class I Recall during this outbreak.

FDA ORA Award - 2016 Democratic National Convention Coordination Group for excellence in planning, coordination, and response in support of food safety training and surveillance for the 2016 Democratic National Convention National Special Security Event where she served as Situation Unit Leader & Document Unit Leader under the Planning Section.

LT Dwight Deon Ferguson FDA, Investigator/CSO, Kansas City District Office

American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Superior Paper Award 2016 for a research paper, “The Efficiency of Biofilters at Mitigating Airborne MRSA from a Swine Nursery D. D. Ferguson, T. C. Smith, K. J. Donham, S. J. Hoff Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health 21(4)”, was selected from the eligible 5% of articles published. The study findings suggest that biofilters can be used to mitigate airborne MRSA emissions from swine confined animal feeding operations.

Pictured on right, LT Dwight Deon Ferguson.

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The Story Behind the New EHO Category Coin An Interview with LCDR Chris Fletcher and LCDR James Gooch

In 2016, the EHO Professional Advisory Committee held a design contest which resulted in the issuance of a new EHO coin. The EHOPAC History Subcommittee caught up with the coin’s designers- LCDR Chris Fletcher and LCDR James Gooch- to understand the vision behind their winning design.

What was the inspiration behind creating a new Environmental Health Officer coin?

“When we set out to create a new coin design for submission to the PAC, our objective was to create a modern upgrade to the original EHO coin. We wanted an updated design with more detail, more appeal, and more “cool” factor – all of which would make EHOs proud to carry around in their pocket and to give away and trade with others. “

What design elements were factors for the new coin?

“Our first approach was to evaluate all the best elements of design. We laid out all the coins we had or knew of, and started to identify our favorite features. We looked at size, weight, durability, style, and meaning. In terms of size and weight, we decided the coin should be a bit larger and heavier than most coins. This was mainly to accommodate a more intricate design for both sides, but also to reflect the strength and integrity of the EHO category to other uniformed services.”

Besides making the coin more substantial, what other improvements did you end up making?

“From a durability standpoint, we chose to seal the coin in epoxy to hopefully encourage officers to carry the coin more often without wearing off paint and scratching the surface. Style-wise, we picked the waffled edge to give the coin a little more interest and frame the design elements.”

Tell us about the design elements on the Environmental Health Officer side of the coin.

“We approached the design to compliment the broad and diverse aspects of service that EHOs provide to the Commissioned Corps. The symbols represent just a handful of predominate environmental health disciplines that are standard assignments for EHOs. Symbols (clockwise from the top) Radiation, Food Safety, Natural Disasters, Homes, Vectors, and Water. The Earth in the middle is representative of the environmental drivers of disease that are foundation to the core elements of environmental health. The Earth also symbolized the global response capabilities of EHOs and Commissioned Corps. The cellular-geometric design was also chosen to aesthetically highlight these symbols, but it also alludes to the biological basis of environmental health.“

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“For the EHO side of the coin, we also changed the date from 1944 to 1943 which is an interesting point. Officially, the Sanitarian Category was started in 1944 - however, Louis J. Ogden and Robert D. Murrill were called to active duty as Assistant Sanitarians in February of 1943 and later that same year CAPT John Eason was also commissioned.”

And on the other side you chose to include the Commissioned Corps logo?

“One of the very first design pieces that came to mind was the insignia. We found that the majority of USPHS coins used the U.S. Public Health Service insignia. While the USPHS insignia is appropriate, it is actually much broader than our Commissioned Corps – referring to many of the agencies within only the Department of Health and Human Services. We are the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service, not Officers of the USPHS. It is a subtle difference yet too often overlooked.”

Were there any design components which you wanted to include but were unable to?

“When we submitted the design, we also included inscriptions on the coin’s edge with initials for each federal agency where EHOs are assigned. We felt this was particularly important because many EHOs are assigned to agencies outside of the Department of Health and Human Services such as DOD and DOJ. Ultimately, engraving the agencies around the edge of the coin was determined to be cost prohibitive. We also originally proposed that the six symbols on the coin be crowd sourced by surveying EHOs to determine the top six environmental health disciplines to feature. Ultimately logistics and timing made this unattainable. Perhaps a future iteration could add these features.”

The new EHO coin sounds and looks impressive! Where can I get one?

The coins are only $10 and make great gifts. Anyone interested in purchasing EHO coins can use the fillable and mail-able PDF form available online at: https://dcp.psc.gov/osg/eho/documents/EHOPAC_Coin_Order_Form_2017.pdf

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VA Guaranty Home Loans and the Home Buying Process Submitted by LCDR Kazu Okumura

LCDR Kazu Okumura bought his first home using a VA Loan about a year ago. Since then he has helped several PHS officers navigate their way in obtaining VA Loan to purchase their dream home.

As PHS officers, we are privileged to use many of the benefits provided to active duty service members. It was certainly a point that was made by recruiters when I was thinking about joining the Corps. Out of the many benefits, one of those is the VA Home Loan Guaranty administered by the Veterans Administration.

What is the VA Home Loan Guaranty?

The VA Home Loan Guaranty (also known as the VA Loan) was established to assist service members and veterans in purchasing their homes when they did not have great credit or a down payment. The VA acts as guarantor on a mortgage so that a lender is able to approve a loan. A common misconception is that the VA acts as the bank or provides funds for a down payment. The VA provides a guaranty to the lender that if the service member or veteran were to default on the mortgage, the VA would pay out to the lender a percentage of the mortgage.

VA Loans and Traditional Loans

You may be thinking, “Why would I deal with a government bureaucracy just to take out a mortgage?” When you compare VA Loans and Traditional Loans (aka Conventional Loans), there are some big differences. One of them is the ability to take out a mortgage for Zero down payment. This is unheard of in most situations with Traditional Loans. Depending on the value of the home, credit worthiness, and other factors, lenders can ask for up to 20% down payment for a Traditional Loan. VA Loans do not require Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). For Traditional Loans, lenders require PMI for borrowers who finance more than 80% of the home’s value. This results in added cost for Traditional Loans.

Eligibility

For most active duty service members, you become eligible after just 90 continuous days of active duty service!

VA Loan fees

Using a VA Loan would be too good to be true if it were free. Unfortunately, there is a small fee called the “VA Funding Fee” that is assessed on every VA Loan. For most active duty service members, you pay 2.15% of the final sale price of the home the first time you use it. For any subsequent use of the VA Loan, the funding fee goes up to 3.3%. The VA Funding Fee can be reduced to 1.5% and 1.25% if you have a 5% or 10% down payment, respectively. Lenders will allow you to fold the cost the VA Funding Fee into the mortgage.

The Process

When thinking about purchasing a home, the first step would be to obtain a pre-approval from a lender for VA Loan. Make sure to have on hand all of the important financial documents. Lenders can ask for:

• Two to three months of pay stubs; • Tax Returns and W-2 from the last two years; • Bank account and retirement account statements; and • VA Home Loan Certificate of Eligibility.

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The VA Home Loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is proof that you are eligible for a VA Loan. Lenders can ask the VA directly to obtain the COE, however, as was the case for me and a few other PHS officers, the lender was unsuccessful in obtaining the COE. If that happens, you will be responsible for providing documentation that shows you are eligible. Using the Department of Defense, Servicemembers Civil Relief Act website, https://scra.dmdc.osd.mil/, will allow you to generate a Single Record Request that shows if you are eligible for benefits under SCRA, and hence eligible for a VA benefits. The other option is to obtain a Statement of Service from DCCPR, by emailing phsassignments@hhs.gov.

Unique benefits provided by lenders for VA Loans

There are numerous benefits not officially listed by the VA. Many lenders will provide incentives for folks to use VA Loans. For my VA loan, the lender charged zero Lender Fees. Other lenders I had inquired charged up to $1000 that merely covered paperwork to process the loan.

Lenders will also provide Lender Credits. Lender Credits are funds that the borrower can use to apply towards closing costs or in the case of VA Loan, the VA Funding Fee. The lender I used gave me $6000 to apply towards the VA Funding Fee and Closing Costs. Other lenders I inquired did not provide any Lender Credits. When starting the process to obtain a pre-approval, it is in your best interest to shop around for the lender that will give you the most benefits.

Good Earnest Money

There are some requirements in the home buying process even using a VA loan will not change. The Good Earnest Money (some will call this Good Faith Money) is cash that is put forward along with your offer to the seller. The Good Earnest Money, once the offer is accepted by the seller, will be put in escrow to be put towards your first month’s mortgage payment, property taxes, and home owner’s insurance. Some geographic markets will require you to put 3 to 5 % of your offer as Good Earnest Money. The purpose of this is to show to the seller that you have a financial interest in not backing out of a real estate transaction. You don’t need to save for a down payment using a VA Loan but you will need to have enough liquid assets to use towards Good Earnest Money.

Do’s and Don’ts

• DO take care of your credit. Just because you are eligible for VA Loan, does not mean a lender will automatically give you a mortgage with poor credit.

• DON’T look for Cooperative Housing or Co-op Housing if you are using a VA Loan. The VA does not approve the VA Loan to be used for a Co-op.

• DON’T use the VA Loan for a second or vacation home. One of the requirements of using VA Loan is that the home has to be used as the primary residence.

• DO use the benefit! Don’t make the same mistake I did and wait seven years after joining the Corps. Home ownership is not for everyone but is one of the many things you can do for financial stability and growing your personal wealth.

Additional Resources

VA Benefits Book, Chapter 6: https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/benefits_book/benefits_chap06.asp

VA Funding Fee Table: http://www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/documents/docs/funding_fee_table.pdf

VA Home Loan Guaranty Benefits Brochure: http://www.benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/benefits-summary/SummaryofVAHomeLoanGuarantyBenefits.pdf

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EHOPAC Quarterly Meetings

Join our Quarterly Meetings! Listen for PAC and

Commissioned Corps updates and hear

leadership discuss pertinent EHOPAC issues. All

are encouraged to submit questions to be

addressed by PAC leadership as well as any other

information they wish to share with fellow EHOs

(see below)

Upcoming EHOPAC Meetings September 12, 2017 ● 13:00 – 15:00 EST

December 12, 2017 ● 13:00 – 15:00 EST

Please join us via teleconference & webinar

Teleconference: Phone: 1-800-832-0736

Passcode: 6084616 Adobe Connect Webinar:

http://ihs.adobeconnect.com/ehopac2016/

Have a question for EHOPAC Leadership?

If you have an item you would like EHOPAC leadership to address or

general information to share with your fellow EHOs, please feel free to submit your questions, feedback or any other

relevant information here:

Full URL for submitting anonymous feedback to EHOPAC Leadership: https://docs.google.com/forms/u/0/d/1zpMFEPm3EliKVVUgxXS9KRp4ab4jTQVHzeVOv9DMhqs/viewform?edit_r

equested=true Shortened URL:

https://goo.gl/Igy9TD

Submit a Response

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About this Edition QUESTIONS OR PREVIOUS EDITIONS

For questions on this document, please contact LCDR Jonathan Blonk at Jonathan_Blonk@nps.gov. For previous editions, please visit our website at https://dcp.psc.gov/osg/eho/newsletters.aspx.

EDITING, DESIGN, & LAYOUT

Issue Editor: LCDR Jonathan Blonk

Advisory Editor: LT Daniel Malashock

Writing Support: CDR Bryan Christensen & CDR Melva Palmer

Logistics Support: LCDR Kazu Okumura & LCDR Racquel Williams

Visual Support: CDR Keith Schwartz & LCDR William Bird

Issue 508 Compliance: CDR Darren Buchanan & CDR Charles Woodlee

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you to all the EHOs who contributed articles to this Newsletter!

DISCLAIMER

Any opinions or thoughts presented in this newsletter are solely those of the author

and do not represent the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), United States

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or any other government agency.

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