Author: Joel Schofer, MD, MBA, CPE
Pre-State of the Union Message from President Biden to DoD Personnel
Here is the POTUS’ message to all military personnel from before the State of the Union:
What Was New in the FY23 O6 Promotion Board Convening Order
Comparing the FY23 O6 promotion board convening order to last year’s, here is what I see that is different:
- The board occurred 3 weeks earlier on 8 FEB 2022 instead of 1 MAR 2021. Last year was delayed due to COVID.
- Promotion opportunities changed, to include:
- Medical Corps went from 90% to 95% (the highest allowable by law).
- Dental Corps went from 90% to 92%.
- Medical Service and Nurse Corps both stayed at 50%.
- On page 5 under Commitment to Operational Excellence they added, “The Navy values service and superior performance on operational fleet and subordinate command staffs.” In my opinion, this is one more suggestion to go operational. Every year they add more language emphasizing it.
- Pages 11-13 detail new equal opportunity and diversity guidance. In this section, they also prohibit the consideration of opting out of the normal career path by deferring consideration at any promotion boards or use of the Career Intermission Program.
Those are the only changes I see. Here is the FY23 file:
Here is the FY22 one if you want it:
Director of Healthcare Business at NMC Portsmouth – O4-O6
Director, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth seeks qualified officers of all Corps (MC, NC, DC, MSC) in the paygrades of O-4 to O-6 to fill the Director of Healthcare Business (DHB) position. DHB is responsible for executing and coordinating efficient business operations at NMCP. The ideal candidate will possess the required experience and demonstrate exceptional knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform and execute the duties and responsibilities outlined in the attached position description. The assignment is 36 months, and the primary duty location is in Portsmouth, Virginia. The selected individual should arrive no later than May 2022 (but there may be flexibility, if required). Here is the announcement:
Prospective applicants should submit the following documentation by e-mail (please combine all documents into one PDF) to LCDR Aaron A. Daley (contact in global) no later than March 9, 2022:
• Last three Fitness Reports
• CV and Biography
• Last three years of PRIMS data
• One page letter of intent/motivational statement
• Director/Commanding Officer/OIC endorsement
• Detailer concurrence if not currently assigned to NMRTC Portsmouth
• (Optional) No more than two letters of reference
Guest Post – Summary of Changes in Navy Medical Corps Specialty Pay in FY22
By CDR Dustin Schuett, MC, USN
(The views expressed in this blog post are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, or U.S. Government.)
The FY-22 Navy Active Component Medical Corps Special Pay Guidance was released on February 12, 2022.
Notable changes in the FY-22 Navy Medical Corps Special Pays included $2,000/year increases for Navy Staff Physicians on 2- and 3-year Retention Bonuses for Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Gynecologic Surgery & Obstetrics (GSO), Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, and Urology as well as $3,000/year increases for Physicians on 2- and 3-year Retention Bonuses specialized in Pathology, Pediatrics, and Radiology. The 4-year Retention Bonus for Cardiology increased $10,000/year. This was the largest increase of any existing Retention Bonus from the FY-21 plan.
Additionally, the 4-year Retention Bonus returned for Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, GSO, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Pathology, Pediatrics, Radiology, Urology, Subspecialty Category II (IM Nuclear Medicine), and Subspecialty Category V (Fellowship in Ophthalmology, ENT, GSO, or Urology). The 6-year Retention Bonus returned for Cardiology. All of these 4- and 6-year Retention Bonuses were not in the FY21 plan.
Removed from the FY-21 plan is the increased Incentive Pay for Anesthesiologists, General Surgeons, Neurosurgeons, General Orthopedists, and Subspecialty Category Physicians on a 4- or 6-year Retention Bonus. Accompanying those changes are an increase in the 4- and 6-year Retention Bonuses for those specialties equal to the prior difference between the baseline Incentive Pay and the 4- and 6-year Incentive Pay rates. In short, the total money is the same, but more of it will be paid as an annual lump sum as opposed to pro-rated across the year.
Termination and renegotiation of existing Retention Bonuses is now allowed for Family Medicine Sports Medicine, Nuclear Medicine, and Radiation Oncology physicians under the FY-22 plan provided they are not under an Active Duty Service Obligation for medical education, training, or a Special pays Retention Bonus with additional obligation. Under the FY-21 plan, physicians in these specialties were not allowed to renegotiate Retention Bonuses under any circumstances.
The 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, which became law on January 2, 2021, authorized an increase in Board Certification pay for Military Physicians from $6,000 per year to $15,000 per year as well as significant increases in the allowances for Incentive Pay (from a max of $100,000 to a max of $200,000 per year) and Retention Bonus (from a prior max of $75,000 to new max of $150,000). However, while NDAA 21 authorized these increases, Congress has not appropriated any additional money. In addition, when NDAA 21 was signed BUMED was already working on the FY-23 budget. In other words, due to the way budgeting works in the DoD and Navy, there is at least a 2 year lag between any pay changes authorized and the budgeting process. In February 2022, the Navy is currently working on the FY-24 budget. (Editor’s Note – The Corps Chief’s message in the last MC magazine explains all of this in detail and can be read here.)
In summary, no specialty received an increase in Incentive pay. The 2- and 3-year Retention Bonuses went up $2-3,000 for several specialties. The 4-year Retention Bonus for Cardiology increased $10,000. 4- and 6-year Retention Bonuses returned for several specialties after not being available under the FY-21 plan.
The 2021 NDAA authorized an increase in Board Certification Pay to $15,000 from $6,000, which was not enacted.
The 2021 NDAA authorized increases in Incentive Pay or Retention Bonuses beyond the previous limits of $100,000 and $150,000 per year, but these were not enacted.
5 Specialties/Subspecialty Categories (Anesthesiology, General Surgery, General Orthopaedics, and Subspecialty Category I) had increases in 4- and 6-year Retention Bonuses, however this was a shifting of money from Incentive Pay to Retention Bonus with no increase in total earnings for Physicians on these Retention Bonus plans.
There has been no change in Board Certification Pay or Incentive Pay for any specialty including Interns, General Medical Officers (GMOs), and Residents since FY2017.
NMFDC Newsletter – February 2022
ALCON,
On behalf of the Naval Medical Force Development Center (NMFDC), please see the attached February 2022 NMFDC Newsletter.
This month’s newsletter includes information on a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association-Surgery with a focus on medical skills for improvement, a spotlight on the Navy Medicine poster for the 2022 Association of Medical Surgeons of the United States Virtual Annual Meeting, instructions on how to schedule an NMFDC virtual site visit, Naval Medical Readiness Criteria (NMRC) fast facts, and details on how the NMFDC has embedded High Reliability Organization principles into the NMRC process.
Please feel free to share this newsletter with other relevant Navy Medicine stakeholders and those interested in the NMFDC’s efforts.
Very Respectfully,
The Naval Medical Force Development Center
Call for Participation in the 2022 Navy Pain Strategy Session with Fleet and USMC Clinicians
Who: All OPMED providers across disciplines and specialties who are interested in (1) providing feedback on gaps in pain management care throughout the patient journey, provider training opportunities, data reporting processes, and overall impacts to readiness, and (2) brainstorming viable solutions to address barriers and challenges.
What: 2022 Strategy Session
When: Monday, April 18 from 0900-1200 EST
Where: Virtual via MS TEAMS
Interested providers should complete this brief questionnaire. Please note that capacity is limited!
Joel Schofer's Career Planning Blog 