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Director, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute – CAPT/CAPT(s)
Here is the announcement looking for the next Director of the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute. Any interested parties should send their CV/BIO/Letter of Intent and three references to CDR Frank Mullens (in the BUMED global address book) for consideration. The report no later than date is June 2018. All applicants should have Specialty Leader/Detailer concurrence.
NOTE – applicants are not to submit an application directly to USU. All nominees from the Navy must come from BUMED.
Guest Post: Important Update Regarding Disability Insurance for Active Duty Military Doctors and Dentists
[Editor’s Note: This is a guest post/update from the company that was able to get me supplemental disability insurance (DI), which can be a challenge when you are Active Duty. I have no current financial relationship with them and they did not pay for this post, although in the past I received some restaurant gift cards when referring people to them. I asked them to provide it so they could explain recent changes in the disability insurance market for Active Duty personnel. If you want to read about DI, you can go to my Personal Finance page or some other posts like this one or this one.]
As you are likely aware, as a physician/dentist, your greatest asset is your ability to practice your specialty. Military physicians and dentists are not completely protected in the event they become disabled. Those who are informed of this risk exposure have been able to insure themselves by establishing individual disability insurance. Currently, there are two companies offering specialty specific coverage to military physicians/dentists; MassMutual and Lloyd’s of London. Of the two, MassMutual is the only one which offers a non-cancelable and guaranteed renewable policy to age 65. This type of policy cannot be canceled by the company, have its premiums and/or contractual provisions modified, exclusions added, etc. This is the type of policy we recommend to all physicians and dentists regardless of military status. MassMutual has eliminated this policy’s availability in all states except the following:
- California
- New York
- Florida
- Connecticut
- Montana
If you reside in one of these states and wish to protect yourself by obtaining the type of policy that will protect your medical career in the event of disability while you are in the military and while you are out, it is highly advisable to act now. To protect your medical career in the event of disability, please contact us below:
Andy G. Borgia, CLU (andyb@di4mds.com)
D.K. Unger (dku@di4mds.com)
10505 Sorrento Valley Rd., # 250
San Diego, California 92121
888-934-4637
858-523-7511 after 5pm
858-622-1883 fax
Navy Urges Patience for Sailors Waiting on PCS Orders
From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) — Following passage of the 2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act, the Navy announced today that Sailors should continue to expect to receive permanent change of station (PCS) orders with approximately two months or less lead time through the end of the fiscal year.
While the Navy will make every effort to ensure PCS orders are released as expeditiously as possible, the service does not have sufficient funds to allow for longer PCS orders lead times.
“We recognize the impact this has on Sailors and their families preparing to move, and we’re working hard to remedy this situation,” said Chief of Naval Personnel, Vice Adm. Robert Burke. “Leadership is engaged at all levels to develop and implement solutions to minimize the impact to our Sailors. Our focus and priority remains on manning the Fleet, and taking care of Sailors and their families.”
Currently, the Navy is using a prioritization strategy, as it has previously done, to help minimize the impact on Fleet readiness, career timing, and families. Emphasis will remain on global support assignment rotations, career milestone billets, critical readiness fills, minimizing gaps at sea for deployed units and those working up to deploy, and keeping the training pipelines moving. Those Sailors who are going to operational units about to deploy, numbered fleet staffs, overseas billets, individual augmentees or must-moves (safety, early return of dependents, humanitarian) will be issued their orders first.
Additionally, Navy Personnel Command will continue to issue letters of intent for overseas moves. That way, while orders may not be in hand, individuals can start the process of doing overseas and medical screenings, dependent entry approval, passport applications and security clearance requests.
We encourage all Sailors who have not yet received PCS orders to contact their detailers with questions and concerns with the understanding that there may be a delay as we work through budgetary issues.
Those with questions regarding their Household Goods moves should contact householdgoods@navy.mil. Additionally, Sailors and family members are advised to go to http://www.navsup.navy.mil/household to review various “how-to” guides for using the Defense Personal Property System. The website also includes a schedule of webinars where those planning moves can interact directly with HHG staff.
You Were Selected for Promotion to O5 or O6 – Should You Accept It?
BLUF – If you are hoping to retire but are not willing to serve 3 years as a Commander or Captain, you should decline the promotion. (This is not applicable if you are resigning. Only if you are hoping to retire.)
The policy regarding promotions and retirements is governed by OPNAVINST 1811.3A. If you are lucky enough to be selected for promotion to O5 or O6, you should be familiar with this instruction and make sure you are willing to spend 3 years as a CDR or CAPT before you plan to retire.
Paragraph 4b of the OPNAVINST states:
“Officers must satisfy the minimum active duty time-in-grade requirement to retire in the highest grade satisfactorily served…Officers who desire to retire before completion of the minimum time-in-grade requirement must decline appointment to the next higher grade. Officers who have accepted appointment to the next higher grade must satisfy the retired grade criteria in paragraph 7.”
Seems like we need to go to paragraph 7…
“7. Time-in-Grade Requirements. Unless retirement in the next inferior grade is directed by SECNAV for an officer or warrant officer under reference (c), then officers, warrant officers, and enlisted members retired voluntarily or transferred to the Fleet Reserve shall be retired in the highest grade satisfactorily held upon completion of the following time-in-grade requirements…Three years for an officer serving on active duty in pay grade O5 or O6.”
Paragraph 5b states:
“Unless waived by proper authority, approval of requests for voluntary retirement or transfer to the Fleet Reserve will normally be denied until an individual has completed: (1) The applicable time-in-grade requirements of paragraph 7;”
In addition, paragraph 7e states:
“COMNAVPERSCOM shall normally deny retirement requests or Fleet Reserve requests of members serving on active duty in, whose length of service in the highest grade held while on active duty does not meet the time-in-grade requirements specified above.”
What’s the bottom line? There are certain exceptions spelled out in this policy, and you can get information on time-in-grade or next-lower-grade waivers here and here, but if you want to retire and accept promotion to CDR or CAPT you should be willing to serve in that rank for 3 years. Otherwise, you should decline the promotion.
AMSUS Call for Abstracts and Reviewers
Call for Abstracts
The 126th Annual AMSUS meeting will be held in the Washington, D.C. area 28 November-1 December, 2017. The call for abstracts is in full swing and we need some of your motivated officers to step up and present on the impressive work they are doing at a variety of settings. The lecture submissions are due on 31 May 2017 and the poster session presentations are due on 1 September 2017. Areas of interest include:
- Battlefront Care
- Combat support
- Humanitarian Missions
- Disaster response
- Global Health Operations
- Patient movement
- Homefront Care
- Definitive treatment
- Rehabilitation
- Recovery
- Return to a new normal for both patient and family
- Traumatic injuries
- Psychological Status/PTSD/TBI
- Disease and Population Health
- Preparedness & Operational Issues
- High Reliability Organizations
- Patient Satisfaction
- Value based care
Please encourage your members to consider presenting at this year’s meeting here in Washington D.C. For more information go to the AMSUS website 2017 Call for Abstracts page or check out the AMSUS Meeting Announcement.
Call for Reviewers
Do you have members who are looking for opportunities for a collateral duty/volunteerism, or to earn CME? The 2017, 126th Annual AMSUS Meeting extends this Call for Volunteer Reviewers to help select presentations for
the 2017 CE/CME sessions. The committee will include a variety of professionals across disciplines including physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers, psychologists, pharmacists, dentists, dieticians, and medical administrators.
http://www.amsusmeetings.org/2017-call-reviewers/
Each reviewer will be responsible for reading an assigned set of abstracts, completing an online score sheet and submitting recommendations. Approximately 8 hours of review and online reporting will be required. As an online review process, you will have access at your convenience. Reviewers will be acknowledged in the Continuing Education print material, and AMSUS web site as part of the organizing committee for the 2017 AMSUS Annual Meeting. A certificate of participation as a reviewer is available upon request. The review process will begin 5 June 2017 and be completed no later than 10 July. Conference attendance is not required to volunteer as a reviewer.
To apply as a reviewer, please submit a CV, with contact information, by email to Lori.Lawrence < at > amsus.org no later than 5 May 2017. Include the following:
- Name
- Identify your professional category to review
- Email and phone number
- List of Medical Credentials
- CV
Updated BUMED Conference Approval Process
BLUF: The new Conference Approval Guidance is published on the conference approval website (CAC protected – you need to pick the e-mail certificate to logon). With the exception of conferences >$100K and those listed as “requiring approval” on the BUMED website, approval authority for conference attendance is delegated to your Regional Commander or MTF Commanding Officer via local policy. In other words, for most conferences except the really large ones you’ll just route a travel request via DTS like any other trip.
The new memo/guidance is here:
Updated Navy Medicine Conference Guidance – 21 APR 2017
The text from the website is here:
NAVY MEDICINE CONFERENCE INFORMATION AND POLICY
DoD has adopted a very expansive definition of “conference.” Conference is defined as “a meeting, retreat, seminar, symposium, or event that involves attendee travel.” Events within the local duty station that do not require attendee travel (i.e. local conferences) may also qualify as conferences for the purposes of this guidance, if they involve: a commercial venue, multiple agencies and/or non-government participation, formal registration, have scheduled speakers, discussion panels, include ceremonies, and/or feature social events.
**The Navy Medicine Conference Information page is the source for all updates regarding conference policies, instructions, and guidance**
Conference Attendance
Navy Medicine (BSO-18) personnel desiring to attend a conference must review the list of Conferences Requiring BUMED Approval, prior to initiating a travel request. If the conference is on the list, the attendee is required to contact their Specialty Leader and/or the conference submission point of contact to request a quota. If the conference is not on the BUMED Approval Required Conference List, please review guidance under Approved Conferences for requests under $100,000.
*Note: If a conference is not on the list, but you expect it to exceed $100K, please contact the BUMED Conference Approval office.* (usn.ncr.bumedfchva.mbx.bumed-conference-approval@mail.mil)
Non BSO-18 personnel (i.e., Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, etc.) are not subject to the requirements of the Navy Medicine conference approval process and should seek funding through their designated funding authority. However, if receiving funding from a BSO-18 entity (i.e., Navy Medicine Professional Development Center), personnel are subject to the requirements of this policy.
Conference Request Deadlines
- Non-DoD Hosted Conferences:
- For conferences with a total cost less than $100,000, approval is delegated to the attendee’s Echelon III Commander or Echelon IV Commanding Officer. Personnel should follow local travel policy guidelines and/or procedures.
- For conferences with a total cost of $100,000-$500,000, Chief, BUMED is the final approval authority. All requests must be submitted to the BUMED Conference Approval Office no later than (90) days prior to the conference start date.
- For conferences with a total cost greater than $500,000, SECNAV is the final approval authority. All requests must be submitted to the BUMED Conference Approval Office no later than (180) days prior to the conference start date.
- DoD/DON Hosted Conferences:
- All requests to host a conference must be submitted to BUMED (180) days prior to the proposed conference start date. Chief, BUMED is the approval authority for hosted conferences under $500,000. SECNAV is the approval authority for hosted conferences over $500,000.
Approved Conferences
- For requests under $100,000:
- Approval authority is delegated to the attendee’s Echelon III Commander or Echelon IV Commanding Officer.
- Approvals should be managed like a TDY/TAD and include approved travel orders. Requests must be reviewed by the servicing legal office for concurrence. Include the updated Navy Medicine Travel Mission Criticality Attestation form (available in the Policy & Guidelines section of this page), signed by the traveler and designated approval authority.
- For requests $100,000-$500,000:
- Once a conference has received BUMED approval, the approved attendee roster is the only list of personnel authorized to attend a conference. In order to initiate orders, personnel are required to submit the approved attendee roster, the BUMED approval letter, and the updated Navy Medicine Travel Mission Criticality Attestation form to their travel coordinator.
- For requests over $500,000:
- Once a conference has received SECNAV approval, the approved attendee roster is the only list of personnel authorized to attend a conference. In order to initiate orders, personnel are required to submit the approved attendee roster, the SECNAV approval letter, and the Navy Medicine Travel Mission Criticality Attestation form to their travel coordinator.
Approved requests are funded by the command of each requesting attendee or by the command requesting to host a conference. All costs must be paid from an activity’s existing budget authority.
**NOTE: Final approval for attendance is subject to command authorization based on funding availability and mission criticality.**
Rethinking The United States’ Military Health System
Here is an interesting Health Affairs blog post by the Dean of School of Medicine at USUHS, Dr. Arthur Kellermann:
Personally Procured Moves Article from MilitaryTimes.com
Folks who are limited on their move dates because of the delayed release of PCS orders may want to look into doing a personally procured moved, what used to be called a DITY or Do It Yourself move. Here is an article about how to do them:
Medical Student Mentor Program
Naval Medical Center Portsmouth will be taking the lead on a Navy-wide mentoring program for HPSP and HSCP medical students. They are looking for physicians who would like to mentor young officers, help them transition from the civilian world into active duty, and prepare them for GME applications. Anyone interested should complete this PDF and send it to Mary Jane Slade at NMCP (she’s in the global address book).
NMCP will create teams of at least two physicians with different backgrounds so the group can field a variety of questions. The physician will have to spend an hour or so a month in a group discussion. They have topics and lecture outlines created. They are hoping to launch the program in May 2017.
Military Times Article – 5 Key Points About the Military’s New Blended Retirement System
Here’s the link to an article from Military Times about the new Blended Retirement System:
http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/guest-commentary-military-blended-retirement-west-point
Joel Schofer's Career Planning Blog 