Greetings IHS Corps Officers,
The following is an update on COVID-19 resources and activities, as well as some reminders for staying informed and maintaining readiness.
The IHS Division of Commissioned Personnel Support (DCPS) has developed a set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on COVID-19 related topics for Corps officers assigned to the IHS. The “Deployment FAQs for COVID-19” are located on the DCPS website under Officer Resources, and were recently updated to include guidance from Commissioned Corps Headquarters (CCHQ) on officer exposure/infection and various COVID-19 informational resources. We will update this document as we receive additional questions or as new information becomes available.
Reminders:
- Deployment Notifications. If you are deployed, please notify your Regional DCPS Liaison team of your deployment details (departure date, city and state of deployment, and planned return date) for tracking and reporting, and to ensure we are available to provide supportive services, if needed.
- eCMCS Messages. Please ensure you log in to the Officer Secure Area to read eCMCS messages from CCHQ or other sources. The sender is notified when messages are read, which means the sender can tell when a recipient has not opened the message.
- COVID-19 Training Modules. All Corps officers must complete the COVID-19 Patient Management training modules in the Commissioned Corps Learning Management System by 10 April 2020. If you have technical issues, please contact the CCHQ Training Branch via e-mail at PHSCOTA@hhs.gov.
- Pre-Deployment Health Summary. Selected officers were notified via eCMCS on 1 April 2020 to complete a Pre-Deployment Health Summary no later than 15 April 2020. Only officers who received the request and accompanying form via eCMCS need to take action. Please check eCMCS to see if this applies to you.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your Regional DCPS Liaison team.
V/r,
CDR Michael Verdugo
Deputy Director, Division of Commissioned Personnel Support (DCPS)
Indian Health Service HQ
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857