2021-05785. Solicitation of Nominations for Appointment to the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC)

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeking nominations for membership on the HICPAC. The HICPAC consists of 14 experts in fields including but not limited to, infectious diseases, infection prevention, healthcare epidemiology, nursing, clinical microbiology, surgery, hospitalist medicine, internal medicine, epidemiology, health policy, health services research, public health, and related medical fields. Nominations are being sought for individuals who have expertise and qualifications necessary to contribute to the accomplishments of the committee's objectives. Nominees will be selected based on expertise in the fields of infectious diseases, infection prevention, healthcare epidemiology, nursing, environmental and clinical microbiology, surgery, internal medicine, and public health. Federal employees will not be considered for membership. Members may be invited to serve for four-year terms. Selection of members is based on candidates' qualifications to contribute to the accomplishment of HICPAC objectives https://www.cdc.gov/​hicpac/​.

DATES:

Nominations for membership on the HICPAC must be received no later than September 17, 2021. Packages received after this time will not be considered for the current membership cycle.

ADDRESSES:

All nominations should be mailed to HICPAC, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP), National Center for Emerging Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), CDC, l600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop H16-3, Atlanta, Georgia 30329-4027, emailed (recommended) to [e-mail], or faxed to [phone].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Koo-Whang Chung, MPH, HICPAC, DHQP, NCEZID, CDC, l600 Clifton Road, NE, Mailstop H16-3, Atlanta, Georgia 30329-4027; [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services policy stipulates that committee membership be balanced in terms of points of view represented, and the committee's function. Appointments shall be made without discrimination on the basis of age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, HIV status, disability, and cultural, religious, or socioeconomic status. Nominees must be U.S. citizens, and cannot be full-time employees of the U.S. Government. Current participation on federal workgroups or prior experience serving on a federal advisory committee does not disqualify a candidate; however, HHS policy is to avoid excessive individual service on advisory committees and multiple committee memberships. Committee members are Special Government Employees (SGEs), requiring the filing of financial disclosure reports at the beginning and annually during their terms. CDC reviews potential candidates for HICPAC membership each year and provides a slate of nominees for consideration to the Secretary of HHS for final selection. HHS notifies selected candidates of their appointment near the start of the term in July 2022, or as soon as the HHS selection process is completed. Please note that the need for different expertise varies from year to year and a candidate who is not selected in one year may be reconsidered in a subsequent year. Candidates should submit the following items:

▪ Current curriculum vitae, including complete contact information (telephone numbers, mailing address, email address); and

▪ At least one letter of recommendation from person(s) not employed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (Candidates may submit letter(s) from current HHS employees if they wish, but at least one letter must be submitted by a person not employed by an HHS agency (e.g., CDC, NIH, FDA, etc.).

Nominations may be submitted by the candidate him- or herself, or by the person/organization recommending the candidate.

The Director, Strategic Business Initiatives Unit, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has been delegated the authority to sign Federal Register notices pertaining to announcements of meetings and other committee management activities, for both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Kalwant Smagh,

Director, Strategic Business Initiatives Unit, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.