Health Services Category Career Progression Profile Promotion … · This report, titled Health...

HS Category Career Progression Profile PY 2017

Health Services Category Career Progression Profile

Promotion Year 2017

CDR Jonathan Kwan

LCDR Jennifer Freiman LCDR Marquita Burnett

LCDR Alex Freiman

September 6, 2017

Health Services Professional Advisory Committee Analytics Subcommittee Multidisciplinary in Approach, Connected by Service, Advancing Public Health #WeAreCorpsSTRONG

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https://dcp.psc.gov/osg/hso/


Purpose This report, titled Health Services Category Career Progression Profile, Promotion Year (PY) 2017, represents the Health Services (HS) Category’s continued efforts to identify and document critical professional development considerations. Coupled with the PY 2017 HS Officer (HSO) Category Benchmarks, the information contained in this report can provide insight into key drivers of professional success for HS officers. Methods The data collected (Table 1) for these analyses were from U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps Officers in the HS Category selected for Temporary promotion for PY 2017 (n=125). All HS officers selected for Temporary promotion received an e-mail on June 16, 2017 from the HS Category Chief Professional Officer, which requested that the officer complete an anonymous survey. The survey closed on June 30, 2017. The survey was designed and hosted within the Survey Monkey website and contained 29 questions (Appendix A). The survey was designed to be consistent with the PY 2017 HS Category Benchmarks. Descriptive statistics (counts, means, & proportions) were examined for each survey question to describe professional characteristics of HS officers promoted in 2017. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Missing data were excluded from the analysis.

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https://dcp.psc.gov/ccmis/PDF_docs/2017%20HSO%20Benchmarks.pdf

https://dcp.psc.gov/ccmis/PDF_docs/2017%20HSO%20Benchmarks.pdf


Limitations This report includes only information from HS officers selected for Temporary promotion in PY 2017. HS officers not selected for promotion were not invited to complete the survey. As a result, no correlational conclusions should be made from the data presented. Promoted officers who did not participate in the survey may possess different professional development characteristics from officers that responded to the survey. Had their information been captured and included, their responses may affect this report’s findings. Finally, the findings presented in this report utilize self-reported data and cannot be validated.

Table 1. Promotion Year 2017 Survey Data Points • Promotion cycle

• Current billet grade

• Current Temporary and Permanent grades

• Number of years in USPHS Commissioned

Corps

• Professional discipline practiced

• Overall COER score

• Highest individual USPHS award earned

• Number of individual USPHS honor awards

• Number of unit USPHS honor awards

• Total number of USPHS service awards

• Number of deployments

• Officers in supervisory positions

• Level of commissioning degree

• Level of additional commissioning degree(s)

• Continuing education requirement compliance

• Additional public health training or

certification(s)

• Number of transfers

• Agency-level committee leadership

• Participation in HS Category mentoring

Process

• Knowledge and use of previous year’s report

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Results Respondents The survey was distributed to 125 HS officers who were successful in their Temporary promotion board for PY 2017 (O-4 = 39, O-5=58, O-6=28), with 91 officers responding (response rate = 73%). Due to the low number of HS officers promoted to O-2 and O-3, those ranks were excluded from analysis and from this report. Professional Discipline of Respondents Table 2 provides an overview of the range of professional disciplines held by the survey’s respondents The Public Health discipline was the highest reported discipline with 20.9 % of the survey responses, followed by Healthcare Administration (19.8%) and Physician Assistant (19.8%).

Table 2. Professional Discipline Among Survey Respondents, PY 2017

Discipline Number Percent

Public Health (e.g., epidemiology, global health, health promotion and education) 19 20.9

Healthcare Administration 18 19.8 Physician Assistant 18 19.8 Social Work 8 8.8 Basic and Applied Sciences (e.g., biological sciences, mathematical sciences, physical sciences)

7 7.7

Health Information Technology 6 6.6 Medical Laboratory Science 6 6.6 Dental Hygiene 4 4.4 Optometry 4 4.4 Psychology 1 1.4 Total 91 100

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Number of Years in USPHS Commissioned Corps Figure A displays the average number of years officers served with the USPHS Commissioned Corps at the time they were promoted in PY 2017. Data indicates that time-in-service increases with rank, especially for those promoted to Temporary O-6.

Current Assignment Billet Ratings Table 3 shows the current assignment billet grade of survey respondents relative to their promoted rank. A majority of the respondents held billets at or above the level of their promoted Temporary grade. The most common billet held among all promoted officers was O-6. As officers progress in their careers, it follows that officers would generally assume billets of higher grades. Table 3. Current Assignment Billet Grades by Promoted Rank, PY 2017 Promoted Rank

Current Assignment Billet Grade

Total O-3

Number (%) O-4

Number (%) O-5

Number (%) O-6

Number (%) O-4 3 (13.6) 10 (45.5) 8 (36.4) 1 (4.5) 22 (24.2) O-5 0 3 (7.1) 21 (50.0) 18 (42.9) 42 (46.2) O-6 0 0 6 (22.2) 21 (77.8) 27 (29.7) Total 3 (3.3) 13 (14.3) 35 (38.5) 40 (44.0) 91 (100)

Overall COER Scores Figure B shows the survey respondents’ average Commissioned Officer Effectiveness Report (COER) Scores for PY 2017. Most officers were rated 6 and 7’s on a seven-point scale. The average COER score increased as promoted rank increased.

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10121416

O-4 O-5 O-6

Year

s

Promoted Rank

Figure A. Average Number of Years in USPHS Commissioned Corps by Promoted Rank, PY 2017

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Individual USPHS Awards Figure C shows the highest individual USPHS award earned by survey respondents. For PY 2017, individual USPHS award distributions continue to be consistent with guidance found in the HS Category Promotion Benchmarks. HS Category Promotion Benchmarks for PY 2017 state that officers should strive for increasing levels of achievement, including team or unit participation, which may result in individual or unit awards. For Award History, the HS Category Promotion Benchmarks state that an HS officer’s level of awards should increase with rank. For PY 2017, the most commonly reported highest individual award earned among officers promoted to the rank of O-5 and O-6 were the USPHS Commendation and Outstanding Service Medals.

6.2

6.3

6.4

6.5

6.6

6.7

6.8

6.9

O-4 O-5 O-6

Figure B: Average COER Scores by Promoted Rank, PY 2017

Aver

age

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ER S

core

Promoted Rank

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vidu

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ard

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Cita

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tand

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O-4O-5O-6

Figure C: Highest USPHS Individual Award Earned by Promoted Rank, PY 2017


Table 4 details the average number of awards by type and promoted rank among respondents. On average, HS officers at higher ranks reported higher numbers of awards earned. Generally, respondents reported earning more unit awards than individual or service awards. Commissioning Degrees and Additional Degrees Figure D lists the commissioning degrees of HS officer survey respondents. Masters degrees were the most common commissioning degree among all promoted ranks.

0102030405060708090

O-4 O-5 O-6

Perc

ent

Bachelor

Masters

Doctoral

Figure D: Commissioning Degrees by Promoted Rank, PY 2017

Promoted Rank

Table 4. Average Number of Awards by Type and Promoted Temporary Rank, PY 2017

Promoted Rank

Type of Award Individual Unit Service

O-4 2 2 2 O-5 3 8 2 O-6 5 8 5

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Figure E describes the types of post-commissioning degrees obtained by respondents. Masters Degrees were the most commonly reported additional degree for O-4 and O-5 and doctoral degrees were most common for O-6. Nearly two-thirds of officers promoted to O-4 and O-5 reported not obtaining an additional degree.

Continuing Education and Public Health Training/Certifications Survey respondents provided information regarding their compliance with continuing education requirements for their professional licensure/certifications (Figure F), as well as whether or not they completed additional public health trainings or certifications (Figure G). Compliance with continuing education requirements was high across all ranks. Approximately 20-40% of respondents at each rank reported that they had no continuing education requirement.

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O-4 O-5 O-6

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Bachelor

Masters

Doctoral

No AdditionalDegree

Figure E: Highest Additional Degree Obtained by Promoted Rank, PY 2017

Promoted Rank

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0102030405060708090

O-4 O-5 O-6

Perc

ent

Yes

No

N/A

Figure F: Percentage of Survey Respondents Meeting Continuing Education Requirements by Promoted Rank, PY 2017

Promoted Rank

0

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40

60

80

100

O-4 O-5 O-6

Perc

cent

Yes

No

Figure G: Additional Public Health Training or Certifications by Promoted Rank, PY 2017

Promoted Rank

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Supervisory Role of HS Officers The frequency of HS officers in supervisory billets appears to increase in rank among survey respondents (Figure H). Readers of this report are cautioned against drawing conclusions about a direct linkage between supervisory status and promotions. It is instead more appropriate to note that, while officers do tend to be supervisors as rank increases, an officer’s status as a supervisor may be a result of increased responsibility, experience and training, rather than just a function of rank.

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O-4 O-5 O-6

Perc

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Figure H: Percentage of Officers in Supervisory Positions by Promoted Rank, PY 2017

Promoted Rank

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Geographic and Agency Transfers The data from survey respondents show that the average number of geographic and agency transfers for which Transfer Personnel Orders were issued increases for HS officers as an officer’s career progresses (Figure I). This not only follows logic (the chances of programmatic and geographic moves increases the longer an officer has been on active duty), but also reflects guidelines provided in the HS Officer Category Promotion Benchmarks.

Deployments Survey respondents indicated that the average number of deployments increased as an officer’s career progressed (Figure J). This may be attributable to increased time to participate in deployment activations, participation in different response teams over time, or increased value to deploying teams resulting in increased participation.

0

1

2

3

O-4 O-5 O-6

Figure I: Billet Transfers by Promoted Rank, PY 2017

Promoted Rank

Aver

age

Num

ber

of

Tran

sfer

s

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2

3

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5

6

O-4 O-5 O-6

Figure J: Average Number of HS Officer Deployments by Promoted Rank, PY 2017

Promoted Rank

Num

ber

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Participation in the HS Category Mentor/Mentee Process Figure K describes HS officer participation in mentorship programs. Survey results show that as rank increases, an officer was less likely to be a Mentee. In addition, as rank increases, the officer is more likely to serve as a Mentor. Approximately 10-20% at each rank reported no participation in the official HS Category mentoring program.

Agency Committee Participation Survey response data suggests HS officers continue to be actively involved in agency committees (Figure L). Across all ranks, respondents averaged participation on 2.7 agency committees.

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O-4 O-5 O-6

Perc

ent Mentor

Mentee

Both

Neither

Figure K: Participation in HS Category Mentorship Program by Promoted Rank, PY 2017

Promoted Rank

0

1

2

3

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O-4 O-5 O-6

Num

ber

Promoted Rank

Figure L. Average Number of Agency Committees by Promoted Rank, PY 2017

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Participation in USPHS Activities HS officers are also highly involved in numerous USPHS activities including the HS PAC, HS PAGs, deployment teams, professional and other advisory groups and the Commissioned Officers Association. Figures M-Q conveys that officers who responded to this survey tended to be very active in these organizations and activities, with leadership roles typically increasing as rank increases.

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Role

Figure M. Participation in HS PAC Activities by Promoted Rank, PY 2017

O-4

O-5

O-6

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Role

Figure N. Participation in PAG Activities by Promoted Rank, PY 2017

O-4

O-5

O-6

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DeputyCommander

Team Lead Team Member Other Non-Member/Notdeployable

Perc

ent

Role

Figure O. Participation in USPHS Deployment Teams by Promoted Rank, PY 2017

O-4

O-5

O-6

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0

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Role

Figure P. Participation in Advisory Groups (e.g., JOAG, BCOAG, etc.) by Promoted Rank, PY 2017

O-4

O-5

O-6

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Awareness and Use of Previous Promotable Officer Profile Reports Participants were asked to report their awareness and use of the previously published Promotable Officer Profile and HS Category Career Progression Profile reports (Figure R). More officers promoted to LCDR and CAPT were aware of the report compared to officers promoted to CDR. This emphasizes the importance of disseminating the report to the widest audience available in order to realize the greatest benefit.

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Member

BranchPresident

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CommitteeMember

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Member Other Non-Member

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Figure Q. Participation in COA by Promoted Rank, PY 2017

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O-6

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I read the reportsand made changesto my promotion

package

I read the reportsand used the

information inways other than

promotionpreparation

I read the reportsbut didn't need tomake any changesin my promotion

package

I was aware of thereports but didnot access them

I was not aware ofthe reports fromprevious years

Perc

ent

Figure R. Awareness and Use of Previous Promoted Officer Profiles by Promoted Rank, PY 2017

O-4

O-5

O-6


Summary of Results

Respondents to this year’s survey were most likely to have a professional discipline of Public Health, followed by Health Administration and Physician’s Assistant. The junior-level officer served approximately 4.5 years in the Commissioned Corps, and senior-level officers served approximately 14 years of service. The average number of years in the USPHS for all respondents was just over 9 years.

The distribution of individual PHS awards across ranks generally followed the PY 2017 HS Category Benchmarks. On average, officers at higher ranks reported more awards for individual, unit, and service award categories than their lower ranking peers.

Officers’ reported COER scores in PY 2017 were high across all ranks, with most ranks reporting average scores at or above 6.6 out of a maximum score of 7.

This report showed, as one would expect, that the number of billet transfers (geographic and/or programmatic) for PY 2017 for HS officers increased as the officer’s career progressed.

A Masters degree was the most commonly reported commissioning degree across all ranks. Approximately 20-40% of the respondents for each rank reported that they had no continuing education requirement for their discipline.

Participation in various USPHS activities was important across all ranks. More junior officers participated as mentees, and more senior officers participated as mentors.

Lastly, some junior officer respondents indicated a lack of knowledge regarding the existence of previous HS Category Career Progression Profile reports. This implies an opportunity to benefit junior officers, their mentors, and supervisors.

Future Steps The HS PAC Analytics Subcommittee continues to provide value-added data analytics and improved situational awareness to the HS Category regarding officers’ professional development and career progression. The HS PAC Analytics Subcommittee is proud to provide this resource to our fellow officers. The Subcommittee reminds its readers that the limitations of this report should be carefully considered before drawing conclusions about the findings. Future iterations of this report should consider ways to streamline data collection and improve the information’s accuracy, as well as ways to publicize the findings.

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Appendix A: Promotion Information Survey for PY 2017 Promoted Officers Promotion Information Survey for Health Services Officers Officer Information:

1. Number of years in the Corps (#)

2. Current Permanent Grade (dropdown menu of all grades O-1 through O-8)

3. Current Temporary Grade (dropdown menu of all grades O-1 through O-8)

4. Current Billet Grade (dropdown menu of all grades O-1 through O-8)

5. Discipline within HSO Category (Basic and Applied Sciences, Dental Hygiene, Healthcare Administration, Health Information Technology, Medical Laboratory Science, Optometry, Physician Assistant, Public Health, Psychology, Social Work)

6. Were you considered for TEMPORARY (Yes, No) promotion during the 2017 cycle

7. Were you promoted? (Yes, No)

8. If yes, to which grade? (dropdown menu of all grades O-1 through O-8)

9. Were you considered for PERMANENT (Yes, No) promotion during the 2017 cycle?

10. Were you promoted? (Yes, No)

11. If yes, to which grade? (dropdown menu of all grades O-1 through O-8)

1. Performance Rating and Reviewing Official’s Statement (Performance)

12. What was your overall COER Score during your promotion year? (#1-7)

13. What is your highest level individual PHS honor award received? (Dropdown menu including DSM, MSM, Surgeon General’s Medallion, Surgeon General’s Exemplary Service Medal, OSM, CM, AM, Citation, N/A)

14. What is the total number of PHS Individual Honor Awards you have received? (#)

15. What is the total number of PHS Unit Honor Awards you have received? (#)

16. What is the total number of PHS Service Awards you have received? (#)

17. I am a supervisor of at least one employee in my current position. (Yes, No)

2. Education, Training, and Professional Development Related to the Needs of the PHS

18. What is the level of your Commissioning Degree? (Dropdown menu: Bachelor, Masters, Doctorate)

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19. What is the highest level of additional degrees earned since commissioning? (Dropdown menu: Not applicable, Associate, Bachelor, Masters, Doctorate)

20. I meet/exceed the minimum Continuing Education standards or requirements for my discipline. (Yes, No, N/A)

21. I have accumulated additional Public Health training or certifications beyond my commissioning degree (Yes, No)

3. Career Progression and Potential

22. How many transfers have you had during your PHS career? Only include geographic and agency transfers for which Transfer Personnel Orders were issued – these do not include billet changes. (#)

23. How many agency-level committees did you participate with or lead during the previous year? (#)

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4. Professional Contributions & Services to the PHS Commissioned Corps (Officership)

Questions #24 and #25:

PHS Activity Highest position held (select the single highest position for each)

1. Health Services Professional Advisory Committee (HS PAC)

(Dropdown menu: HS PAC Chair, HS PAC Executive Committee Member, HS PAC Subcommittee chair or co-chair, Team Lead within subcommittee, Active Participant, Non-participant, other)

2. Professional Advisory Groups (PAPAG, BASPAG, etc.)

(Dropdown menu: PAG Chair, PAG Executive Committee Member, PAG Subcommittee chair, PAG Voting Member, Team Lead, Active Participant, Non-participant, Other)

3. Deployment Team (APHT, RDF, etc.)

(Dropdown menu: Team Commander, Deputy Commander, Team Lead, Team Member, Non-member/Non-Deployable Billet), Other

4. Advisory Group (JOAG, BCOAG, etc.)

(Dropdown menu: Chair, executive committee member, committee chair, voting member, team lead, active participant, non-participant, other)

5. Commissioned Officers Association (COA)

(Dropdown menu: National board member, branch president, branch executive committee member, active participant, member (pay dues to organization but not otherwise active), non-member, other)

26. How many times have you been deployed as a USPHS Officer? Do not include non-Corps/agency deployments. (#; (if never deployed, enter “0”))

27. Describe your level of involvement in the official HS Category officer mentoring program. (Dropdown menu: Mentor, mentee, both mentor and mentee, neither)

28. Data from a survey similar to this one was used to produce the HS PAC’s Promoted Officers Profile report in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Were you aware of the reports and if so, did you utilize them to help prepare yourself for the 2017 promotion cycle?

(Dropdown menu: I was not aware of the reports from previous years, I was aware of the reports but did not access them on the HS PAC website’ I read the reports on the HS PAC website but didn’t need to make any changes in my promotion package as a result of the reports; I read the reports and made changes to my promotion package as a result of the data in the reports; I read the reports and used the information in ways other than promotion preparation (mentoring advice to junior officers, further career planning, etc.))

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29. Please provide any additional feedback or comments that you’d like to include with your responses. (free text area)

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