Questions about technical ratings for Health Services Officer

Started by DonBartlett, February 01, 2020, 06:13:00 PM

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DonBartlett

Greetings all,

I would like to inquire about some items related to the Professional Development requirements and regulations associated with being a Health Services Officer.

I have been assigned as my Squadron's Health Services Officer. I am currently a certified Washington State EMT, and am also an Assistant Fire Chief in my day-today life. As such, I was provided the opportunity for early rank to 2d Lt. upon approval based on CAPF35-5.

Currently, I am in the process of completing the requirements of Officer Level II. Part of that process includes becoming a minimum of a "Technician" in your specialty track field. In looking this up, there is no offical specialty track course for Track 220, Health Services Officer.

I did locate a proposed new curriculum/guide that is on the net, but I do not believe it is official as of yet.

Here it is:

https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/DO08_F_Effecitvely_Utilizing_Health_253ABB8278DDF.pdf

I believe at some point I read that the actual "Technician" rating was achieved by simply being the Health Services Officer and that additional levels such as Senior required you to be a paramedic, and a Master rating was a physician.

Essentially, my point or question is this: Do I qualify as having a "technician" rating (Pertaining to typical Professional Development requirements to become one of the three levels of mastery: Technician, Senior, Master- such as an Emergency Services Officer, or a Safety Officer, etc.) as an EMT and the Heath Services Officer?

I very much appreciate any inputs,and/or assistance with this topic.

Have a great day.





Eclipse

So from the get from you should understand that there really is no functional
Health Service Track in CAP.  Despite rhetoric and various pubs in draft, there simply isn't.
CAP has been dancing around trying to find a way to use medical professionals, but until they can get past
the "not a medical provider, basic First Aid only" stance, there's nowhere they can go.

The duties prescribed are no different then any other member or parent can perform,
and you'll find that many, possibly most unit don't have HSOs.

Encampments and large-scale, in-residence activities are a slightly different proposition,
but an area where once must tread lightly to not cross the lines (BTDT).

With that said, you don't need to worry about the Specialty Track Ratings:

CAPR 35-5, Page 3:
https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/R035_005_22_November_2016_ICL_1908_AB80D1313C7C5.pdf
"1.2.1.4. Professional Appointments. Chaplains, health services personnel, legal officers,
professional educators serving as aerospace education officers and financial professionals serving as
finance officers at the wing or region level are eligible for initial appointment and subsequent promotion
under the provisions of section 5."


Page 14:
"5.1.3. Health Services Personnel. A health professional/technician who possesses the qualifications
set forth in CAPR 160-1, The CAP Health Service Program."


See page 17:
"5.4.1.1. Health service personnel are exempt from professional development requirements after Level I."

Which means you have to fulfill all the other requirements except for the specialty track to be promoted.
(Time in grade, other staff service, etc.)  See a old CAPF 24 for details.
https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/F024_6686050099324.pdf

If you're pinning your hopes on a fulfilling experience in CAP solely as an HSO,
you really should look to other areas of participation. No harm or foul doing what you
can in that regard, but yo are likely to be very frustrated as the lack of approved functions,
especially at the unit level.

"That Others May Zoom"

LSThiker

Quote from: DonBartlett on February 01, 2020, 06:13:00 PMGreetings all,

I would like to inquire about some items related to the Professional Development requirements and regulations associated with being a Health Services Officer.

I have been assigned as my Squadron's Health Services Officer. I am currently a certified Washington State EMT, and am also an Assistant Fire Chief in my day-today life.



If you a member in Facebook, there is an unofficial Civil Air Patrol Health Services group. The group are all HSOs and discuss these things along with other relevant information. It is a good group without the general negativity and uniform posts that are prevalent in CAPTalk discussions.

Ed Bos

The Health Service Specialty Track is in final revision and will be released when it's through the approval process.

HSOs will have training and responsibilities that will allow them to apply some of their professional experience to support CAP's 3 missions.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
EDWARD A. BOS, Lt Col, CAP
Email: edward.bos(at)orwgcap.org
PCR-OR-001

Ed Bos

Quote from: Eclipse on February 01, 2020, 08:29:33 PMSo from the get from you should understand that there really is no functional
Health Service Track in CAP.  Despite rhetoric and various pubs in draft, there simply isn't.
CAP has been dancing around trying to find a way to use medical professionals, but until they can get past
the "not a medical provider, basic First Aid only" stance, there's nowhere they can go.

The duties prescribed are no different then any other member or parent can perform,
and you'll find that many, possibly most unit don't have HSOs.

Encampments and large-scale, in-residence activities are a slightly different proposition,
but an area where once must tread lightly to not cross the lines (BTDT).

With that said, you don't need to worry about the Specialty Track Ratings:

CAPR 35-5, Page 3:
https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/R035_005_22_November_2016_ICL_1908_AB80D1313C7C5.pdf
"1.2.1.4. Professional Appointments. Chaplains, health services personnel, legal officers,
professional educators serving as aerospace education officers and financial professionals serving as
finance officers at the wing or region level are eligible for initial appointment and subsequent promotion
under the provisions of section 5."


Page 14:
"5.1.3. Health Services Personnel. A health professional/technician who possesses the qualifications
set forth in CAPR 160-1, The CAP Health Service Program."


See page 17:
"5.4.1.1. Health service personnel are exempt from professional development requirements after Level I."

Which means you have to fulfill all the other requirements except for the specialty track to be promoted.
(Time in grade, other staff service, etc.)  See a old CAPF 24 for details.
https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/F024_6686050099324.pdf

If you're pinning your hopes on a fulfilling experience in CAP solely as an HSO,
you really should look to other areas of participation. No harm or foul doing what you
can in that regard, but yo are likely to be very frustrated as the lack of approved functions,
especially at the unit level.

These regulations have proposed changes to incorporate the new HSO training.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
EDWARD A. BOS, Lt Col, CAP
Email: edward.bos(at)orwgcap.org
PCR-OR-001

Fubar

Quote from: Ed Bos on February 10, 2020, 12:29:54 AMHSOs will have training and responsibilities that will allow them to apply some of their professional experience to support CAP's 3 missions.

This has to be the hard part to put into action with medical professionals having such diverse areas of expertise. I mean, how do you come up with a program where EMTs, nurses, dentists, and physicians all can equally be experts? Toss on top of that CAP's legitimate fear of medical liability preventing anyone in CAP from doing anything medical (except to save a life) and it's a handcuffed concept.

It's sort of like telling a certified accountant that they can't use all their knowledge as director of finance. It must be enormously frustrating.

I know there are HSOs out there chomping at the bit to be helpful (and some helping in a manner which is contraindicated by our regulations), hopefully the new HSO regulation will solve some of these issues.