IC Directors’ Meeting Highlights — Thursday, January 18, 2018

Announcements

Dr. Collins provided brief remarks regarding the potential lapse in funding and Federal government shutdown.  Dr. Collins also provided a summary from his weekly meeting with Department of Health and Human Services Acting Secretary Hargan, as well as a summary of the January 17, 2018, 2nd annual Congressional Reception for The Children’s Inn event in Washington, D.C. 

NIH Policy Against Sexual Harassment

Dr. Larry Tabak, Principal Deputy Director of NIH and Ms. Julie Berko, Acting Director, Office of Human Resources, presented on the NIH Policy Against Sexual Harassment.  Dr. Tabak and Ms. Berko outlined NIH’s efforts to develop and implement a NIH policy against sexual harassment, including establishing a working group to harmonize efforts among NIH leadership, Office of the Director offices, and stakeholders.  They also discussed a three-phased approach for addressing this important issue, including establishing a hotline for harassment allegations, developing an anti-sexual harassment policy, and creating approaches for implementing the anti-sexual harassment policy.  Dr. Tabak and Ms. Berko shared with the IC Directors a list of national and NIH-specific resources for individuals who need assistance, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the Divisions of Police, and the Employee Assistance Program.

Guest Speaker:  U.S. Surgeon General, Vice Admiral Jerome Adams, M.D., MPH

NIH welcomed U.S. Surgeon General, Vice Admiral Jerome Adams, M.D., MPH as the guest speaker at the IC Directors’ meeting.  Dr. Adams gave a brief overview of his professional life, including his time spent working at NIH.  He stressed the importance of maintaining a positive and productive relationship with NIH, particularly in regard to accomplishing his priorities of focusing on addiction as a public health crisis, especially with the opioid epidemic; building better partnerships to promote better health; and increasing outreach and communications to build trust and improve the health of the American people.  Dr. Adams complimented NIH on its continuing efforts and training programs in the field of health-related research, and asked for NIH’s continuing support and promotion of the Commissioned Corps, in both emergency situations and day-to-day activities.