Task Force on Vaping – Charter

Refer to: OCPS

1. PURPOSE. This circular will establish the charter for the Indian Health Service (IHS or Agency) Task Force on Vaping (TFOV) to provide guidance to address an emerging health issue on e-cigarettes and vaping associated with lung injuries (EVALI). The purpose of the TFOV is to:
   1. Improve assessment and documentation of e-cigarettes and vape users;
   2. Monitor cases of lung injuries associated with e-cigarettes and vape users; and
   3. Provide culturally appropriate educational materials focusing on e-cigarettes and vaping.
2. MEMBERSHIP.
   1. Membership on the TFOV will be comprised of IHS employees and will include the following:
      1. IHS Director of Pharmacovigilance, IHS National Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee
      2. IHS Medical Officer, Division of Patient Safety, Office of Quality
      3. IHS Chief Health Informatics Officer, Office of Information Technology
      4. IHS Deputy Director, Office of Clinical & Preventive Services
      5. IHS Director, Division of Epidemiology and Disease Prevention
      6. IHS Maternal Child Health Consultant, Office of Clinical & Preventive Services
      7. IHS Public Health Nurse Consultant, IHS Area Office
      8. IHS Public Health Advisor, Health Promotion/Disease Prevention
   2. PARTICIPATION. TFOV members are expected to attend meetings either in person or virtually. At the discretion of the Chair, any member missing four or more meetings per year will be reviewed for replacement.
   3. COLLABORATION AND CONSULTATION. The IHS will collaborate and consult with the following agencies:
      1. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), Office of Smoking and Health and CDC Lung Injury Response Team; and
      2. Other agencies as needed.
3. APPOINTMENTS. The IHS CMO will appoint the TFOV Chair and Secretary. Each position will serve for two years and may be reappointed for additional terms at the discretion of the IHS CMO.
4. ROLES.
   1. Chief Medical Officer (CMO), IHS. The IHS CMO provides overall direction and sets priorities for the TFOV.
   2. Director, OCPS. The Director, OCPS, provides Agency clearance for all TFOV work plans, activities, and related items.
   3. Chair. The Chair leads and directs activities of the TFOV by developing an annual work plan and strategic directions for long-term goals as set forth by the IHS CMO.
   4. Secretary. The Secretary develops and maintains records for the TFOV, including agendas and minutes, schedules meetings, manages general correspondence, and acts as a liaison to other IHS committees and groups.
5. RESIGNATIONS. TFOV members may request to resign by submitting a request in writing to the TFOV Chair. The TFOV Chair may recommend the replacement of any member with four consecutive unexcused absences.
6. VOTES ON MOTION. A simple majority of votes will determine the acceptance or rejection of a given motion. In the event of a tie vote, the TFOV Chair will cast a vote for the motion to proceed or not proceed.
7. RESPONSIBILITIES.
   1. Director, OCPS. It is the responsibility of the Director, OCPS, to:
      1. Ensure the TFOV has appropriate access to the IHS CMO and other key management staff;
      2. Keep the TFOV informed of decisions or concerns made by IHS Senior Leadership, including the IHS Director, the IHS CMO, and the Director of OCPS, and/or national priorities from other federal agencies, departments, or offices related to TFOV activities;
      3. Provide coordination among TFOV members regarding related activities and other federal, tribal, and urban Indian key stakeholders; and
      4. Assign support staff to prepare meeting minutes, agendas, schedule conference call lines, virtual meetings, and other support items for the TFOV Chair and Secretary.
   2. Chair. It is the Chair's responsibility to:
      1. Preside over all meetings and conference calls;
      2. Establish and activate ad-hoc committees to research, take action, and report on specific TFOV concerns;
      3. Coordinate tasks and reports among workgroups; and
      4. Coordinate tasks and reports among members of the TFOV.
   3. Secretary. It is the Secretary's responsibility to:
      1. Assume the duties of the Chair in the event of his or her absence;
      2. Coordinate the preparation of monthly meeting agendas; and
      3. Record, maintain and distribute meeting minutes to the members.
   4. TFOV Members. It is the TFOV members’ responsibility to:
      1. Attend and participate in monthly TFOV meetings;
      2. Identify requirements for the development of Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED) codes to enhance monitoring within the Resource and Patient Management System (RPMS) Electronic Health Record (EHR);
      3. Collaborate with CDC and other agencies to develop, promote, and disseminate culturally appropriate educational materials focusing on e-cigarettes and vaping;
      4. Identify strategies to enhance assessment, documentation, and referral of tobacco users within RPMS EHR;
      5. Identify options to capture vaping (nicotine and non-nicotine) for reporting through the National Data Warehouse;
      6. Report on follow up action items that are assigned from prior meetings;
      7. Designate workgroups and primary leads to provide direction to accomplish the annual work plan, and set strategic directions to accomplish the goals and objectives as outlined in the TFOV annual work plan;
      8. Serve as liaison(s) to other HHS agencies to address new issues as needed; and
      9. Contribute to the development of agendas for general, annual, and special meetings of the TFOV.
8. MEETINGS.
   1. Scheduled Meetings. The TFOV will meet monthly to review follow-up actions needed and assigned from the prior meeting(s).
   2. Ad-Hoc Meetings. Other ad-hoc meetings may be held for specific purposes as needed and as resources allow.
   3. Listening Sessions. The TFOV may seek advice from members of the public on an individual basis during listening sessions. Listening sessions will be held on an as-needed basis.
9. Supersedure. None.
10. Effective Date. This circular is effective on the date of signature.
/Michael D. Weahkee/
RADM Michael D. Weahkee, MBA, MHSA
Assistant Surgeon General, U.S. Public Health Service
Director, Indian Health Service