1. Name
2. Purpose
3. Membership
4. Term of Appointment
5. Nomination Process
6. Duties of Officers
7. Operations and Procedures
8. Subcommittees and Liaisons
9. Rules of Order
10. Amendments

 

Article I

Name

The Optometry Professional Advisory Group shall be referred to as the OPAG.

Article II

Purpose

1. The purpose of the OPAG is to provide advice and consultation to the Office of the Surgeon General (OSG), through the Health Sciences Professional Advisory Committee (HSPAC) and Chief HS Officer on activities of all U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) optometrists.

The OPAG functions in a resource and advisory capacity to assist in the development, coordination, training, and evaluation of activities related to USPHS optometrists with the specific objectives of:

1. Identifying issues of interest and facilitating the resolution of concerns as they relate to the optometrists.
2. Assessing personnel needs of the USPHS as related to optometrists and assisting in meeting the needs relative to recruitment, retention, training, professional development, and utilization.
3. Assessing professional development needs and developing position statements, statistical reports, and/or guidelines, where appropriate, to advise and comment on matters relating to the personnel issues of USPHS optometrists and their practices.
4. Promoting cooperation and communication among and between other professional disciplines and optometrists.
5. Promoting all aspects of service delivered by optometrists throughout the agencies and programs of the USPHS.

Article III

Membership

Sec. 1

Basic Eligibility Requirement

In accordance with the OPAG Charter, members must be full-time Commissioned Corps (CC) officers at the time they are nominated and appointed to the OPAG, meet the eligibility requirements for initial appointment to the HS category and personnel systems. All CC personnel must meet the Readiness and Deployment Branch (RDB) basic readiness standards at the time they are nominated and appointed to the OPAG and throughout their term or service on the OPAG.

Sec. 2

Size of the OPAG

The OPAG shall have no fewer than 9 and no more than 14 voting members. The goal is to rotate on and off approximately six (6) Commissioned Officers (COs) each year.

Sec. 3

Organizational Representation

The OPAG will have the broadest representation possible among all agencies that are routinely staffed by Commissioned Corps optometrists of the HS category.

Sec. 4

Geographic Consideration

The OPAG will have as voting members at least two (2) individuals whose regular duty station is geographically removed by a minimum distance of 75 miles from the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area.

Sec. 5

Gender and Minority Representation

The OPAG will make a concerted effort to include both men and women and racial and ethnic minorities in the composition of its membership.

Sec. 6

Personnel System

The OPAG will make a concerted effort to include civil service personnel and tribal hire outside of awards.

Sec. 7

Liaison Members (non-voting)

The OPAG may identify individuals to serve in a liaison capacity to assist with activities.

Sec. 8

Volunteer Members (non-voting)

The OPAG welcomes individuals to serve in a volunteer capacity on OPAG subcommittees and workgroups and to assist with special projects and activities at the discretion of the OPAG Chair.

Article IV

Term of Appointment

Sec. 1

Initial Term: OPAG members will be selected for an initial two (2) year term. Terms will be staggered so that approximately one-half of the members’ terms will expire annually.

Reappointment: A member completing their term on OPAG is eligible for reappointment for one (1) additional two (2) year term after priority has been given to first time applicants.

Sec. 2

Alternates

Aware of the demands of the member's primary work responsibilities and the OPAG’s need to conduct business, OPAG has the option of establishing procedures to allow each voting member to appoint, and inform the Chair of, a single individual who can serve as his/her alternate. Such alternates shall have voting privileges when serving in the place of the primary member. It is the responsibility of the primary OPAG member to keep the alternate fully informed and knowledgeable of the OPAG’s activities. Additionally, alternates must meet all RDB basic readiness standards at the time they are nominated and appointed to OPAG and maintain readiness standards throughout their term or service on OPAG.

Sec. 3

Attendance

Members are expected to attend either in person, by telephone or by videoconference, a majority of OPAG meetings. Members are expected to have their alternate attend any meeting where they cannot be present. Any member of OPAG who misses more than 50% of meetings without just cause can, at the discretion of the OPAG Chair and in consultation with voting members, be asked to voluntarily resign from OPAG; or the OPAG Chair, in consultation with the voting members, can initiate a request to terminate the voting membership.

Article V

Nomination Process

Members of OPAG are nominated by other optometry professionals in the Public Health Service or self-nominated. The names of the nominee(s) are submitted to the existing OPAG members for a majority vote. They serve an initial two (2) year term in the organization. Should the need arise to fill an unexpired term, the vacancy shall be filled though this nomination process.

Article VI

Duties of Officers

Sec. 1

Chair

1. The Chair is responsible for leading the OPAG in fulfilling its mission to represent and advocate for the professional discipline of optometry and its commissioned officers, civil servants, contract, and tribal optometrists serving within the USPHS and affiliated services. The Chair’s duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: presiding at the meetings of the OPAG and working with the Secretary to coordinate the meeting agenda and agenda topics; being an ex-officio member of all subcommittees; monitoring all subcommittees functions and being instrumental in appointing members to subcommittees; attending OPAG meetings; meeting with OSG and Office of Public Health Support (OPHS) staff as needed to discuss issues related to the OPAG category; guiding efforts to influence policy development affecting Health Services personnel including utilization, training, recruitment, orientation, compensation, professionalism, and award recognition; providing advice and consultation to the Chief HSO on matters related to Optometry and personnel issues affecting Public Health Optometrists; establishing and maintaining close relationships with representatives from other PACs and PAGS within the HSO and consulting with those organizations as necessary to ensure the attainment of PHS objectives; representing the OPAG at Health Services functions at the biannual optometry meeting; orienting new OPAG members; signing appointment letters and letters of appreciation for those involved in subcommittees; ensuring the OPAG bylaws remain current and all other records and documents of the OPAG; maintaining the OPAG membership list comprised of email addresses, telephone numbers, facsimile numbers and e-mail addresses with the assistance of the Administrative Management subcommittee chair; maintaining formal copies of the OPAG meeting minutes with the assistance of the secretary; providing approval for website updates and announcements with the assistance of the Communications subcommittee chair; assisting the Awards subcommittee chair in OPAG award duties; assisting OPAG subcommittee chairs in their duties as necessary. The Chair will always act in the best interest of OPAG. The Chair will be elected by the voting membership of the OPAG.
2. Nomination: The Chair Elect will automatically be promoted to Chair after serving one term as Chair Elect, if possible. If the Chair Elect does not promote to Chair, then nominations will be gathered from the OPAG voting board. Self-nomination is allowed and encouraged
3. Term of the Chair: The Chair will serve a one (1) year term. The term is from November to following November.
4. Term of Appointment: If the term of the Chair coincides with the expiration of that individual’s membership on the OPAG, the Chair may serve one (1) additional year as an ex-officio member of the OPAG.

Sec. 2

Chair Elect

1. The primary duty of the Chair Elect is to acquaint themselves with the ongoing business of OPAG and the duties of the Chair. The Chair Elect will assist the Chair in the execution of OPAG business as described in Section 1 of this Article. These duties include representing the Chair at the OPAG meetings or OPAG-related meetings in their absence and actively participating with the Chair in fulfilling the OPAG mission. Chair Elect will automatically be promoted to Chair after serving one term if possible.
2. Term of the Chair Elect: The Chair Elect will serve a one (1) year term. The term is from November to following November.
3. Nomination: Will be gathered from the membership of the OPAG community. Self-nomination is allowed and encouraged

Sec. 3

Succession of Chair and Chair Elect

1. Should it ever arise that the OPAG Chair is unable to fulfill his/her term, the Chair Elect will fill the remainder of the Chair’s term, plus one (1) additional term (the Chair Elect’s originally scheduled term). A new Chair Elect will then be nominated and selected per Article (V) of these Bylaws.
2. Should it ever arise that both the OPAG Chair and the Chair Elect are unable to fulfill their terms, and if both leave office before they can be replaced per Article V, then a special OPAG election is held, and a new Chair and Chair Elect are nominated from and voted on by the general OPAG membership.

Sec. 4

Secretary

1. The Secretary is responsible for the OPAG records. The Secretary keeps an accurate record of the meetings and activities of the OPAG and is responsible for recording the OPAG member attendance at scheduled meetings. The Secretary also assists the OPAG Chair with orienting new OPAG members and officers in their duties and responsibilities and other administrative duties. The OPAG Secretary creates appointment letters and letters of appreciation for those involved in subcommittees and presentations, and distributes letters once signed by the OPAG Chair. The OPAG Secretary is a voting member of the OPAG Board. Additionally, they are to annually solicit, screen and nominate voting members on the OPAG.
2. Term of the Secretary: The Secretary will serve a one (1) year term. The term is from November to following November.
3. Nomination: Will be gathered from the membership of the OPAG community. Self-nomination is allowed and encouraged.

Article VII

Operations and Procedures

Sec. 1

OPAG shall begin the term of its operational year each November. Any changes to this schedule shall be reported to the OPAG Chair.

Sec. 2

The date and time of meetings are set by the OPAG Chair with agreement of the majority of the voting members. Meetings for the operational year will be scheduled at or prior to the first meeting of each operational year.

Sec. 3

The meeting agenda and appropriate background material are to be made available to the members at a reasonable time, at least several business days and preferably one week, prior to the start of the OPAG meeting. The OPAG Chair is responsible for the dissemination of these materials to all OPAG members.

Sec. 4

An Executive Secretary must be present at all OPAG meetings. If the regularly appointed Executive Secretary is absent, the OPAG Chair will appoint a temporary recorder from the officers present.

Sec. 5

Minutes of each OPAG meeting will be drafted and disseminated to all members of OPAG for corrections or comments no later than four (4) weeks after the meeting. Members have two (2) weeks to respond. OPAG meeting minutes are then formally adopted by vote at the next OPAG meeting. The OPAG Chair is responsible for the above time allotments.

Sec. 6

The OPAG Executive Secretary will maintain a permanent file of the official minutes and reports of the OPAG. OPAG minutes shall be published to the OPAG website within two weeks after being formally approved by the general OPAG membership. The Communication Subcommittee Chair is responsible for obtaining the OPAG minutes from the OPAG Chair and posting the OPAG minutes and any reports on the OPAG website.

Sec. 7

A quorum will consist of at least 50 percent attendance of voting members. This shall be in person, telephone or videoconference. An alternate attending in lieu of the member shall be counted in determining the quorum requirement.

Sec. 8

Where voting is required or appropriate, i.e., election of the Chair, action will be determined by a simple majority of those voting members present, either in person or by telephone or video conference.

Article VIII

Subcommittees and Liaisons

Sec. 1

Where the OPAG elects to establish standing or ad-hoc subcommittees/workgroups or liaison positions, said membership may include non–OPAG members provided that the chair of each standing subcommittee is a voting member of the OPAG. Under extenuating circumstances, the OPAG Chair has the authority to waive this requirement. The Chair of any ad-hoc subcommittee/workgroup or liaison does not need to be a member of the OPAG.

Sec. 2

The following is a list of the standing OPAG subcommittees; additions or deletions to this list must follow standard HSPAC guidelines including ratification by a simple majority; subcommittee chairs consist of OPAG Voting Members in good standing.

Administrative Management, Awards, Communications, Analytics, Policy and Procedures; Recruitment and Retention; Community Wellness and Events; Technical Readiness; Mentoring and Career Development

Sec. 3

All OPAG Subcommittee Chairs shall be appointed by the OPAG Chair on an as needed basis. OPAG Subcommittee Chairs are required to deliver both an electronic version and verbal Subcommittee Status Report at each OPAG meeting. Duties of each of the OPAG Subcommittees are found in the below sections.

Sec. 4

Administrative Management – committee charge

1. Maintain active OPAG Roster, with contact information for voting members.
2. Assist the OPAG secretary in soliciting new OPAG members and managing the voting member’s nomination and selection process.

Sec. 5

Awards Subcommittee - committee charge:

1. Serve as OPAG liaison to the HSPAC Awards Subcommittee.
2. Administer (announce, process applications, and recommend candidates) the Edward Hamilton, Lester Caplan, Richard Hatch Junior Optometrist, Student Award, and other awards as determined by the OPAG voting members. Complete this process prior to, and with enough time, to prepare and present awards at the annual COA/COF Symposium.

Sec. 6

Communications Subcommittee - committee charge:

1. Serve as OPAG liaison to the HSPAC Communications Subcommittee.
2. Ensure OPAG website remains up to date (ex: minutes, reports, and award recipients).

Sec. 7

Analytics Subcommittee - committee charge:

1. Serve as the OPAG liaison to the HSPAC Analytics subcommittee.
2. Develop, disseminate, and analyze surveys and other data from the OPAG.

Sec. 8

Policy and Procedures Subcommittee - committee charge:

1. Serve as the OPAG liaison to the HSPAC Policy and Procedures Subcommittee.
2. Annual Policy and Procedures Review, including Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and bylaws.
3. Disseminate status report to OPAG.

Sec. 9

Recruitment and Retention Subcommittee – committee charge:

1. Serve as the OPAG liaison to HSPAC Recruitment and Retention subcommittee.
2. Review the applications for potential candidates in partnership with HSPAC Recruitment and Retention subcommittee.
3. Field and answer questions for potential applicants.

Sec. 10

Community Wellness and Events Subcommittee - committee charge:

1. Foster professional relationships with the community through events and actions.
2. Provide presentations or answer questions when necessary.
3. Learn and share stakeholder and community engagement lessons from other PAGs.
4. Create processes and tools to track community activities.

Sec. 11

Technical Readiness Subcommittee - committee charge:

1. Serve as OPAG liaison to the HSPAC Readiness Subcommittee.
2. Maintain a deployable list of basic ready USPHS Commissioned Corps optometrists.
3. Provide and post trainings to USPHS Commissioned Corps optometrists to ensure they remain basic ready and are made aware of advanced readiness trainings and discipline-specific readiness trainings.

Sec. 12

Mentoring and Career Development Subcommittee – committee charge:

1. Serve as the OPAG liaison to the HSPAC Mentoring and Career Development Subcommittee.
2. Develop and disseminate aids that are designed to give new and junior officers the opportunity to receive career guidance.
3. Pair up junior officers (mentees) with senior officers (mentors) in such a way as to maximize the effectiveness of the mentoring process and maintain a database of paired officers.
4. Provide documentation annually for successful mentors for eOPF.
5. Periodically report to the HSPAC the numbers of new and existing active mentoring pairs.
6. Seek and maintain a pool of senior officers willing to serve as mentors.
7. Provide guidance and training to senior officers/mentors in order to make the mentee/mentor relationship more effective.

Sec. 13

The following may be served by liaison representation:

Armed Forces Optometric Society (AFOS), American Academy of Optometry (AAO), American Optometric Association (AOA), Armed Forces Optometric Society Abstract Coordinator, Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Commissioned Officers Association (COA), Federal Drug Administration (FDA), PHS Junior Officer Advisory Group (JOAG), American Public Health Association (APHA) Vision Care, PHS Health Services Associate Recruiter Lead & Applicant Placement Program, Prevention through Active Community Engagement (PACE), HSPAC, and RDB. Liaisons may be added or deleted as needed by ratification of a simple majority.

Sec. 14

Liaisons are asked to represent OPAG to the respective organizations and deliver both an electronic and verbal status report at each OPAG meeting

Article IX

Rules of Order

The general procedure of meetings of the OPAG shall follow the “Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised” on parliamentary procedure insofar as they do not conflict with any provisions of the OPAG Charter and these Bylaws

Article X

Amendments

These bylaws may be amended verbally at any meeting of the OPAG, at the discretion of the OPAG Chair, with the unanimous consent of the members present and with approval by the HSPAC Policy and Procedures Subcommittee. Otherwise, such amendments must be proposed in writing by a member at the meeting immediately preceding that at which the amendment is to be voted. The OPAG committee will amend the Bylaws and will distribute copies to all OPAG members and request they be posted to the OPAG website.