| DPH memo | |
| 1) New FOIA requirements - see Donna's memo. Requests for public records
(verbal or written) must now be submitted to the Governor's office prior to
completion.
Since many of you are newer to the DPH arena, there are certain limitations (as well as requirements) that apply to requests for written materials (and also to your distribution of certain materials that may be considered confidential). Any requests for written materials MUST be sent to my office for processing under FOIA. There are many restrictions on release of materials under the Emergency Preparedness program in particular. Karen and Katie are well-versed in responding to FOIAs and can help you if I am not available. Katie is our privacy liaison. We have attorney's assigned to each program that can be consulted if you have a question. There are some special confidentiality restrictions that apply to anything related to the HRSA programs. You must contact your supervisor before releasing any materials that could be considered FOIA requests, or protected information. I have asked Lisa to help with overall coordination on the HRSA side, so let her know if you have questions. Priscilla Fox is our DPH emergency preparedness attorney, but there are others that are familiar with the new sections that protect HRSA information. I want to make very sure that all of you are aware that no materials identifying individual hospitals or any other entity are to be made public under the HRSA program. All of the contracted and non-contracted employees are going to be given confidentiality statements to sign shortly (Priscilla will help draft) in order to have access to such documents as the recently completed questionnaires. Derrick and Tom and Leslie who are not DPH employees may be considered "agents" of DPH and will fall under those same rules should they wish to have access to identifiable data. 2) Speaking or making public comments to Groups or at Programs where media MAY be present.... PLEASE DO NOT SHOOT THE MESSENGER! If any of you are scheduled to speak at a meeting or conference of ANY type about ANYTHING that media MAY be present at you must send a copy of your comments or an outline of your presentation or your slides IN ADVANCE to Lewis Howe who will forward them to EOHHS. To make this more complicated, even if you are NOT a listed speaker, but are going to attend a meeting that MAY have media present and MAY either be called upon or offer a comment or ask a question, you must notify Lewis in advance. I am copying Lewis on this so you have his email address, and he can interject if there is anything else to be said. |
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