System name: Medical Reserve Corps Unit Information, HHS/OPHS/OSG
Security classification: None
System location: System manager is located in Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)
program office, Office of Force Readiness and Deployment (OFRD), Office of the
Surgeon General (OSG), Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS), Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS), 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 18C-14, Rockville,
MD 20857. Website server is located in Z-Tech Corporation, 1803 Research
Boulevard., Suite 301, Rockville, MD 20850.
Categories of individuals covered by the system: Medical Reserve Corps
leaders who have registered their units with the OSG/MRC program office. MRC
volunteers who have indicated their willingness/ability to be utilized outside their
local jurisdiction.
Categories of records in the system: The collected information will include,
but is not limited to name of unit, community/jurisdiction served, defining
characteristics and population of jurisdiction, name and type of sponsoring
organization, contact information for primary contacts (name, mailing address,
phone number, e-mail address, website address), emergency contact information
for MRC unit leader (phone number, e-mail address), description of MRC unit,
activation procedure, unit goals and objectives, unit activities and
accomplishments, unit partnerships and affiliations, information on MRC unit’s
volunteers, including but not limited to names, contact information, medical or
public health specialty, license information, and total number of volunteers,
description of volunteer recruitment activities, description of credentialing process,
description of training, description of policies and procedures, forms, partnership
agreements, organizational charts, and any other organizational documents, and
photographs of MRC unit/volunteers involved in exercises, deployments, or other
activities.
Authority for maintenance of the system: The MRC program is authorized by
sections 311(c)(1) and 319A of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, 42
U.S.C sections 243(c)(1) and 247d-1.
Purpose(s):
the purpose of this system is to collect and maintain information about MRC units,
including unit demographics, contact information (regular and emergency),
volunteer numbers, activity updates and samples of best practices/lessons learned.
MRC unit leaders are asked to update this information at least quarterly. In
addition, information pertaining to MRC members who are able and willing to be
utilized outside their local jurisdiction will be collected, as a “PHS Auxiliary”
component of the MRC is being developed to further meet White House
recommendations.
Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories of
users and the purposes of such uses: The Privacy Act allows for disclosure of
information without an individual’s consent if the information is to be used for a
purpose that is compatible with the purpose(s) for which the information was
collected. Any such compatible use of data is known as a “routine use.” The
following proposed routine uses in this system meet the compatibility requirement
of the Privacy Act:
1. Disclosure may be made to U.S. Government employees in order to accomplish
the purposes for which the records are collected. The users are required to
comply with the requirements of the Privacy Act with respect to such records.
2. Disclosure may be made to contractors, consultants or grantees, who have
been engaged by the Department to assist with the MRC program and who need
access to the records in order to perform the activity.
3. Disclosure may be made to a congressional office from the record of any
individual in response to an inquiry from the congressional office made at the
request of that individual.
4. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may disclose information
from this system of records to the Department of Justice, or to a court or other
tribunal, when (a) HHS, or any component thereof; or (b) any HHS employee in
his or her official capacity; or (c) any HHS employee in his or her individual
capacity where the Department of Justice (or HHS, where it is authorized to do
so) has agreed to represent the employee; or (d) the United States or any
agency thereof where HHS determines that the litigation is likely to affect HHS or
any of its components, is a party to litigation, and HHS determines that the use of
such records by the Department of Justice, court or other tribunal is relevant and
necessary to the litigation and would help in the effective representation of the
governmental party, provided, however, that in each case HHS determines that
such disclosure is compatible with the purpose for which the records were collected.
Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining, and
disposing of records in the system:
Storage: Records are maintained in file folders and in computer data files.
Retrievability: The collected data are retrieved by MRC unit name.
Safeguards: Authorized users: Access to records is limited to MRC program staff,
and contractors, consultants or grantees who have been engaged by the
Department to assist with the MRC program and who need access to the records in
order to perform the activity.
Physical safeguards: All computer equipment and files are stored in areas where fire
and life safety codes are strictly enforced. All documents are protected on a 24-hour
basis. Perimeter security includes intrusion alarms, on-site guard force, random
guard patrol, passcard/combination controls, and receptionist controlled area.
Computer networks and web-accessible systems are password protected.
Procedural safeguards: A password is required to access computer files. System
users protect information from public view and from unauthorized personnel entering
an unsupervised area. Access to records is limited to authorized personnel.
Technical safeguards: Computer networks and web-accessible systems are
password protected. All computers have virus protection/detection software in
place.
Retention and disposal: Records may be retired to a Federal Records Center and
subsequently disposed of in accordance with the OPHS records control schedule.
The records control schedule and disposal standard for these records may be
obtained by writing to the System Manager at the address below.
System manager and address: Director, Medical Reserve Corps Program, Office of
the Surgeon General, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 5600
Fishers Lane, Room 18C-14, Rockville, MD 20857.
Notification procedure: To determine if a record exists, write to the System
Manager at the address above. The requester must verify his or her identify by
providing either a notarization of the request or a written certification that the
requester is who he or she claims to be and understands that the knowing and
willful request for acquisition of a record pertaining to an individual under false
pretenses is a criminal offense under the Act subject to a fine.
Record access Procedure: To obtain access to a record, write to the System
Manager at the address above. Requesters should provide the same information
as is required under the Notification Procedures. Requesters should also
reasonable specify the record contents being sought.
Contesting Record Procedures: To contest the contents of a record, write to the
System Manager at the address above, reasonably identify the record, and specify
the information being contested, the corrective action sought, and your reasons
for requesting the correction. Include supporting information to show how the
record is inaccurate, incomplete, untimely, or irrelevant.
Record Source Categories: Data is collected from the MRC unit leaders and MRC
volunteers who have indicated their willingness/ability to be utilized outside their
local jurisdiction.
Systems Exempted from Certain Provisions of the Act: None