Membership

The National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) serves as the statutory public advisory body to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the areas of health data, data privacy, standards, statistics, national health information policy, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

NCVHS was established in 1949 as a federal advisory committee in response to a recommendation by the World Health Organization that all governments create such advisory groups. NCVHS provides a bridge between government and the health industry, research, public health communities, and connections to those working on health information policy in other countries.

Appointment of Members

The members, who come from all regions of the U.S., are selected from among professionals who have distinguished themselves as researchers, educators, and practitioners in in the fields of:

The current members of the Committee are posted in the membership section of the NCVHS website, and a brief biography of each member is linked to their names.

• The HHS Secretary appoints 16 of the 18 members to 4-year terms. This term may be renewed one time.
• One member is appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and one member is appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate, for 4-year terms, renewable in accordance with the respective chamber’s rules.

The Department does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

Membership Expectations

Serving on NCVHS provides members an opportunity to collaborate with other national experts in advising the Secretary on current and critical issues that affect the health and well-being of Americans. Members apply their expertise to assess and study significant policy challenges, identify opportunities for new or revised policies, and recommend actions based on this work.

Committee membership entails participation in 5-8 full-day public meetings of the full Committee each year, active participation in monthly planning meetings, contributing to development of issue briefs, and drafting recommendations for consideration by the full Committee. To facilitate the Committee’s work, members typically participate on one or more subcommittees or workgroups. Subcommittees and workgroups occasionally convene hearings and listening sessions between full Committee meetings to obtain input from relevant stakeholders as part of studying issues prior to developing recommendations. Some members may be invited to serve as co-chair of a Subcommittee or workgroup and serve on the Executive Subcommittee, which steers the Committee collaboratively with the NCVHS Chair.

Membership Requirements

• Nominees must be U.S. citizens
• Nominees may not be full-time employees of the U.S. Government.
• Selection of members is based on candidates’ qualifications to contribute to the needs and current- to medium-term focus of Committee activity. [Note: the need for particular subject matter expertise or economic, educational, geographic, and other demographic diversity varies from year-to-year. Candidates not selected in one year may be reconsidered in a subsequent year.]
• Committee members are considered Special Government Employees (SGEs), requiring the filing of financial disclosure reports at the beginning of their tenure and annually during their terms.

Nomination of New Members

To nominate yourself, please submit all of the following by email to NCVHSmail@cdc.gov:

• Cover letter that includes a statement of interest in serving on NCVHS and describes your experience and background that would contribute to the Committee’s base of expertise, perspectives and diversity.
• Current resume or curriculum vitae, including complete contact information (telephone number, mailing address, e-mail address) in MS Word or PDF format.
• Short Biographical Sketch, including top 3-5 areas of expertise.
• Names and contact information for at least two professional references familiar with the candidates work experience and expertise. (Candidates may submit references from current HHS employees if they wish, but at least one reference must be submitted by a person not employed by HHS, e.g., AHRQ, ASPE CDC, FDA, HRSA, OCR, NIH, etc.)

To nominate another individual, please provide items outlined in #1 and #2 above and a Statement of Support in lieu of a Statement of Interest. We will contact candidates for an additional reference if not provided in the Statement of Support.

HHS will acknowledge receipt of all submissions.