Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 68 / Wednesday, April 9, 1997 / Notices 17285

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–9096 Filed 4–8–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Customs Service

[T.D. 97–21]

Recordation of Trade Name: ‘‘Phase II’’

AGENCY: U.S. Customs Service,

Department of the Treasury.

SUMMARY: On Tuesday, January 28,

1997, a notice of application for the

recordation under section 42 of the Act

of July 5, 1946, as amended (15 U.S.C.

1124), of the trade name ‘‘PHASE II,’’

used by Phase II Machine and Tool, Inc.,

a corporation organized under the laws

of the State of New Jersey, located at 14

Caesar Place, Moonachie, New Jersey

07074, was published in the Federal

Register (62 FR 4094). The notice

advised that before final action was

taken on the application, consideration

would be given to any relevant data,

views, or arguments submitted in

writing by any person in opposition to

the recordation and received not later

than March 31, 1997. No responses were

received in opposition to the notice.

Accordingly, as provided in § 133.14,

Customs Regulations (19 CFR 133.14),

the name ‘‘PHASE II,’’ is recorded as the

trade name used by Phase II Machine

and Tool Inc., located at 14 Caesar

Place, Moonachie, New Jersey 07074.

The trade name is used in connection

with advertising, business cards,

stationery. The merchandise is

manufactured all over the world, but

primarily Asia.

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 9, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Delois P. Johnson, Intellectual Property

Rights Branch, 1301 Constitution

Avenue, NW., (Franklin Court),

Washington, D.C. 20229 (202–482–

6960).

Dated: April 3, 1997.

John F. Atwood,

Chief, Intellectual Property Rights Branch.

[FR Doc. 97–8977 Filed 4–8–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4820–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS

Privacy Act of 1974, Amendment of

Routine Use

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice of amendment of routine

use.

SUMMARY: As required by the Privacy

Act of 1974 notice is hereby given that

the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

is amending a routine use statement that

appears in the system of records,

77VA11, Health Care Provider

Credentialing and Privileging Records–

VA.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to

submit written comments, suggestions,

or objections regarding the proposed

amendment to the routine uses. All

relevant materials received before May

9, 1997, will be considered. All written

comments received will be available for

public inspection at the Office of

Regulations Management, Room 1158, at

the address given below, between the

hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday

through Friday (except holidays). If no

public comment is received during the

30-day review period allowed for public

comment or unless otherwise published

in the Federal Register by VA, the

routine use amendment is effective May

9, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Written comments

concerning the routine use amendment

may be mailed to the Director, Office of

Regulations Management (02D),

Department of Veterans Affairs, 810

Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

20420.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ruth-Ann Phelps, Ph.D., Health Systems

Specialist, Office of the Under Secretary

For Health, Patient Care Services, (202)

273–8473.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On July 27, 1990, the Department

published original notice of the system

of records (77VA11) at 55 FR 30790.

This system of records was re-published

in its entirety on June 13, 1991 at 56 FR

27292. Routine use number 19, and the

retention and disposal statement were

amended on July 30, 1993 at 58 FR

40852. This proposal intends to amend

routine use number 6 in order to adhere

to a change in VA policy as set forth

below. The proposed amendment is not

within the purview of subsection (r) of

the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a), as

amended, which would require the

submission of a new or altered system

report.

Policy

The Department of Veterans Affairs

(VA) is amending its policy regarding

initiating reporting to State Licensing

Boards to include current VA employees

who are licensed health care

professionals. Therefore, VA proposes to

add the words ‘‘currently employed’’ by

amendment to routine use number 6 of

the System of Records, 77VA11, Health

Care Provider Credentialing and

Privileging Records, where the existing

release authority is contained. VA has

long had a policy of initiating

communications with other Federal

Agencies, appropriate State Licensing

Boards, and appropriate nongovernmental entities about the

professional performance history of

former licensed health care

professionals. This includes those who

have been terminated for any reason, or

who have resigned or retired and whose

behavior or clinical practice so

substantially failed to meet generally

accepted standards of clinical practice

as to raise reasonable concern for the

safety of patients. This policy is

contained in 58 FR 48455, September

16, 1993, further explained at 38 CFR

part 47, and is recognized by Congress

in Section 204 of Pub. L. 99–166.

While VA has responded to inquiries

from appropriate State Licensing Boards

about the professional practice of its

current employees, it has generally

restricted its initiation of

communications to State Licensing

Boards regarding professional practice

standards to former licensed health care

employees. Generally, concerns about

clinical practice standards or behavior

of current VA licensed health care

professionals are addressed under

traditional management methods such

as mentorships, proctorships, coreviews and other controls designed to

insure patient safety. The scope of these

procedures, however, is limited to VA

supervised or controlled provision of

health care services and does not

consider, those licensed health care

professionals who, in addition to their

VA employment, either full-time or

part-time, may be providing health care

services outside of VA in a jurisdiction

where they are licensed. This is the

basis for making current VA licensed

health care professionals subject to the

same VA initiated reporting

requirements that have long existed for

former VA licensed health care

employees. Further, extending this

reporting practice is consistent with

VA’s commitment to promote patient

safety in the health care community at

large and is consistent with reporting

practices in private sector health care

facilities.

Authority

VA has broad authority to report both

employed or separated health care

professionals. VA has long-standing

statutory authority, contained in 38