The LymeX.Crowdicity.com space is inclusive of different ideas and perspectives. Please act and engage with an open mind and courteous language. We encourage participation and views from the community and ask that participants comply with the comment policy we have set. Our policy represents how we want site visitors to engage with us and with each other. In some cases, our moderators will need to withhold comments or ideas that do not align with our comment policy set forth below. Additionally, our moderators will withhold comments or ideas that include personally identifiable information beyond name and email address. The views expressed within posted comments do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or the federal government.
RESPECT: Everyone is valued
We respect all people, treating them and their diverse experiences and perspectives with dignity, courtesy, and openness. We only ask that those we encounter in this mission return the same favor to us. Differing viewpoints are always encouraged with the acknowledgment that inclusivity and diversity of minority views will only strengthen and improve the quality of our collective efforts in the long term.
INNOVATION: Shifting paradigms. Finding a better way.
We strive to have an open mind and think out of the box. We keep what works and change what doesn't. We will transform outdated paradigms when necessary to improve every American's health and quality of life.
HONESTY/INTEGRITY: Find the truth. Tell the truth.
We are honest, civil, and ethical in our conduct, speech, and interactions with our colleagues and collaborators. We expect our people to be humble but not reticent and question the status quo whenever the data and the evidence support such questions. We pledge to be objective, not manipulate facts and data to a particular end or agenda, and acknowledge and speak the truth.
EXCELLENCE: Quality, real-world evidence underlies decision-making.
We seek out rigorous, evidence-based, data-driven, and human-centered insights and innovations—including physician and patient experiences—that we believe are essential for scientific and medical breakthroughs. We foster an environment of excellence that strives to achieve the highest ethical and professional standards and values the development of everyone's skills, knowledge, and experience.
COMPASSION: Finding solutions to relieve suffering.
We listen carefully with compassion and an open heart to find solutions that relieve the suffering of others. We promise to work tirelessly to serve the greater good until that goal is achieved.
COLLABORATION: Work with citizens and patients as partners.
The best results and outcomes won't be created behind closed doors, but will be co-created in the open with the American public's input. We actively listen to the patient experiences shared with us, respect the lived experiences of patients and their advocates, and learn from their experiences in our pursuit of objective truth. We communicate effectively across diverse audiences and collaborate extensively to identify shared goals and leverage resources for maximum public health impact.
ACCOUNTABILITY: Taking responsibility.
As diligent stewards of the public trust and the funds provided by our fellow citizens, we pledge to be transparent in all of our proceedings and honor our commitments to ourselves and others while taking full responsibility for our actions in service to the American people.
Participants retain ownership of all intellectual property rights in the code and product submitted to as well as developed on LymeX.Crowdicity.com, subject to the licenses referenced herein. Employees of the U.S. Government submitting works as part of their official duties retain no copyright in their work, and their work is in the public domain in the U.S. Participants represent that they are the sole author or owner of, or have the right to use, any copyrightable works that their submission comprises, that the works are wholly original with the participant (or is an improved version of an existing work that the participant has sufficient rights to use and improve), and that the submission does not infringe any copyright or any other rights of any third party of which participant is aware. In addition, each participant grants to HHS an irrevocable, paid-up, royalty-free non exclusive worldwide license to reproduce, publish, post link to, share, and display publicly (e.g., on websites) the submission. Each participant also represents that submissions are free of security threats and/or malware. Participants agree that their submissions will be open source and can be reused by the public.
Please contact LymeInnovation@hhs.gov if you have questions or need more information.