Happy Holidays from the COA Staff, COA Board of Directors,

and COF Board of Trustees!

Welcome to the website of the Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service. COA is dedicated to improving and protecting the public health of the United States by addressing unmet health needs and providing support for more than 7,000 members.

COA protects the interests of the Commissioned Corps officers of the U.S. Public Health Service, who are leaders in the realms of public and global health. Recent achievements in legislative advocacy include the Senate passing of amendments that will fix the Survivor Benefit Plan and provide for concurrent receipt of military retiree pay and VA disability compensation. The association also provides educational opportunities such as the U.S. Public Health Service Professional Conference, held annually.

Top Ten Reasons for Including PHS Officers in GI Bill 'Transferability'

Over the next several days, we will be posting COA's own Top Ten Reasons for Including PHS Officers in GI Bill 'Transferability.'  Feel free to use any or all of them as you write to your own U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative. Click here for our letter-writing tips and sample letters.  Please check back after the new year, for the list of all 10 reasons.  Here is reason #8:

USPHS officers are defined as veterans [42 USC §213(d) and 38 USC §101(21)(B)]. As veterans, they have been eligible for every GI bill program for more than 60 years. 

Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship Program is Now Accepting Applications

12/07/2009 - The National Military Family Association is accepting applications for its Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship Program. Scholarships of up to $1,000 are awarded to military spouses to obtain professional certification or to attend post secondary or graduate school. The program consists of a general scholarship, a scholarship for spouses of the wounded, and a scholarship for spouses of the fallen. Thanks to a partnership with the Fisher House Foundation, Folds of Honor Foundation, and BAE Systems, the Association is able to provide scholarships to a larger number of deserving military spouses.

Applications will only be accepted online at www.militaryfamily.org/scholarships and must be submitted by midnight January 31, 2010. Spouses of uniformed service members (active duty, National Guard and Reserve, retirees, and survivors) of any branch or rank are eligible to apply. The scholarship funds may be used to assist with tuition, fees, and school room and board.

The National Military Family Association recognizes that unique challenges like frequent moves and deployments can interfere with military spouses' ability to complete their education. In order to help spouses reach their career and educational goals, the Association has created a web portal stocked with military spouse education resources and information. Visit www.militaryfamily.org/get-info/spouse-education to access the information.

50 Year History of the Indian Health Service, "Caring & Curing" has Been Published!

10/07/2009 - The PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation's third book has been published!! Caring & Curing: A History of the Indian Health Service is written by James P. Rife, a senior historian with History Associates, and CAPT Alan J. Dellapenna, Jr., USPHS of the Indian Health Service. This thoroughly researched volume chronicles the history of Indian Heath Service (IHS) from its earliest beginnings, as part of the Department of the Interior, through multiple reorganizations including the 1955 transfer to the U.S. Public Health Service. Focusing upon the intense, often shifting political, tribal, and healthcare dynamics; Caring & Curing traces IHS's evolution over time. The book follows the agency through myriad trials and triumphs in its long-running fight to elevate Indian health to a level comparable to that of the rest of the nation. Brought to life through compelling personal stories, a crisp narrative, and archival imagery, the book not only looks at past successes and failures of Indian health care, but keeps an eye towards the future and the remaining work to be done by the agency in consultation and cooperation with American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Caring & Curing is hardcover, with 170 full color pages, and measuring 8 ½ x 11 inches. Place your single book orders for a retail price of $34.95. If you are interested in purchasing wholesale, 22 or more copies, you will always receive 15% off per book ($29.71). Please keep in mind, the shipping cost and a $2 handling charge will be added to all orders under 10 copies. For 10 or more copies, the handling price will go up to $25.
Click here to order.

COF Approved for Combined Federal Campaign 2009

09/23/2009 - PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation for the Advancement of Public Health (COF) has been approved to participate in the 2009 Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area (CFCNCA).

The designation (catalog) number assigned to the Foundation is 42884. Please keep COF in mind when you support the 2009 Combined Federal Campaign.

 
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