Confused about your benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill?
The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Association (IAVA), a fellow member of The Military Coalition, has developed an online calculator to help service members determine their exact benefit under the Post 9/11 GI Bill and has made this tool available for free on their website.
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'
We are 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. Click here for earlier posts, to see what you may have missed. Here is reason #1:
USPHS officers have served in every major armed conflict since the Corps was established in 1889. They were among the first uniformed service members engaged in the War on Terrorism, deploying hundreds of officers in 2001 to the site of the World Trade Center attack, the Pentagon attack, and the anthrax attacks. Today, USPHS officers serve in Iraq and Afghanistan, alongside their military colleagues, often in areas of active military operations.
Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in Castaneda Case
03/03/2010 - On March 2, 2010 the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Hui vs. Castaneda, an important case for PHS Commissioned Corps officers. The central question in the case is "Does 42 USC Section 233(a) make the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) the exclusive remedy for claims arising from medical care and related functions provided by Public Health Service personnel?" COA submitted a "Friend of the Court" brief supporting the positions of the petitioners, PHS officers, that the FTCA does, in fact, protect Commissioned Corps officers from personal lawsuits for actions performed in the line of duty. Without such protection, as clearly recognized by Congress in Title 42, Corps officers would be at risk for malpractice lawsuits wherever they are assigned - a grim and untenable prospect for officers in BOP, Immigration Health Services, and other difficult and often dangerous duty stations. COA's "amicus curiae" brief was joined by the Uniformed Services Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. The official, although not yet finally approved transcript of the oral arguments before the Supreme Court is at the link below. The Supreme Court Justices set no timetable for announcing their decisions; but a judgment is expected before the Court recesses for the summer in June. Click here to read the full transcript of oral arguments...
'Transferability' Gains Another Congressional Advocate
03/03/2010 - Washington - U.S. Representative Carol Shea-Porter, Democrat from New Hampshire, has signed on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 3657, the House bill that would extend G.I. Bill transferability to the PHS Commissioned Corps and the NOAA Corps. The popular two-term Congresswoman, who represents her state's First Congressional District (Manchester, Dover, and surrounding areas), signed on to the bill yesterday. The information was reported earlier today on the website maintained by the Library of Congress, http://thomas.loc.gov/.
The COA Legislation and Benefits Committee is encouraging PHS officers to write to their U.S. Senators and Representatives about transferability and then share their letters with COA Government Relations Director, Judith Rensberger at jrensberger@coausphs.org.
COA's informal tally shows that all four of New Hampshire's elected representatives in Congress have heard at least once from PHS officers whose homes of record are in that state.
COA Issues Policy Paper on the Crisis in the Public Health Workforce - Who Speaks for Public Health?
03/01/2010 - The Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service has issued a policy paper calling for a more independent and strengthened Office of the Surgeon General as well an enhanced PHS Commissioned Corps. The COA paper builds on growing concerns in the public health community about the future capacity of the public health workforce. Click here to read the COA policy paper...
Call for Carruth Wagner Awards - 2010
02/26/2010 - The United States Public Health Service (USPHS), Nurse Professional Advisory Committee (N-PAC) to the Office of the Surgeon General (OSG) is pleased to announce a call for nominations for the 2010 Carruth Wagner Awards. These five awards (Nurse of the Year Award, Clinical Nursing Support Award, Advanced Practice Nurse Award, Innovative Collaboration in Public Health Award, Nursing Leadership Award) are named in honor of Dr. Carruth Wagner who dedicated his life to improving the health of the nation.
The five Carruth Wagner Awards will be presented to each award recipient by the Chief Nurse Officer (CNO) at the Annual Commissioned Officers Foundation (COF) Symposium on Nurse Category Day.
Junior Officer Advisory Group (JOAG) - Call for Nominations for Voting Members
02/23/2010 - The Junior Officer Advisory Group (JOAG) requests nominations for 9 open positions for voting membership for 2010-2012.
JOAG is the voice for junior officers in the Commissioned Corps and is responsible for advising the Surgeon General on matters that affect junior officers. Voting members serve as the leadership of this organization. Each professional category is represented by one voting member with an additional nine at-large members for a total of 20 voting members. Approximately ten positions are available each year. The JOAG Executive Committee is elected from within the voting membership. Current voting members select incoming voting members based upon published criteria. The voting membership term is two years and will begin on October 1, 2010 and end on September 31, 2012.
The Membership Committee will hold an informational Q&A session about the application process and the duties of a Voting Member on Wednesday, March 3rd from 1200-1300 EST. The call-in number is (712) 432-0111 and the Access Code is #633865. This call will be recorded and transcribed and made available on the JOAG website.
If you know motivated and dedicated junior officers, please encourage them to self-nominate for the following open slots: Therapist Liaison, Nurse Liaison, Health Services Officer Liaison,
Engineer Liaison, and At-Large Member (5 openings).
For questions or to submit nominations for voting membership, contact LCDR Robin Toblin, Chair, Membership Committee at rtoblin@bop.gov. Nominations are due no later than COB Friday, March 19, 2010.
02/12/2010 - The following seats on the COA Board of Directors will be up for election this spring: Pharmacist, Therapist, Veterinarian, Inactive Reserve Officer, Retired Officer, and one Field Officer. Incumbents in all six seats are completing their first three year terms and are eligible for re-election to a second term. The Retired Officer and Inactive Reserve Officer members of the COA Board of Directors also serve as appointed Trustees of the PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation.
Candidates may be nominated by others or self-nominate. All candidates for a Board position are required to submit the following information to the COA office by March 1, 2010 (sooner if possible). The nomination shall include the following and must be limited to one page (10 pt font, no attachments):
-Name/Rank/(Active Duty, Retired or Inactive Reserve) *
-Board Position for which nomination submitted (e.g. Pharmacist, Field Rep., Inactive Reserve, Retired)
-Daytime Phone
-E-mail Address
-Current PHS position (or Retired/Inactive Reserve) and location *
-Previous PHS positions *
-Related Professional Activities *
-PHS Awards/Honors Received *
-COA Offices Held or Membership on Board Committees (include dates)
-Position Statement (not to exceed 200 words) *
-Statement of understanding and willingness to abide by Board Participation Guidelines
Those items with an "*" next to them will be included in FRONTLINE for consideration by the general membership. To the extent possible, the nominee should submit his/her nomination by email or on a computer disk to facilitate reproduction in FRONTLINE.
Click here for the Board Participation Guidelines and the Board Nomination Form.
Encourage Your Fellow Officers to Join COA!
02/01/2010 - For a limited time, NEW MEMBERS joining COA for the first time can enjoy FREE membership for 4 months through the payroll deduction method!
Fill out the New Member Application available at http://www.coausphs.org/wwejoincoa.cfm. Under Payment Options, select Payroll Deduction & type in "FREE" in the signature line. You will receive a Payroll Deduction form which must be completed and returned to COA within 30 days to obtain membership.
To take advantage of this offer, you MUST type "FREE MEMBERSHIP" in the email subject line!
Starts: February 15, 2010
Deadline: March 15, 2010
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.
HOSA is a student organization whose mission is to promote career opportunities in health care and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people, and is interested in partnering with COA local branches around the country to promote the Corps to HOSA members. There are also opportunities for Corps officers to participate with HOSA as judges in competitions, guest instructors, role models, etc. This is an excellent activity for COA local branches to promote careers in the PHS Commissioned Corps to motivated youngsters interested in a career in health professions.
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The Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance brings together a diverse and powerful group of consumer, provider, government, labor, business, health insurers and quality-of-care organizations to stop, think and change how we perceive and approach the problem of obesity, overweight, and weight-related health risks, including heart disease and diabetes. The goal of the STOP Obesity Alliance is to go beyond awareness and consumer education efforts to identify and address systemic and cultural barriers that are failing to adequately support individual successes.
