Commissioned Officers Association

Welcome to the Commissioned Officers Association

"Like" us on Facebook!

Tthe 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 advocating for the Commissioned Corps and its officers.

COA protects the interests of the Commissioned Corps officers of the U.S. Public Health Service, uniformed service professionals in public health and global health.

Recent COA achievements include:

Whistleblower protections
Post-9/11 GI Bill transferability for PHS officers
Congressional passage of all COA-backed health care reform proposals
48 years of the annual USPHS Scientific and Training Symposium, a mission-related conference bringing together Federal, state, local, and tribal health leaders

Benjamin Announces Resignation

06/12/2013 - In a letter to the PHS Commissioned Corps transmitted this afternoon, 18th Surgeon General Regina Benjamin announced her resignation effective 16 July 2013.

Dr. Benjamin's announcement included no specific reason leading to her decision to step down. She was nominted as Surgeon General by President Obama four years ago this month.

In a parallel letter HHS Secretary Sebelius confirmed that Deputy Surgeon General RADM Boris Lushniak will serve as acting Surgeon General until the Senate confirms a successor to Dr. Benjamin.

Dr. Benjamin's legacy as Surgeon General will center on her role as chairperson of the high level committee that produced the National Prevention Strategy.

The Commissioned Officers Association congratulates Surgeon General Benjamin on this occasion and thanks her for her service to the nation. The Association will commence an immediate campaign urging the President to nominate a career officer of the PHS Commissioned Corps as Dr. Benjamin's successor in keeping with the spirit and intent of the law. Appointing a career officer as Surgeon General will be an important first step in distancing politics from public health.

Used Uniform Shop to CLose After 23 Years

06/03/2013 - The DC Metro COA Branch has announced the permanent closing of the PHS Commissioned Corps Used Uniform Shop on Friday, June 14th. A decommissioning ceremony will take place in the Parklawn Building at 10AM.

The Used Uniform Shop has been in operation since November, 1990 and has provided a generation of PHS officers with reasonably priced gently used uniforms. The shop must close due to renovations of the Parklwn Building and the managers have been unsuccessful in finding a new location.

Everyone can bring a bag and fill it with uniform goodies for $10. Anything left at the end of the ceremony will be destroyed.

National COA congratulates the Used Uniform Shop for its years of service to the PHS Commissioned Corps.

TRICARE Dental Benefits

12/14/2012 - Good News!! PHS active duty family members are eligible for TRICARE dental benefits through Metlife.

For more information, please go to: www.metlife.com/tricare
TRICARE Dental Benefits

More association news

Below is a 1936 film that includes the history of the USPHS.

Public Health Sciences Track

COA is working to secure funding for the Public Health Sciences Track, authorized by the Affordable Care Act. The PHS Track would create an ROTC-like mechanism to expand the Corps, greatly increasing its ability to provide desperately needed care to the underserved.

Read the text of the ACA section 5315. Read the DHHS-commissioned report detailing the need for the PHS Track.

“Too many Americans already live in communities where health care services are scarce. But the problem will only get worse as the Baby Boom generation ages and more Americans need access to health care. We need to begin tackling this problem now by both training more health care professionals and encouraging them to work in underserved communities.”
- Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-NM, sponsor of the original PHS Track bill and a COA health leader of the year.

The May Frontline is available for viewing on the COA Members Only website. Interested in submitting an article for Frontline? See GUIDELINES for submissions (located @ Members Only/Frontline). Then email submission to Malissa Spalding at mspalding@coausphs.org.

Click here to login to the COA Members Only website!

Go to the COA Members Only Website, and click on the PenFed link to join Pentagon Federal Credit Union!

Post 9/11 GI Bill Transferability

Huge victory for USPHS Commissioned Corps officers who serve their country with honor. Want to take advantage of this great benefit but don’t know where to start? The Cincinnati COA Branch developed “Notes from the Road." Below it is guidance prepared by GI Bill experts at PHS.

Revised 06/12/2013