The Commissioned Corps is a division of the US Public Health Service and is one of seven Uniformed Services of the United States. It is a specialized career system designed to attract, develop, and retain health professionals who may be assigned to federal, state or local agencies or international organizations to accomplish its mission.

Officers serve the 10 agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services, which include:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Indian Health Service (IHS), served by the largest number of PHS officers
• National Institutes of Health (NIH)

They also serve non-PHS agencies and programs including:

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS)
• U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), whose uniformed medical services are staffed extensively by Corps members
• Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Led by the Surgeon General, the Corps is comprised of approximately 6,000 members in the following 11 profession categories:

• Dentist
• Dietitian
• Engineer
• Environmental
• Health Services (including Social Workers, Physician Assistants, Optometrists, Statisticians, Computer Scientists, Dental Hygienists, Medical Records Administrators, and other)
• Nurse
• Pharmacist
• Physician
• Scientist
• Therapist (including Physical, Occupational, Speech, Audiology)
• Veterinarian

Learn about the Corps’s commitment to leadership in the Public Health arena. Find out how the Corps responds to national disasters. Keep up to date on current hot topics in Public Health.

Look for information on Corps awards or read about the history of the Commissioned Corps.

Leaders in Public Health

Commissioned Corps officers are among the staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who are involved in planning and research to prevent and react to the next pandemic. Corps officers will also deploy to assist health workers here at home and abroad in the event of a public health emergency. Learn more about Commissioned Corps leadership...

Resources

Healthlinks.net

Military Connection

The I Promise Program

What is Public Health?