Membership

The Commissioned Officers Association is an organization whose members are:

• active regular
• active reserve
• inactive reserve
• retired
• former Commissioned Officers of the USPHS
• students in the field of public health

COA is the only organization working exclusively on behalf of PHS Commissioned Corps Officers. We are committed to you.

New COA Member Application -

Click here to access the online membership application. Once your application is processed, you will receive the COA Ribbon, which can only be worn during a COA meeting or conference (please wait at least 30 days to receive this.

COA's Member Benefits Brochure details COA's mission, benefits and current membership rates.

Renew Your COA Membership -

Click here to access the Members Only Website to renew your membership and update your information.

Give COA Membership as a Gift -

To give a COA Membership as a Gift, you may sponsor an officer by filling out the Sponsor Form complete with your credit card information and then click the "Submit by E-mail” button, or mail the completed form to COA with an enclosed check (payable to "COA").  Please ask the officer who will be receiving the COA Membership if they are currently a COA Member; if they are not a COA Member, please ask the recipient to fill out the Recipient Form and “Submit by E-mail” to complete the process. If the officer is currently a COA Member, they do not need to do anything further.

For a list of Local Branches, click here.

COA Benefits

Annual Meeting
With a mixture of business and pleasure, COA's annual meeting invites colleagues from around the country to gather to discuss new scientific presentations while stimulating open forums about health related issues.

Capitol Hill Representation
COA legislation on Capitol Hill continually supports all Commissioned Corps officers - active duty, inactive reserve and retired.

Car Rental Programs

Avis & Budget Rental Discounts
COA members can enjoy discount rates on Avis and Budget rentals. Go to the COA Members Only website to find out more information.

COA Ribbon
The COA ribbon is authorized to be worn on the PHS uniform by members in good standing when attending COA functions.

Communications
FRONTLINE - Winner of the 2004 APEX Award for Publication Excellence - is COA's newsletter which provides reports on monthly activities and items of interest to COA members about the Corps and the Association.

Financial Services

Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed)
PenFed provides a full range of banking, investment, credit card and loan services and offers highly competitive
and advantageous rates.  PenFed is an on-line credit union providing full service to members worldwide.  
PenFed offers attractive rates for all kinds of loans, including home and automobile.  And they have a variety of credit card options, guaranteed to suit every need.  PenFed is not your typical “brick and mortar” financial institution, and conducts most business online, by mail or by phone thus keeping costs down.  Go to the COA Members Only website and click on the PenFed link to join now.

Insurance Programs

AGIA
COA enables members to participate in several low-cost insurance programs, including Group Term Life, Long-Term Disability (LTD), In-Hospital Cash Plan, and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D). With the exception of the LTD plan, participation in these programs may continue after leaving the PHS as long as membership in COA remains current.

Local Representation
COA branches generate new venues for meeting fellow officers within your local area while providing a forum for the discussion of concerns within the Commissioned Corps.

Members Only Web Site
COA members have access to a Members Only section of the web site that offers up-to-date member news and resources.

Publications

Caring and Curing: History of the Indian Health Service
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, (Ret.), 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.

There is a limited time discount price of $25.00 plus free shipping and handling (expires COB December 20, 2010).  The retail price is $34.95 plus shipping and a $2.00 standard handling charge.  To receive the discount, you must fill out the form below, and fax it to COF at 301-731-9084.

Click here for the order form.

Public Health Emergency Preparedness & Response: Principles & Practice
The PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation's fourth book has been published! Written by U.S. Public Health Service officers with expertise in responding to public health emergencies nationally and internationally, the book provides a much-needed reference for all uniformed service and civilian emergency medical response personnel.  It organizes a vast array of emergency public health organizational and practice information in a form that allows ready understanding of the principles and practice norms within the field, and their inter-relationships.  As noted by the book’s Senior Editor, former U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona, the book will “…serve to enhance the knowledge and professionalism of those who are tasked with an emergency response mission.”  Public Health Emergency Preparedness & Response is an essential resource in learning about the actions and approaches that are utilized in dealing with public health related disasters in this Nation and within the complex global community.

This book measures 8 3/4 x 5 7/8 inches with a soft multi-color cover, and is 344 pages.

This book is edited by, VADM Richard H. Carmona, MD, MPH, (Ret. USPHS), 17th Surgeon General of the United States; CAPT Robert G. Darling, MD, (Ret. USN); CAPT James E. Knoben, PharmD, MPH, (Ret. USPHS); and RADM Jerrold M. Michael, DrPH, ScD (Ret. USPHS).

There is a limited time discount price of $22.00 plus free shipping and handling (expires COB December 20, 2010).  The retail price is $28.00 plus shipping and a $4.00 standard handling charge.  To receive the discount, you must fill out the form below, and fax it to COF at 301-731-9084.

Click here for the order form.

Public Health Foundation Publication Discounts
Targeted at the American Eagle Series of books about diabetes in Native American communities, COA members will receive a 50% discount on bulk purchases (packages of 68) of “Through the Eyes of the Eagle,” “Knees Lifted High,” Plate Full of Color,” and “Tricky Treats” and a 20% discount on “Eagle book series & Educational Guide: Tools for Community Diabetes Prevention.”

Go to the COA Members Only website to find the ordering codes to get the discounts. .

Public Health Reports (PHR)
Published six times per year, PHR is among the most prestigious public health journals, and the only one produced under the authority of the Surgeon General.  In a sense, this is your journal and COA is pleased and proud to be able to provide all our members access to it.  PHR is available at the COA Members Only website.  A subscription to Public Health Reports normally costs more than $60 annually.  The cost to COA members has been slightly below that.  Now, PHR will be available to COA members for less than one dollar per issue.

Sex, Sin, and Science Discount

John Parascandola, Former PHS Historian, just published Sex, Sin and Science: A History of Syphilis in America is being offered to COA members by the publisher (Praeger) at a discount of 20% off the list price.  Dr. Parascandola is the retired Public Health Service Historian and a current Trustee of the Commissioned Officers Foundation.  Dr. Parascandola's fascinating book traces the history of syphilis in America from Colonial times to the present, as well as providing a background chapter on the origins and spread of syphilis.  The important role of the PHS Commissioned Corps is prominently featured through his narrative.  In his foreword to the book, 17th U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona calls the work "a thoughtful, powerful and revealing treatise...that the general public, historians, politicians, and science can benefit from." Go to the COA Members Only website to get the 20% discount code.

The Pharmacist in Public Health: Education, Applications and Opportunities
Published by the American Pharmacists Association, and written and edited by pharmacists for pharmacists, "The Pharmacist in Public Health: Education, Applications, and Opportunites" explains the relevance between pharmacy and public health; explores the opportunities for pharmacists in public health; empowers pharmacists to overcome challenges and embrace opportunities as public health pharmacists; and advocates for the education and involvement of student pharmacists in public health activities and practice. It provides comprehensive and practical information for pharmacy faculty, student pharmacists, and practitioners. An entire section dedicated to the promotion and application of public health topics in the education of student pharmacists is included. Practitioner profiles provide real world examples of the many roles of pharmacists in public health. Click here to order.

Scholarship Program
COF and the PHS Women's Club have joined together to offer thousands of dollars in college
scholarships for children and spouses of COA members. The 2011 Scholarship Application is available, click here for the details.

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