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 a FREE copy of, "Public Health Service Officer's Guide: Protocol & Service Standards." (Please wait at least 30 days to receive this book.)

To Renew Your COA Membership...

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

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

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.

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.

Our Privacy Policy and Refund Policy is found here.