Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
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The Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) is the uniformed division of the United States Public Health Service (PHS) and one of the seven Uniformed Services of the United States. As with the PHS, the PHSCC is under the direction of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The PHSCC is led by the Surgeon General whose rank is equivalent to Vice Admiral in the Navy [1]. Officers are classified as non-combatants, though members wear uniforms similar to the United States Navy with special corps insignia and hold ranks equivalent to those of Naval officers.
The stated mission of the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service is Protecting, promoting, and advancing the health and safety of the Nation.
The uniformed services component of the PHS (then the Marine Hospital Service) was formalized by legislation in 1889, which established the Commissioned Corps under the Supervising Surgeon (later Surgeon General). At first open only to physicians, over the course of the twentieth century, the Corps expanded to include dentists, sanitary engineers, pharmacists, nurses, sanitarians, scientists, and other health professionals.
The agencies and programs of the PHS CC are designed to:
- Help provide healthcare and related services to medically underserved populations: to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and to other population groups with special needs;
- Prevent and control disease, identify health hazards in the environment and help correct them, and promote healthy lifestyles for the nation's citizens;
- Improve the nation's mental health;
- Ensure that drugs and medical devices are safe and effective, food is safe and wholesome, cosmetics are harmless, and that electronic products do not expose users to dangerous amounts of radiation;
- Conduct and support biomedical, behavioral, and health services research and communicate research results to health professionals and the public; and
- Work with other nations and international agencies on global health problems and their solutions.
In addition, the PHS CC provides officers (Medical Officers, Dental Officers, Therapists, Environmental Health Officers, etc.) to U.S. Coast Guard. In this capacity, Commissioned Corps Officers wear Coast Guard uniforms (with destinctive PHS Corps Devices) and work alongside Coast Guard corpsmen and a handful of Physician Assistants who are commissioned Coast Guard officers.
Officers of the Commissioned Corps have/are also assigned to other federal agencies. Other assignments may include the Department of the Defense, TriCare, Department of Justice (BOP), State Department, Homeland Security (excluding USCG), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some officers have also recently been assigned to the Middle East in various capacities.
The PHS Commissioned Corps is led by the Surgeon General and consists of approximately 6,000 officers in the following professional categories:
- Dentists
- Pharmacists
- Dietitians
- Physicians
- Engineers
- Scientists
- Licensed Professional Counselors
- Environmental Health Professionals
- Therapists (including Physical, Occupational, Speech, Audiology)
- Health Services (including Social Workers, Physician Assistants, Optometrists, Statisticians, Computer Scientists, Dental Hygienists, Medical Records Administrators, and other)
- Veterinarians
- Nurses
Note the Chiropractors are NOT included, although their inclusion is under discussion.
The Commissioned Corps has played a prominent role in disease prevention and disaster response in recent years. Whether helping to identify and isolate the Hanta Virus in the southwestern United States, providing clinical services to Haitian or Kosovo refugees, or caring for the victims and assisting with relief efforts in notable natural and man-made disasters, the PHS has been a presence in the realm of public health and safety.
In 1989, Corps officers helped victims of Hurricane Hugo and the Loma Prieta, California, earthquake. During the 1990s, when floods ravaged areas of the United States, the PHS was there to provide medical care and support. Officers were deployed to Alaska and virtually every corner of the country devastated by floods. In 1994, Corps officers were involved in the recovery effort of the Northridge, California earthquake. A year later, the care and attention of the Corps focused on Oklahoma City after the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building.
Since the turn of the century, the PHS has become even more visible while leading recovery efforts. More than 1,000 Corps officers were deployed to New York City after attacks on September 11, 2001, to aid victims and provide medical and mental health services to responders and rescue workers. In 2005, in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, over 1,000 PHS officers deployed to set up field hospitals and render aid and assistance to evacuees and responders. Corps officers then shifted their focus to assisting local and state health officials with planning for long-term public health needs.
