February 2005 Frontline - Commissioned Officers Association

C O M M I S S I O N E D O F F I C E R S A S S O C I A T I O N 

COA 

Frontline 

VOL. 42, ISSUE 1 FEBRUARY 2005 

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

Y’all Come!! 

Dear Friends of COA and the PHS 

Commissioned Corps, 

Jerry Farrell 

Executive Director 

As usual, there 

is no dearth of 

subjects from 

which to choose in 

writing to you all 

this month. The 

list is as long as it is 

varied and interesting: 

Transformation 

(not much 

happening); the 

Corps’ role in South Asia relief (small, 

but with the potential to grow – politics, 

both international and internal 

are not easily surmounted and figuring 

out who to stick with the bill is always 

exciting); the Sixth Precept (still under 

review); the new DHHS Secretary and 

what that means for the Corps 

(Secretary Leavitt was confirmed on 26 

Jan – first meeting with the Surgeon 

General on 28 January); Tricare and 

the Corps (still problems in remote 

areas); the Corps’ role in emergency 

response as defined in the new 

National Response Plan under ESF 8 

(talk about too many cooks spoiling 

the soup!!); the looming crisis with 

the dwindling number of physicians in 

the Corps (a serious issue whether or 

not you are a physician); and much, 

much, more. 

As important and tempting as all 

these subjects are, I am going to spend 

the bulk of this column conversing 

with you about the upcoming US PHS 

(See EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, page 26) 

Emergency Medical Response 

and the Corps 

By Jerry Farrell 

The Administration unveiled a 

revised National Response Plan 

(NRP) in December 2004. The PHS 

Commissioned Corps features prominently 

in Emergency Support Function 

(ESF) #8 – The Public Health and 

Medical Services Annex of the NRP. 

The authors of ESF #8 address the use 

of the PHS Commissioned Corps as if 

the Corps is an operational unit. If 

only that were so! 

I spent two years as a branch chief in 

the U.S. Pacific Command responsible 

for all PACOM’s war, operational and 

contingency planning. I have some 

knowledge of this subject. After 

reading through ESF #8, my head 

aches and my eyes bleed. I am a big fan 

of flow charts and “wiring diagrams” to 

help me understand how things really 

work. I gave up in despair trying to 

flow chart out the organizational relationships, 

lines of authority, and functional 

responsibilities detailed in ESF 

#8. My paper looked like an unappetizing 

mess of lost spaghetti. 

As a retired naval officer with three 

command tours, I am keenly interested 

in the idea of accountability. There is 

no better job in the world than 

command at sea. There is also no job 

in the world that so clearly defines the 

notion of accountability. No matter 

what happens on, or to a ship at sea, 

the commanding officer is always and 

unequivocally and unquestionably 

accountable. Perhaps not always 

responsible – but always accountable. 

That imperative of absolute accounta- 

bility really hones your thinking and 

focuses your attention on what’s really 

important. There is no way to assign 

or assess any notion of accountability 

in ESF #8. For that reason alone, it is a 

seriously flawed plan. 

The problem with the 

Commissioned Corps’ planned tasking 

in ESF #8 is a simple one. There is no 

way to task the “Commissioned Corps.” 

There are two very recent examples of 

this. The first is the September 2004 

hurricanes in Florida. Do we need to 

rehash the complex and confusing situation 

with finding and getting officers 

to Florida? The Corps deployed officers 

from Alaska to Florida, but could not 

activate Inactive Reserve Officers on 

IN THIS ISSUE 

(See RESPONSE, page 24) 

From the COA Board Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 

Legislative Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 

Former Surgeon General Koop Speaks 

at Luncheon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 

Call for COA Branch of Year Nominations ...5 

COA Membership Continues to Grow . . . . .7 

PHS Officer Awarded Joint Service 

Achievement Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 

Annual Meeting Information . . . . . . . . . . . .9 

Call for Nominations–Scientist Officer 

of the Year Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 

Scholarship Opportunitiy for Military 

Spouses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 

COA Career Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Benefits of Your 

COA Membership 

CAPITOL HILL REPRESENTATION 

COA legislation on Capitol Hill continually 

supports all Commissioned Corps officersactive, 

inactive reserve, and retired. 

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. 

FINANCIAL PLANNING SEMINARS 

COA sponsors periodic financial seminars 

organized with our local branches to help 

our uniformed service members, active 

and retired, plan for the future. 

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 healthrelated 

issues. 

INSURANCE PROGRAMS 

COA enables members to participate in 

several low-cost insurance programs that 

may continue after leaving the PHS as long 

as your membership in COA remains 

current. 

FRONTLINE 

COA’s newsletter reports on monthly activities 

and items of interest to COA members 

about the Corps & COA. 

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM 

COA offers thousands of dollars towards 

college scholarships for children and 

spouses of COA members. 

RIBBON & MINIATURE MEDAL 

The COA ribbon and miniature medal are 

authorized to be worn on the PHS uniform 

by members in good standing. 

HERTZ RENTAL DISCOUNT 

Members enjoy discount rates on Hertz 

rental throughout the United States at 

Hertz locations and participating licensees. 

UBS BENEFITS 

Allows COA members to receive 

discounted prices before purchasing a car. 

FROM THE COA BOARD CHAIR 

2005 Conference Will Address Global 

Public Health Challenges 

By CAPT Tim Ames 

Today the need is 

greater than 

ever to develop 

new and continuing 

global public health 

partnerships with 

comprehensive 

agendas to address 

public health policies 

for the inter- 

CAPT Tim Ames 

vention and prevention of epidemic 

infectious diseases, and to adopt strategies 

to modify behavior and control 

environments in the relentlessly 

changing world. The industrialized 

world is realizing that, even with the 

technology and expertise of modern 

curative medicine, it is inadequately 

prepared for the far-reaching challenges 

of large-scale public health 

disasters such as a worldwide SARS 

epidemic or the spread of AIDS in 

Africa. 

The importance of public health to 

our American society has been revived 

since 9/11. But complacency and 

bureaucratic indifference to global 

public health threats such as drugresistance 

strains of microbial diseases 

such as MDR-TB, the spread of AIDS 

and hepatitis in faraway places, the 

neglect of the environment and sanitary 

conditions, the rapidity with 

which microbes can be spread through 

travel and trade, exportation of 

destructive lifestyle behaviors, and the 

real man-made biological peril from 

terrorists is no longer an option to 

world society. This fact has been long 

been recognized by the leadership of 

the U.S. Public Health Service and is 

being specifically addressed through 

efforts like the upcoming Annual 

Scientific Meetings to be held in 

Philadelphia this June. 

The time is now to be planning on 

attending the 2005 Public Health 

Professional Conference/Global Health 

Summit, June 5-10, 2005. This year’s 

conference offers the unique opportunity 

to participate in two conferences, 

beginning with the Global Health 

Summit, June 5, 2005. The Global 

Health Summit will be previewing the 

Surgeon General’s Report on Global 

Health and will be a means to seek 

organizational support in the development 

of the report. The Global Health 

Summit will also provide a forum 

opportunity for national and international 

public health professionals to 

provide direction on collaborative 

actions needed to advance the world 

health. Key focus areas will include: 

infectious diseases; displaced persons; 

global security/infrastructure; and 

environmental health. 

The 40th Annual U.S. Public Health 

Professional Conference, which runs 

from June 6-9, will feature a keynote 

by U.S. Surgeon General Richard 

Carmona and a panel including 5 

former U.S. Surgeons General. The 

theme of “Where in the World Are 

We....In Global Health” provides for an 

array of other nationally and internationally 

prominent public health 

leaders, including Anthony Fauci, 

Director of the National Center for 

Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who 

will be speaking throughout the 

conference on emerging issues, trends 

and important topics in the field of 

public health. The conference will 

include an entire day of professionspecific 

sessions for pharmacists, 

physicians, nurses, dentists and others. 

Continuing education credits will be 

available for all conference sessions. 

There will be several pre/postconference 

events including two BOTC 

courses (Session 1 - June 3-5, 2005, 

Session 2 - June 10-12, 2005) and the 

3 rd Annual Commissioned Officers 

Foundation Charity Golf Tournament. 

This years Surgeon General’s 5K 

Run/Walk is scheduled to take place 

Wednesday, June 8, 2005, at 7:00 am. 

2 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

The Annual Physical Fitness Test again 

will be offered in conjunction with the 

Run/Walk. It will take place preceding 

the running of the 5K. 

Here are some other highlights to 

look forward to for the Annual Meeting: 

• Yellow Fever Historical Walking 

Tour — This will most likely be an 

evening event of various historical 

sites around town. 

• Continuing Education (CE) Credits 

— If you need CE credits for relicensure, 

we will have them! 

• Jr. Officer Scholarship Program — 

All Junior Officers (O-3 and below) 

are eligible to receive a 

Commissioned Officers Foundation 

(COF) Scholarship that will reimburse 

them for the cost of the COA 

Annual Meeting Registration. 

Individuals must pay up front and 

certify that they have been denied 

funding by their OPDIV. Application 

details will be forthcoming soon but 

will generally involve sending an 

email or applying in writing and certifying 

denial by the parent agency. 

• Graduated Registration Fees — 

Junior Officers (again, those O-3 and 

below) receive a discounted full registration 

fee of $295 if registered by 

April 5, 2005 or $110 for a single day 

registration. 

• Expanded Exhibitors Program - The 

Wyndham Philadelphia at Franklin 

Plaza can hold up to about 100 

exhibitors and these booths are 

selling out quickly. We’re looking 

forward to the largest exhibition ever. 

• SG Run/Walk & APFT - A beautiful 

course along the Schuylkill River in 

Fairmount Park near the hotel is 

planned for this event. 

• Branch President’s Breakfast with 

the COA Board of Directors is being 

planned this year as well as the traditional 

Retiree’s Breakfast. This gathering 

will provide an opportunity for 

local branches to informally discuss 

issues with the Board. 

So plan now on joining me at what will 

certainly be one of the most important 

public health assemblies of this decade 

as it sets the stage for the global challenge 

of public health for the next 

century! 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 

COA Sets Legislative and Benefits Priorities for 2005 

The following is a list of COA’s legislative 

and benefits priorities for 2005 as 

approved by the Board of Directors. 

To view on-line, with details of each 

item, please visit http://www. 

coausphs.org/L&B2005.htm. 

1. Support Transformation 

proposals that are in the 

best interests of the 

PHS Commissioned 

Corps and public 

health. (High 

Priority) 

2. Establishment 

of an equitable 

promotion 

program. (High 

Priority) 

3. Support efforts by The Military 

Coalition with respect to health 

care, pay and retirement programs 

and ensure legislation enacted 

applies to the “uniformed services.” 

(High Priority) 

4. Seek approval for the DHHS 

Secretary to establish and maintain 

a program providing health professions 

scholarship and loan repayment 

assistance for persons seeking 

commissions in the PHS 

Commissioned Corps. None of the 

several programs currently existing 

in the Department is targeted 

specifically for recruitment and 

retention in the Corps. (High 

Priority) 

5. Continue to monitor the changes in 

the provision for and payment of 

medical care for PHS commissioned 

officers on active duty. 

Support efforts to make sure that 

all officers, regardless of assignment 

location, have access to 

appropriate medical care. (Medium 

Priority) 

6. Support pay parity for all 

Uniformed Service members. 

(Medium Priority) 

7. COA will support proposed legislation 

to establish an accrual-based 

accounting system for the PHS 

Commissioned Corps like that 

established in 1984 for the Armed 

Forces, provided that such legisla- 

tion contains provisions that establish 

a single account within DHHS 

for the future retired costs of active 

duty officers and that mandates 

that these costs NOT be charged to 

the agencies to which officers are 

assigned or detailed. (Medium 

Priority) 

8. COA will support legislation to 

assure adequate funding for 

medical care benefits for active duty 

and retired PHS Commissioned 

Corps officers and their dependents. 


9. Support the inclusion of the Public 

Health Service in any National 

Defense heraldry recognition for 

the current war on terrorism – 

Specifically the authorization of the 

National Defense Service Medal for 

the PHS Commissioned Corps. 


10. Support dedicated CPO billets 

within the OSG (Low Priority) 

11. Modify the definition of the term 

“Uniformed Services” as it currently 

exists under the tax law (Low 

Priority) 

COA FRONTLINE • FEBRUARY 2005 3

Former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop 

Speaks at Anchor and Caduceus Society Luncheon 

Dr. C. Everett Koop, 13th Surgeon 

General, joined with 200 

Commissioned Corps officers and 

friends of the Corps to celebrate the 

116th anniversary of the founding of 

the PHS Commissioned Corps on 

January 4th in Rockville, Maryland. 

Recovering from surgery in mid- 

December to install two pacemakers to 

regulate his heart, Dr. Koop appeared 

fit and strong as he spoke at the annual 

luncheon sponsored by the Anchor and 

Caduceus Society. 

❝ 

He spoke passionately about the 

many important contributions made 

by the Corps and its officers 

that often go unnoticed and 

unappreciated. Dr. Koop challenged 

all in attendance to find ways 

to promote the Corps – 

both internally and externally. 

❞ 

Following Dr. Koop’s remarks, the 

main event of the luncheon, the C. 

Everett Koop Honorary Lecture, was 

delivered by Vice Admiral Mike Cowan, 

MC, US Navy (Ret.), former Surgeon 

General of the Navy and a friend and 

admirer of the Commissioned Corps. 

After Admiral Cowan spoke, Surgeon 

General Richard Carmona presented 

Dr. Koop the Surgeon General’s 

Medallion – an award established by 

Dr. Koop during his tenure as Surgeon 

General. The Surgeon General’s 

Medallion is given by the Surgeon 

General in recognition of extraordinary 

service in public health and to the 

Commissioned Corps. 

Dr. Koop’s remarks to the audience 

focused on the need to increase the 

visibility, knowledge about, and understanding 

of the Corps among the 

Dr. C. Everett Koop 

general public and the Nation’s leadership. 

He spoke passionately about the 

many important contributions made by 

the Corps and its officers that often go 

unnoticed and unappreciated. Dr. 

Koop challenged all in attendance to 

find ways to promote the Corps – both 

internally and externally. 

Admiral Cowan spoke about the 

issue of health literacy, one of the 

Surgeon General’s top priorities. 

Admiral Cowan described a project in 

IN MEMORIAM 

John Wessale 

John Wessale, devoted husband of 

CAPT Susanne Caviness, passed 

away December 12, 2004. 

Wessale was a mainstay of COA, 

regularly attending the annual 

conference, Anchor and Caduceus 

outings, and local branch events. He 

could be typically be found alongside 

Susanne, selling USPHS paraphernalia 

to raise money for the benefit 

of the Corps. 

A U.S. Army Air Force veteran, 

Wessale was a pilot in World War II, 

a sheriff’s deputy in Arizona, and an 

executive in a number of private 

corporations. He was a lover of 

which he is now engaged that seeks to 

harness information technology to 

improve health literacy. His presentation 

was informative and timely. It was 

so well received, in fact, that Admiral 

Cowan has been invited to speak and 

expand on this topic at the June US 

PHS Professional Conference. 

The Anchor and Caduceus Society 

was founded some 15 years ago to 

preserve the history and heritage of the 

Commissioned Corps. At the January 

4th luncheon, Rear Admiral Ken 

Mortisugu, Deputy Surgeon General 

and President of the Anchor and 

Caduceus Society announced that an 

exploratory committee had been 

formed to address the future of the 

Society, especially as it relates to the 

Commissioned Officers Association and 

COA’s affiliated Foundation. The 

Committee’s charter, approved by the 

governing boards of all three groups, 

has members representing each of the 

groups and is chaired by retired Rear 

Admiral Faye Abdellah. The 

Committee’s findings and recommendations 

are expected in March. 

sports, an avid cyclist, and worked at 

the Retired Activities Office of the 

National Naval Medical Center until 

his death. John was born August 30, 

1917 in Carver, MN, to Frank and 

Lyla Brunius Wessale. He is survived 

by his wife, CAPT Caviness, his 

former wife Lillian, and daughter 

Kay Wessale Schnieber, both of 

Phoenix, AZ. Wessale’s ashes will be 

placed in the Arlington National 

Cemetery during a military ceremony 

to take place in the spring of 

2005. 

COA extends its condolences to 

CAPT Caviness and acquaintances of 

John Wessale. He will be missed by 

all. 


“Three and Freeze” 

By Jerry Farrell 

The Executive Director’s 

column in the last issue of 

Frontline unintentionally 

caused confusion about the “three 

and freeze” promotion policy. Mea 

culpa! 

I wrote that the “three and 

freeze” policy which was delayed 

“last year” was scheduled to be 

implemented “this year.” What I 

did not grasp was that when I 

wrote the column – in mid 

December – “last year” was 2003 

and “this year” was 2004; but that 

when you read the piece in 

January, “last year” was 2004 and 

“this year” is…well you get the 

idea. 

To clarify, an officer eligible for 

promotion who failed to promote 

in PY2004 has one “strike.” 

Officers who took advantage of the 

one-time option to “opt out” of 

consideration for promotion in 

PY2004 do not have any “strikes.” 

For those that wrote or called 

to question if I knew what I was 

writing about – thank you! As I 

made some inquiries of my own to 

make sure I had it right now, I did 

learn that the “three and freeze” 

may be getting another look in 

OPHS. 

We certainly hope this is the 

case. COA would still like to know 

exactly what problem it is that 

“three and freeze” is intended to 

fix. Until that can be explained, we 

firmly believe and strongly recommend 

that “three and freeze” 

should not be implemented, 

regardless of which year it is 

supposed to go into effect. 

Visit us on 

the web at 

www.coaushps.org 

Call For COA Branch of the Year Nominations 

The Commissioned Officers 

Association (COA) Board of 

Directors believes that it is appropriate 

and desirable to recognize the 

exceptional accomplishments of a COA 

Branch each year. This award is called 

the Branch of the Year Award. The 

Atlanta Branch was the 2003/2004 

award winner. 

Eligibility for Consideration 

Any branch that was not recognized 

in the most recent year is eligible for 

consideration for the Branch of the 

Year Award. 

Nominations 

Nominations for the Branch of the 

Year Award will be accepted from any 

COA member in good standing. The 

most likely sources of nominations will 

be individuals most knowledgeable of 

branch activities (e.g., COA Board 

liaisons, branch officers and agency 

managers). All nominations must be 

transmitted in writing directly to COA. 

Each shall consist of a transmittal 

letter that summarizes the basis for 

the nomination and such additional 

material as is required to support the 

nomination. The supporting material 

should reflect activities and accomplishments 

that are considered 

deserving of special recognition, (e.g., 

notable community or facility-based 

projects, unusual efforts to inform and 

encourage branch member participation, 

successful interactions with other 

branches, effective advocacy for 

commissioned officer interests, etc.). 

Review Committee 

The COA Board Awards Committee 

will review the nominations presented 

to the Board and will make recommendations 

for the review of the entire 

Board at least one month before the 

Annual Meeting. 

Selection Determinants 

and Weighting 

The Awards Committee will 

consider all material provided with the 

nomination transmittal letter. The 

Committee will pay special attention to 

the size of the branch relative to its 

accomplishments. The Committee will 

give additional weight to accomplishments 

of branches that have been in 

existence five years or less. 

In considering the merits of the 

respective nominees, the Awards 

Committee will give about 50% 

weighting to a global assessment of 

Branch spirit, enthusiasm, and the 

relative impact of Branch 

activities/accomplishments as 

described in the nomination. 

Examples are: notable community or 

facility-based projects, successful interfaces 

with other Branches, effective 

local and/or national advocacy for 

commissioned officer interests. Note 

that the emphasis should be on activities 

that are completed or substantially 

underway, rather than planned future 

activities. Special consideration will 

be given to Branches that have 

improved dramatically over past years. 

In addition, the Awards Committee 

will give about 50% weighting cumulatively 

to the following factors: 

1. The percentage of officers in the 

local area who are COA members. 

2. The frequency of Branch meetings. 

This may include other than face-toface 

meetings with adequate 

description. 

3. The degree of participation and 

scope of topics presented at general 

meetings of the Branch. 

4. The extent to which the national 

COA Office has received positive 

and/or negative feedback on Branch 

activities from members or others. 

5. The responsiveness of Branch officers/members 

to requests for information, 

administrative documentation, 

etc. as requested by the 

national COA Office or the Board of 

Directors. 

The due date for submission of 

Branch of the Year nominations for the 

2003/2004 year is February 28, 2005. 

Please send nominations to Carrie 

Bright at cbright@coausphs.org or 

COA, 8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, 

Landover, MD 20785. Email attachments 

are preferred. 


CALL FOR AWARDS NOMINATIONS 

Mabel May 

Wagner Award 

This award, established in 1979, is 

open to all professional nurses in 

the PHS who are engaged in clinical 

nursing practice. The award 

consists of an engraved plaque and 

$1000 in cash. The award is presented 

annually to a professional nurse in the 

Public Health Service (Commissioned 

Corps and Civil Service) who: 

• Exemplifies resourcefulness and 

dedication in helping to accomplish 

the mission of the Public Health 

Services; 

• Demonstrates professional and technical 

skills and competence raising 

the quality of nursing; 

• Displays evidence of exceptional 

ability to apply nursing standards of 

practice; 

• Remains involved in continuing 

education as a participant, organizer 

or sponsor of it; 

• Is of such excellence as to merit 

Public Health Service recognition. 

Nominations: 

Nominations may be made by an 

HHS employee or employee where the 

nurse officer is detailed, in the form of 

a letter (limited to two pages) 

containing: 

• name, title and grade of the 

nominee; 

• work experience and educational 

background of the nominee; 

• a brief description of the nominee’s 

present duties and responsibilities 

including the scope of work; 

• a narrative statement of how the 

person meets the criteria for the 

award including a description of the 

specific accomplishments and/or 

contributions on which the nomination 

is based as well as exploring 

current practice vs. lifetime achievement. 

The achievements for which 

the nurse is being recognized should 

be within the last three years. 

• Must state, in writing, that the individual 

is in good standing and has 

an active RN license on file (for 

Commissioned Corps officers in 

must be on file with DCP); and 

• an endorsement by the nominee’s 

supervisor (responsible for ensuring 

the candidate’s good standing and 

work performance) and the final 

verification (for the recommended 

award recipient) will be by the Chief 

Nurse Officer (who will check with 

DCP to ensure that there are no 

outstanding actions and that an 

active license is on file) 

• Award nominations should be 

limited to two pages. 

A Message from the Medical Affairs Branch 

On behalf of the Medical Affairs 

Branch (MAB), I would like to 

thank all PHS Commissioned 

Corps officers for your admirable 

contributions put forth while serving 

in the Public Health Service (PHS). 

The MAB staff recognizes and appreciates 

your unrelenting efforts to 

serve our country and devotes to put 

forth the same level of energy and 

commitment while tending to your 

healthcare and administrative needs. 

Furthermore, we would like to take 

this opportunity to express our gratitude 

to all of the wonderful family 

members for their sacrifices and 

pledge our unwavering support to 

them alike. 

I would also like to assure you 

that the MAB is continuously looking 

for ways to optimize the quality of 

services rendered to our customers. 

We work closely with the supportive 

leadership teams of the Program 

Support Center (PSC) and the PHS 

to align objectives in favor of the 

population we serve and contribute to 

the mission of these (and other) military 

and government agencies. 

In order to review, coordinate and 

make determination(s) related to your 

medical affairs, it is paramount that 

all documentation, medical evidence, 

non-medical assessments, etc. are 

submitted to the MAB in a complete 

and timely fashion. Any variation of 

such will most likely delay progress 

and can hinder the ability to make 

fully informed decisions in an expeditious 

manner. Please be advised that 

it is highly encouraged for all healthcare 

beneficiaries to maintain copies 

of health related documents for their 

personal records. On the rare 

instance that a document is 

misplaced, lost in transition, etc. you 

may be called upon to produce such 

an item(s) if the need should arise. 

Meticulous record keeping on our end 

and yours will provide a “checks and 

balances” system that will virtually 

eliminate the possibility of un-retrievable 

medical documentation. 

Most importantly, I would like to 

stress the fact that “We are here to 

serve you!” If you need assistance, 

have questions, suggestions or 

concerns, please feel free to contact 

us at your earliest convenience 

during normal business hours at the 

contact information listed below. 

Last, but certainly not least, we 

would like to thank the 

Commissioned Officer’s Association 

(COA) for affording us the opportunity 

to provide guidance and 

communicate through this 

newsletter. The COA truly plays a 

vital role in the success of today’s 

Public Health Service. 

Very Respectfully, 

Russell J. Garisto, CHE 

Chief, Medical Affairs Branch 

Phone: 301-594-6300 

or 1-800-368-2777 ext 0 

Fax: 301-594-2973 or 

1-800-733-1303 


The deadline for receipt of nominations 

for the 25th annual Mabel May Wagner 

Nursing Award is March 14, 2005. 

Please send nominations via email to 

Carrie Bright at cbright@coausphs.org. 

Lucille Woodville Award 

This award was established in the 

Public Health Service’s (PHS) 

centennial year as a memorial to 

the professional career of Lucille 

Woodville, who began her illustrious 

career in the Indian Health Service 

(IHS) in 1956. As part of her work in 

IHS, Ms. Woodville established the 

first Nurse Midwifery Service in 

Bethel, Alaska. She retired in 1973, 

after serving as Assistant Chief (1964- 

1971) and Chief (1971-1973) of the 

Maternal Child Health Branch, 

Division of Indian Health, Health 

Resources Services Administration, of 

the PHS. 

This award honors a nurse midwife 

or a maternal/child health nurse whose 

work has resulted in significant contribution 

to the health and well-being of 

mothers and newborns. Each nominee 

must demonstrate outstanding contributions 

in improving maternal/child 

health. This contribution may be the 

commitment of their time and skills in 

the clinical setting, or may be in the 

design, implementation and/or 

management of innovative 

maternal/child health programs. All 

registered nurses, both Civil Service 

and Commissioned Corps, are eligible 

for the award. Any employer or 

employee of the PHS or Associate of a 

PHS contract or grant program may 

nominate a PHS nurse for this award. 

The nomination should clearly 

describe what the nurse accomplished, 

e.g., the identified problem, the intervention 

strategy, and the results. The 

impact on the individual client and/or 

the impact on the health care delivery 

system should also be described. All 

nominations must be endorsed and 

approved by the nominee’s first-line 

supervisor. 

The Nomination Deadline is March 

7, 2005. Address nominations to the 

Lucille Woodville Award Nomination 

Committee, COA; 8201 Corporate 

Drive, Suite 200, Landover, MD 20785. 

COA Membership Continues to Grow: 

Seeks to Set All-Time High 

COA is pleased to announce that 

total membership came in at 

7,139 as of January 1, 2005 – one 

of its largest totals achieved in many 

years. While total active duty Corps 

strength continues to hover around 

5900 to 6000, COA has been steadily 

increasing its membership over the 

last three years. For the historical 

context, COA records indicate the 

largest membership 

total was 

reached in June, 

1981 with a total 

of 7,149 

members. As of 

January 1st, 

2004, COA was 

officially representing 

6,992 

members. In one 

year alone, the Association has grown 

by 147 members and stands only 11 

members away from reaching its 

largest membership total in COA’s 

history. 

The Association is hopeful that 

its recent successes, in representing 

Corps’ legislative initiatives, help 

encourage new members to sign on. 

From securing a fair and balanced 

annual pay raise to ensuring that 

Corps officers deployed to combat 

areas are properly recognized for 

their service, COA has and will 

continue to fight for the muchdeserved 

benefits of all Corps officers. 

Additionally, COA has and will 

continue to be a strong and constant 

voice in representing the best interests 

of Corps officers during transformation. 

The increase in COA membership 

should only serve as encouragement 

for new members to sign on as well. 

While at this time, Commissioned 

Corps’ structure and processes are 

key issues, there are a number of 

“stable” issues to join. Every year, 

COA holds an annual meeting where 

experienced and novice public health 

professionals gather to network with 

others, lecture on key public health 

issues and discuss some of the hot 

topics of the Commissioned Corps. 

This year’s conference, held in 

Philadelphia, PA - the birthplace of 

the USPHS, promises to be the best 

yet. With the addition of numerous 

sponsors and vendors as well as the 

International Global Health 

Summit, highlighted 

by a preview 

of the Surgeon 

General’s Report on 

Global Health, the 

Annual Conference 

is a must for all 

active, inactive, 

and retired Corps 

officers and public 

health professionals. 

Other benefits of joining COA 

include retirement seminars, insurance 

programs, Frontline, local 

branch membership and scholarship 

programs for the children and 

spouses of COA members. Last 

year, COA, in conjunction with the 

Commissioned Officers Foundation 

awarded a total of $8,500 to nine 

scholarship winners. We hope to 

build upon this number in 2005 with 

the help of corporate and branch 

sponsorships. Numerous additional 

benefits are provided to COA 

members. Please visit the COA 

webpage to view your member benefits 

and to encourage new members 

to join as well. Recruitment of new 

members into COA only helps to 

strengthen the voice that protects 

each Commissioned Corps officer. 

All membership questions 

can be answered by contacting 

Trish Hoffman at 301-731-9080 

and by email at 

thoffman@coausphs.org. 


PHS Officer Supports Operation Enduring Freedom in 

Afghanistan; Awarded Joint Service Achievement Medal 

The sound of morning prayers from 

the central Mosque in Kabul is the 

wake up call for LT Martin Ruiz- 

Beltran. It occurs around 4:30 a.m. 

It is still dark and a bit chilly as LT 

Ruiz-Beltran is getting ready to start 

his daily routine. 

LT Ruiz-Beltran, a PHS Health 

Services Officer, and health services 

systems expert working with the 

Division of Immigration Health 

Services (DIHS) in Washington, DC 

under CAPT Gene Migliaccio is 

temporarily deployed in Kabul with 

the Office of Military Cooperation- 

Afghanistan (OMC-A). He is among 

the many other uniformed service 

personnel working in support of 

Operation Enduring Freedom to assist 

the Afghan people. 

The Office of the Surgeon General 

notes that LT Ruiz-Beltran received 

support for this TDY from the Health 

Resources Services Administration 

Bureau of Primary Health Care and 

from the U.S. Department of 

Homeland Security Immigration and 

Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office 

of Detention and Removal Operations. 

While deployed in Afghanistan, 

LT Ruiz-Beltran has worked with the 

Afghan Ministry of Public Health. 

His focus is on a national public 

health administrative system for 

medical equipment and supplies. 

During his deployment, he is also 

assisting the Afghanistan National 

Army (ANA), Office of the Surgeon 

General by conducting an assessment 

of their National Hospital’s nursing 

services and helping to establish their 

first-ever nursing department. 

In addition to his professional 

posting LT Ruiz-Beltran is pursuing 

a Doctor of Public Health Degree in 

the Department of Global Health at 

the School of Public Health at 

George Washington University. In 

Afghanistan, he works under the direction 

of Army Medical Service Corps 

Officer, LTC Jose Betancourt who 

completed his Doctor of Public Health 

Degree at George Washington 

Major General Craig P. Weston, U.S. 

Air Force, Commander of the Office of 

Military Cooperation – Afghanistan, 

pinning the Joint Services Achievement 

Medal on LT Martin Ruiz-Beltran 

for exceptional meritorious service 

while serving as a PHS Officer for the 

Office of Military Cooperation in 

support of Operation Enduring 

Freedom. 

University early last year. 

Thus far, LT Ruiz-Beltran has 

assessed the installations of the 35 

Afghan National Army National 

Volunteer Centers and developed 

health and sanitation guidelines for 

each of them as well as for the seven 

battalion headquarters across the 

country. LT Ruiz-Beltran’s efforts 

directly impact the health and welfare 

of not only the ANA soldiers, but also 

the entire country by helping to 

ensure that recruits are protected 

from and do not spread infectious 

diseases such as typhoid, hepatitis, and 

tuberculosis. 

In early January, LT Ruiz-Beltran 

was recognized with a Joint Service 

Achievement Medal. The award was 

presented to him by the Commander, 

Office of Military Cooperation - 

Afghanistan, Major General Craig 

Weston. 

In presenting LT Ruiz-Beltran 

with the medal, General Weston noted 

the Corps officer’s professionalism and 

accomplishments during his temporary 

assignment. “Everyone he came 

into contact with,” according to 

Weston, “including all DOD services, 

International Coalition Forces, and 

the Afghan Nationals learned about, 

and were left with a very positive 

impression of the U.S. Public Health 

Service.” 

General Weston also mentioned 

that “this was the first time a PHS 

officer had been deployed to the 

OMC-A, and that the PHS’s involvement 

brought together a true multiservice 

unit.” General Weston went 

on to note that “the duties performed 

by LT Ruiz-Beltran were crucial to 

the accomplishment of the mission 

and that his work in Afghanistan had 

brought incalculable benefits to the 

people of Afghanistan.” Specifically, 

LT Ruiz-Beltran’s citation notes that 

he was responsible for working with 

the Ministry of Public Health to 

develop a national equipment and 

supplies system in support of the 

Department of Health and Human 

Services commitment to reduce 

maternal and child mortality. 

LT Ruiz-Beltran’s deployment to 

Kabul is yet another example of how 

PHS officers are contributing to the 

Department’s dedication to help meet 

the President’s commitment to help 

sustain peace and promote democracy 

in Afghanistan. 



Your Invitation to Attend 

the 

Global 

Health 

Summit 

June 5, 2005 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 

Join public health professionals and global 

health advocates from around the world for a 

preview of the U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to 

Action on his upcoming Report on Global 

H e a l t h. 

The primary purpose of the Summit is to seek 

individual and organizational input that will 

assist in the development of the Report on 

Global Health and also to seek advice on 

needed collaborative action by national and 

international stakeholders in advancing the 

health of the citizens of the world community. 

The Summit is open to individuals and 

organizations concerned with the health and 

related economic challenges and opportunities 

facing the global community. 

Focus areas will include: 

• International Safety 

• Maternal and Child Health 

• Chronic Disease 

• Environmental Health 

• Priority Health Problems and Disparities 

• Health of Transient Populations 

• Mental Health and Individual Behavior 

• Infectious Disease 

• Indigenous and Multi-Cultural 

Populations 

• Self-Help Programs 

• Social Equity 

• Economic impact of Global Health 

For more information or to register, 

visit www.globalhealthsummit.org 

or call toll-free (866) 544-9677. 

Global Health Summit 

June 5 t h , Wyndham Franklin Plaza, 

17 t h & Race Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19103 

Following the summit, 

the 2005 Public Health Professional Conference will 

be held from June 6 t h - 9 t h at the same location. 

The Global Health Summit is sponsored by the 

PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation for the Advancement of Public Health in association with the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human Services and other collaborating national and international health organizations. 


2005 Public Health Professional Conference Registration 

2005 Global Health Summit 

June 6-9, 2005 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 

Please Print Clearly 

Member # 

Register online at: www.coausphsconference.org 

Duty Station City/State 

Rank 

First Name 

Last Name 

Profession (Category): 

Dentist 

Dietitian 

Engineer 

Environmental Health 

HSO 

Nurse 

Mailing Address Home Business Agency: 

AHRQ 

ATSDR 

BOP 

CDC 

SAMHSA 

Academic 

Other 

Phone: 

Email: 

Fax: 

Public Health Professional Conference Fees 

Member 

Junior Officer 

Retired Member 

Inactive Reserves 

Non-Member 

Full Conference Rate 

Early Bird 

(by April 5) 

$375.00 

$290.00 

$290.00 

$290.00 

$485.00 

Global Health Summit Fees 

Standard Rate 

Commissioned Officer Rate 

Discounted Rate for attending 

both conferences 

Payment Info 

$__________ Conference Fee 

$150.00 

$100.00 

$125.00 

Standard 

(after April 5) 

$460.00 

$350.00 

$350.00 

$350.00 

$570.00 

Early Bird 

(by April 5) 

$145.00 

$110.00 

$110.00 

$110.00 

$160.00 

Pharmacist 

Physician 

Scientist 

Therapist 

Veterinarian 

Other 

FDA 

HRSA 

IHS 

NIH 

Local Agency 

State Agency 

I plan to attend the Meet and Greet Reception 

I plan to attend the Closing Dinner 

One-Day Rate 

Standard 

(after April 5) 

$165.00 

$125.00 

$125.00 

$125.00 

$190.00 

Questions? 

Call or email: 

866-544-9677 (toll-free) 

info@coausphsconference.org 

Credit Card # 

Check Days Attending 

Conference: 

Jun 6 Mon, Scientific Program 

Jun 7 Tue, Category Day 

Jun 8 Wed, Scientific Program 

Jun 9 Thu, Scientific Program 

Global Health Summit: 

Jun 5 Sunday 

Students: Log on to our web site for 

special student rates. 

Special accommodation or diet 

needs: Log on to our web site to 

notify us. 

$__________ Global Health Summit Fee 

$__________ Total Payment Enclosed 

Expiration Date: 

Cardholder Name: 

Card Verification Code: 

Make Checks Payable to: Public Health Conference Card Billing Address: Zip: 

Method of Payment: 

Signature of Cardholder: 

Check Govt PO Discover 

Visa MasterCard American Express 

Payment must be enclosed by date indicated to earn rate. Rates include a nonrefundable $35 processing fee. Returned checks incur a $35 fee. 

Cancellation Policy: Requests must be received IN WRITING by May 19, 2005. Refunds for cancellations after May 19 cannot be considered. 

Mail Registration to: Public Health Conference, c/o Leading Edge Marketing and Planning Inc, PO Box 1087, Severna Park MD 21146 

Fax Registration to: 410-544-6395 



The Scientist Professional Advisory Committee (SciPAC) 

2005 Scientist Officer of the Year Awards – Call for Nominations 

General Information 

The Scientist Professional Advisory 

Committee (SciPAC) established 

the Scientist of the Year Awards in 

1995 to recognize Commissioned 

Officers in the Scientist Category 

whose professional career and work 

performance have resulted in significant 

contributions to the health of the 

Nation and to the mission of the U.S. 

Public Health Service (PHS). One 

award recognizes the career achievement 

of a senior-level Officer, and one 

is to acknowledge the contributions of 

a junior-level Officer. In the past, the 

Surgeon General, on behalf of the 

SciPAC, has presented the awards at 

the national meeting of the 

Commissioned Officers Association 

(COA). A committee composed of 

senior-level Scientist Officers generally 

makes the selection of the award 

recipients. Recipients of the awards 

receive a plaque signed by the Surgeon 

General and the Chief Scientist Officer 

(CSO), and a special letter of recognition 

from the SciPAC. 

Because there is no means by which 

the SciPAC is able to directly notify 

supervisors of the availability of these 

awards, scientist officers are encouraged 

to ask their supervisors to 

consider putting them in for these 

awards. 

Please note that the deadline for 

receipt of nominations is 

March 25, 2005. 

Derek Dunn Memorial 

Scientist Officer of the 

Year Award 

Active duty PHS Scientist Officers at 

the rank of O-5 or higher are eligible. 

No distinction will be made based on 

clinical/research/regulatory/and 

management tracks. Past winners of 

the Young Scientist of the Year Award 

remain eligible. 

Young Scientist Officer 

of the Year Award 

Active duty PHS Scientist Officers at 

the rank of O-4 or below are eligible. 

No distinction will be made based on 


management tracks. 

For nomination package 

instructions or questions contact: 

CDR Clement Welsh at: 

cwelsh@cdc.gov 

SciPAC Scientist Award 

Nomination Package 

Instructions (for both Derek 

Dunn Memorial and Young 

Scientist of the Year) 

The nomination package has three 

parts, each of which should be saved as 

a separate Microsoft Word or 

Wordperfect file: 

1. Nominator and Candidate 

Information (see below), 

2. A double-spaced (no more than 4 

double-spaced pages in length) 

award justification statement 

supporting the candidate’s nomination 

in accordance with the evaluation 

criteria outlined for the award. 

3. The candidate’s current C.V. 

No other information about the 

nominated officer is to be submitted 

(e.g., COERs, performance appraisals, 

letters of recognition). All three parts 

should be saved as separate Microsoft 

Word or Wordperfect files. 

By March 25, 2005, all three parts 

of the nomination package should be 

sent as e-mail attachments to CDR 

Doug Thoroughman at douglas.thoroughman@ky.gov. 

For information or questions contact: 

CDR Clement Welsh at: 

cwelsh@cdc.gov 

NOMINATOR INFORMATION: 

Name 

Title 

Agency 

Address 

Telephone 

E-mail 

CANDIDATE INFORMATION: 

Name 

Grade/Rank 

Agency 

Address 

Telephone 

E-mail 

Derek Dunn Memorial 

Scientist Officer of the Year 

Award 

ELIGIBILITY 

Active duty PHS Scientist Officers 

at the rank of O-5 or higher are 

eligible. No distinction will be made 

based on clinical/research/regulatory/ 

and management tracks. Past winners 

of the Young Scientist of the Year 

Award remain eligible. 

NOMINATION PROCESS 

Nominations can be made by an 

Agency, an Officer’s supervisor, by 

other Officers, or by the Officer. All 

nominations must follow the 

Nomination Package Instructions. The 

nomination package consists of three 

parts: nominator and candidate information, 

a justification statement which 

addresses the evaluation criteria 

outlined for the award, and the candidate’s 

current C.V. Each part is to be 

saved as a separate Microsoft Word or 

Wordperfect file, and by March 25, 

2005, e-mailed to the Chief Scientist 

Officer. 

SELECTION PROCESS AND 

SELECTION COMMITTEE 

A committee of senior-level Scientist 

Officers appointed by the Chief 

Scientist Officer makes the selection of 

recipients. The committee is composed 

(See SCIPAC, page 14) 


SCIPAC 

(continued from p. 13) 

of Scientists who represent the various 

professional disciplines in the 

Scientist Category. 

EVALUATION CRITERIA 

No distinction will be made based 

on an Officer’s billet or career track 

assignment. Applicants are judged in 

the following areas: (1) professional 

achievements; (2) career growth, 

development and leadership skills; 

and (3) PHS involvement and commitment. 

The committee uses the 

following criteria in evaluating 

nominees: 

• Professional Achievement(s) 

(25 points) 

The Officer has realized significant 

achievements in a professional field, 

which in turn have advanced the 

mission of the PHS or have had a 

beneficial impact on the nation’s 

health and health care services. 

Achievements and contributions may 

be judged on the basis of many factors, 

including publications, patents, 

designing and implementing public 

health programs, but more importantly 

a sustained commitment of time 

and/or outstanding skill in biomedical 

research as a Clinical Scientist Officer, 

an Environmental Health Scientist 

Officer, a Health Education Scientist 

Officer, a Research Scientist Officer, 

a Research Support Scientist Officer, 

a Regulatory Scientist Officer, or a 

Program Management Officer. The 

Officer’s achievements have been 

acknowledged by awards and letters of 

recognition from colleagues, supervisors, 

and professional organizations. 

• Career Growth, Development 

and Leadership Skills 

(50 points) 

The Officer has demonstrated 

professional growth and development 

as evidenced by engaging and 

contributing to more complex tasks 

and by assuming positions of 

increasing responsibility. Leadership 

positions held in any capacity are a 

demonstration of career growth and 

development and evidence that the 

Officer is regarded as a senior professional 

contributor to the field of 

expertise. The Officer serves as an 

exemplary role model for Junior 

Officers and others by balancing 

commitments of time and energy to 

profession, the Commissioned Corps, 

civic and humanitarian activities. The 

Officer serves as a mentor for Junior 

Officers. 

PHS INVOLVEMENT AND COMMITMENT 

(25 points) 

The Officer promotes and supports 

the mission of the Commissioned 

Corps by sustained involvement in 

Commissioned Corps professional 

advisory groups or committees, 

Division of Commissioned Personnel 

Boards, and Commissioned Corps 

related activities. For example, the 

Officer may be a member of the 

Commissioned Corps Readiness Force 

(CCRF), a Disaster Medical Assistance 

Team (DMAT) or the Commissioned 

Corps Music Ensemble. Membership 

and participation in PHS professional 

organizations such as COA, ROA, and 

AMSUS demonstrate commitment and 

dedication to the Commissioned Corps 

as well as a high level of Corps pride 

and honor. The Officer wears the 

uniform on a regular basis. The Officer 

continues to be a visible and active 

Scientist Category officer even after 

fulfilling more traditional roles such 

as SciPAC membership and leadership, 

leadership in local COA chapters, etc. 

RECOGNITION OF AWARD RECIPIENT 

An awards ceremony will be held 

during the Scientist Luncheon of the 

USPHS COA Annual meeting. 

Recipients of the Award receive a 

“Derek Dunn Memorial Scientist 

Officer of the Year” plaque signed by 

the Surgeon General and the CSO, 

and a letter of recognition from the 

SciPAC. 

Key Dates: Nominations are due by 

March 25, 2005 

Send nomination packages to: 

CDR Doug Thoroughman at 

douglas.thoroughman@ky.gov 

Young Scientist Officer 

of the Year Award 

ELIGIBILITY 

Active duty PHS Scientist Officers 

at the rank of O-4 or below are 

eligible. No distinction will be made 

based on 


management tracks. 

NOMINATION PROCESS 

Nominations can be made by an 

Agency, an Officer’s supervisor, by 

other Officers, or by the Officer. All 

nominations must follow the 

Nomination Package Instructions. The 

nomination package consists of three 

parts: nominator and candidate information, 

a justification statement which 

addresses the evaluation criteria 

outlined for the award, and the candidate’s 

current C.V. Each part is to be 

saved as a separate Microsoft Word or 

Wordperfect file, and by March 25, 

2005, e-mailed to the Chief Scientist 

Officer. 

SELECTION PROCESS 

AND SELECTION COMMITTEE 

A committee of Senior-level 

Scientist Officers appointed by the CSO 

makes selection of recipients for the 

Young Scientist Officer of the Year. The 

committee is composed of Scientist 

Officers who represent the various 

professional disciplines of the Scientist 

Category. 

RECOGNITION OF AWARD RECIPIENT 

An awards ceremony will be held 

during the Scientist Category 

Luncheon at the USPHS COA Annual 

meeting. Recipients of the Award will 

receive a “SciPAC Young Scientist 

Officer of the Year” plaque signed by 

the Surgeon General and the CSO, and 

a letter of special recognition from the 

SciPAC. 

EVALUATION CRITERIA 

Applicants will be judged in the 

following areas: 

• Professional Development 

(50 Points) 


The Officer demonstrates professional 

development by participating in 

continuing education and professional 

training and by taking advantage of 

Officer mentorship programs when 

available. Membership and/or offices 

held in professional organizations or 

participation in PHS task forces and 

workgroups demonstrate professional 

development. Work performance or 

presentations at professional meetings 

in a capacity mature for a person of 

similar education and experience are to 

be noted. The Officer’s pride and dedication 

to the Commissioned Corps are 

demonstrated by activities such as 

completion of the Basic Officer 

Training Course (BOTC), membership 

and participation in COA or 

similar organizations, membership in 

CCRF, DMAT or the Commissioned 

Corps Music Ensemble, and participation 

in Scientist PAC activities. The 

officer wears the uniform on a regular 

basis. 

• Achievements 

(50 Points) 

The Officer has job-related accomplishments 

or significant achievements 

in a professional field as evidenced by 

sustained or outstanding performance 

beyond that of the Officer’s peers. 

Examples of achievements include 

skillful management of difficult, 

complex tasks or a heavy workload, or 

development or improvement of 

service programs. These achievements 

should exceed job requirements. 

Evidence for achievements may include 

awards or letters of recognition from 

supervisors, the PHS, or professional 

associations. 

Key Dates: Nominations are due by 

March 25, 2005. 

Send nomination packages to: 

CDR Doug Thoroughman at 

douglas.thoroughman@ky.gov 

Alaska Natives Honor Commissioned Officers 

Article submitted by CAPT Ruth A. 

Etzel 

The Southcentral Foundation, an 

Alaska Native Health Corporation 

that co-owns and manages the 

Alaska Native Medical Center, celebrated 

Commissioned Corps Appreciation Day 

on January 5. The special event was 

initiated by Katherine Gottlieb, the 

Alaska Native President and CEO of 

Southcentral Foundation, to honor the 

officers’ hard work and commitment to 

the Native organization’s mission. 

The ceremony also recognized that 

50 years have passed since the Public 

Health Service began providing health 

services to Alaska Natives and American 

Indians. The transition of health services 

from the Bureau of Indian Affairs 

occurred in 1955. At that time, infant 

mortality was double that of the rest of 

the U.S. population and TB was 

rampant. By 1960, infant mortality had 

decreased by almost 25% and TB deaths 

by almost 50%. Today, infant mortality 

rates for American Indians and Alaska 

Natives have decreased to a rate only a 

little higher than that of the all US 

race rates. The Native leaders of the 

Southcentral Foundation expressed 

great pride that Commissioned Officers 

have chosen to partner with them to 

help eliminate health disparities 

between Alaska Natives and the rest 

of the US population. 

Commissioned Officers surround Southcentral Foundation President / Chief 

Executive Officer Katherine Gottlieb, MBA (front center) at the Anchorage Native 

Primary Care Center. Above them is a mask created by Sylvester Ayek, an Inupiaq 

artist from King Island, Alaska. 


Scholarship Opportunity Available to 

Military Spouses 

Article submitted by CDR Charlie 

Hoppes, Safety Evaluator, Food and 

Drug Administration. 

ALEXANDRIA, VA, January 13, 

2004 — The National Military 

Family Association (NMFA) is 

excited to announce that applications 

are now being accepted for the NMFA’s 

Joanne Holbrook Patton Military 

Spouse Scholarship Program. The 

scholarships are awarded to Uniformed 

Services spouses (active, retired, 

reserve, guard or survivor) to obtain 

professional certification or to attend 

post secondary or graduate school for 

an academic year. 

Scholarships are normally in the 

amount of $1,000.00. The scholarship 

funds may be used to assist with 

tuition, fees, books, and school room 

and board, so long as the funds are paid 

directly to the educational institution 

involved. The 2005 Awards were made 

possible through a donation from 

General Dynamics and several individual 

donors. Applications are only 

accepted online (www.nmfa.org) and 

are due on March 31, 2005. 

NMFA recognizes that the military 

lifestyle presents unique challenges to 

military spouses. Frequent moves can 

interfere with military spouses’ ability 

to complete their post secondary 

education, thus negatively impacting 

their professional development and 

long-term career progression. NMFA's 

military spouse scholarship program is 

one step toward helping military 

spouses gain the education that they 

need to reach their full career potential. 

About NMFA 

The National Military Family 

Association is the only national organization 

whose sole focus is the military 

family and whose goal is to influence 

the development and implementation 

of policies that will improve the lives 

of those family members. The 

Association’s mission is to serve the 

families of the seven uniformed services 

through education, information 

and advocacy. For more than 35 years, 

its staff and volunteers, comprised 

mostly of military family members, 

have built a reputation for being the 

leading experts on military family 

issues. 

Puerto Rico COA Reps Meet Surgeon General, 

COA Executive Director 

Submitted by LT Luis O. Rodriguez, Puerto Rico Branch President 

Conference Category 

Day Highlights 

Join us for Category Day at the 2005 

COA Conference. Highlights will 

include: 

Dentists 

• Oral health literacy 

• Access to care 

• Presentations by the Presidents of ADA 

and AGD 

Dietitians 

• Pediatric nutritional assessments 

• Impacting the health of older women 

Engineers 

• Future of public health engineering 

• International and domestic engineering 

response panel 

• Post-hurricane water and sanitation 

intervention in Central America 

Environmental Health Officers 

• Food defense 

• Responding to the hurricanes of 2004 

Health Services Officers 

• Forums for social workers; health administrators; 

physician assistants and basic 

applied sciences 

Nurses 

• Nurse-Managed Health Centers 

• International clinical trials 

• Migration of nurses: 

Pharmacists 

• Global antibiotic resistance 

• Medicare Modernization Act update 

• Adverse drug reactions and medication 

errors 

Physicians 

• Infectious diseases: Old and new threats 

• Environmental toxins 

• Obesity epidemic 

On December 12, 2004 LT Luis 

Carrion and LT Laura Garcia, 

representatives of the Puerto Rico 

COA Branch, met with Surgeon 

General Richard Carmona and COA 

Executive Director, CAPT Jerry Farrell, 

in Washington, DC. The opportunity to 

meet with VADM Carmona and CAPT 

Farrell came during a week of FDA 

training. 

As the Puerto Rico Branch 

President, I am very glad that our 

Surgeon General and CAPT Farrell are 

both personable individuals. They 

treated our officers extremely well 

during their visit. We, the officers 

stationed overseas in this little but 

great island, sometimes feel a bit 

distant from our fellow officers 

stationed mainland and from the main 

activities of the Public Health Service 

and COA. Moments like this one are 

essential to enhance the spirit of the 

commissioned corps in the Caribbean. 

Thank you to both individuals making 

this moment a memorable one! 

Scientists 

• Healthcare preparedness and emergency 

response to infectious diseases 

• Environmental management of asthma 

Therapists 

• Psychological and biological bases for 

obesity 

• Epidemiology of diabecity 

Veterinarians 

• Birth outcomes following West Nile virus 

disease in pregnancy 

• Health scientist administrator role in 

population health and public practice 


PHS Pharmacists Fill Many Roles During 

Florida’s Worst Hurricane Season in 40 Years 

Article submitted by LCDR Sean J. 

Belouin, Senior Regulatory Operations 

Officer, Internet and Health Fraud 

Team, Division of New Drugs and 

Labeling Compliance, FDA. 

Four hurricanes, Charley, Frances, 

Ivan, and Jeanne, smashed the west 

coast, east coast and panhandle of 

Florida during late August through the 

end of October, 2004. The storms 

ravaged whole towns, destroying businesses, 

homes, and schools; demolishing 

infrastructure; leaving neighborhoods 

without power and clean 

water; and making travel in some areas 

impossible. State and local governments 

managing the recovery in the 

aftermath of the hurricanes quickly 

exhausted their resources, with many 

of their own staff suffering losses to 

their own property. 

The Office of Force Readiness and 

Deployment (OFRD) within the Office 

of the Surgeon General, responded by 

deploying over 650 PHS Commissioned 

Corps officers. The PHS pharmacy 

category saw its largest deployment of 

pharmacy officers since the October 

2001 anthrax attacks. Dozens of pharmacists 

representing almost every 

Agency within the United States 

Department of Health and Human 

Services (DHHS) deployed during 

those two months. Officers were 

deployed with DHHS, the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency 

(FEMA), and the American Red Cross 

(ARC). Pharmacists served in various 

roles as clinical pharmacists, team 

coordinators, liaisons, and health 

educators. They worked in numerous 

locations such as Regional, State and 

County Health Departments in Florida 

and Alabama, Disaster Field Offices in 

Florida and Alabama, in FEMA 

Regional Operation Centers, several 

Florida and Alabama hospitals, ARC 

shelters, and special needs shelters. 

They also assisted as members of the 

Secretary’s Emergency Response Team, 

Florida and Alabama Emergency 

Response Teams, and in conjunction 

(from left to right) LCDR Krista Scardina updates LT Jennifer Hornsby-Myers and 

CDR Darrell LaRoche in between a shift change. 

with several of the Disaster Medical 

Assistance Teams (DMATs) brought in 

from many other states such as New 

Mexico, South Carolina, Rhode Island 

and Connecticut. PHS officers 

frequently had to expand their original 

deployment roles to adjust to the everchanging 

needs of the organizations 

they supported. 

PHS pharmacy officers had a direct 

impact on the organizations to which 

they were assigned, and the effects the 

pharmacy officers had on the community 

were immediate and felt by thousands 

of Floridians. Some of the first 

wave of pharmacy officers deployed 

were part of 12 member emergency 

response teams that consisted of a 

physician, physician assistant, nurse 

practitioner, 6 staff nurses, a pharmacist, 

environmental health officer and 

team coordinator/liaison. Pharmacists 

that were part of these teams deployed 

throughout Florida and parts of 

Alabama to ARC shelters and special 

needs shelters. The pharmacists 

worked closely within the team in evaluating 

and developing patient records, 

reviewing patient medications, determining 

medication needs, conducting 

on the spot drug use evaluations, and 

providing recommendations to the 

prescribing physician and physician 

assistants. Pharmacists were able to 

provide drug information to shelter 

staff regarding patients’ medications 

and provide patient medication counseling 

to many of the special needs 

patients. Pharmacists additionally 

coordinated with local hospitals and 

pharmacies in acquiring medications 

for the shelter patients, assisting the 

shelters in acquiring durable medical 

and non-medical supplies, and 

assisting in the administrative tracking 

of patients being admitted and 

discharged from the shelters. 

PHS pharmacy officers were 

assigned to several hospitals 

(See PHARMACISTS, page 18) 


PHARMACISTS 


throughout Florida after each of the 

hurricanes. Many of the hospitals were 

already experiencing personnel shortages 

in nursing and pharmacy. The 

hurricanes exasperated the shortage 

through massive increases in patient 

admissions combined with local staff 

having to tend to their own families 

and homes which suffered damage, 

power losses, and a shortage of potable 

water. DHHS and OFRD were able to 

deploy many pharmacists to the 

hardest hit areas to staff hospital pharmacies. 

PHS pharmacy officers worked 

closely with hospital staff pharmacists 

so that within a few days, PHS pharmacists 

were providing coverage in 

support of all facets of hospital pharmacy, 

to include ambulatory clinics, 

hospital emergency rooms, 

medical/surgical wards, intensive care 

units, OB/GYN wards, and pediatric 

units. To function effectively, pharmacists 

had to learn new computer 

systems and policy and procedures for 

the hospital pharmacies they staffed, 

often in just a few days. In some hospitals 

where staffing was critically short, 

PHS pharmacists, having received 

training over the course of just a couple 

of days, were scheduled as the sole 

pharmacists on duty providing all inpatient 

and ambulatory pharmacy care. 

PHS pharmacists assigned to hospitals 

provided treatment to several thousand 

patients over the course of the deployments 

and dispensed tens of thousands 

of medications. Through brief, yet 

intense onsite training, PHS pharmacists 

were able to relieve hospital pharmacy 

staff so they could attend to their 

own personal home situations. 

PHS pharmacists that deployed to 

hospitals, clinics and shelters not only 

performed clinical pharmacy services, 

but often assumed dual roles because 

of severe staffing shortages of all kinds. 

PHS pharmacy officers acted as safety 

officers, liaisons, logistical coordinators, 

health educators, administrative 

staff, and assumed leadership roles as 

team leaders during each of their 

shifts. PHS pharmacists performed 

around the clock, working 12 hour 

shifts, and at times, working 14 to 18 

hours. In many locations, PHS pharmacists 

would eat and sleep in the 

facilities to minimize any disruption to 

the care being provided. 

Still other PHS pharmacists were 

assigned as liaisons to many of the 

large emergency response agencies 

such as FEMA, ARC, the State of 

NEW MEMBERS 

Welcome New COA Members 

Please help us welcome our new and returning members. Thank you for adding your support to COA! 

LT Matthew B. Adson 

Grand Canyon 

CDR James P. 

Alexander, Jr. 

Atlanta 

LT Kwadwo A. Awuah 

District of Columbia 

LCDR David Axt 

Bemidji 

LT Karen D. Beckham 


LT Troy A. Bradwisch 

New York 

LT Daniel Brum 


LT Deloris A. Caldwell 

Bemidji 

LT Linda K. Ford 

Ft. Worth 

LCDR Ronald J. 

Garrett 

Aberdeen 

LTJG Veronica L. 

Gipner 

Evergreen 

LT Veronica M. Gordon 

Continental Divide 

CAPT Augusta E. Hays 

Phoenix 

LCDR Dwight R. 

Humpherys 

Phoenix 

LT Kris Hunley 

SE Oklahoma 

LT Diane Inch 

Thomas Jefferson 

LT Dexter A. James 

West Virginia 

LT Joseph L. Jones 

Northern Oklahoma 

LT Hiyong Kim 

Aurora Borealis 

LT Kristen A. Koch 

Oklahoma 

LT Mysheika R. 

LeMaile-Williams 

Unaffiliated 

LT Adam W. Lofton 

Atlanta 

LT Kathleen R. 

Manning 


LCDR Nancy 

Mautone-Smith 

Golden Gate 

CDR Juliette Morgan 

Atlanta 

LTJG Joseph R. New 

Comb 

Aurora Borealis 

LT Jerry M. O’Toole 

Bluegrass 

LTJG Holli J. Olson 

Phoenix 

LTJG Evangeline J. 

Pablo 

Rio Grande 

LT Anita S. Pallani 


LT Neel I. Patel 

Baltimore 

CAPT Lynn A. Paxton 

Atlanta 

LCDR Edward L. 

Poindexter 

Baltimore 

LT Mariam E. Sabin 

Atlanta 

LT Rolanda A. Sandoval 

Navajo 

LT Kun Shen 


LCDR Robert V. Sigh 

Atlanta 

LT Kenneth L. 

Simmet, Jr. 

Grand Canyon 

LT Richardae C. Taylor 

Baltimore 

CDR Preston L. Van 

Curen 

Unaffiliated 

CDR Judy Weiss 

SW Oklahoma 

LCDR David Wong 

Rio Grande 

LT Doris Y. Wurah 


LT Leo B. Zadecky 

Baltimore 


Florida, and several of Florida’s County 

Departments of Health and Human 

Services. Officers often acted as DHHS 

representatives and performed a variety 

of functions such as conducting daily 

meetings and calls with operational 

field units, the CDC, DOD, DHHS 

Emergency Response Teams, DMATs 

deployed throughout Florida, and with 

other emergency operational units 

around the state. Constant, effective, 

and accurate communication was critical 

to drafting daily Situation Reports 

that could be communicated up 

through DHHS so resources could be 

allocated appropriately to maximize 

their effect and so those resources could 

be deployed as rapidly as possible. PHS 

pharmacists also were utilized in 

supporting administration, finance, 

planning, public relations, logistics, and 

training. 

PHS officers filled many critical roles 

during one of Florida’s worst hurricane 

seasons. Their impact on improving the 

public health of the state of Florida was 

felt immediately and directly by the 

thousands of citizens they treated in 

hospitals, clinics and shelters and indirectly 

through their supportive roles in 

federal, state and local agencies 

providing emergency response in the 

wake of the hurricanes. PHS pharmacy 

officers demonstrated an expanded 

ability to fill many critical roles during 

this DHHS deployment, and that often 

required deployed personnel to respond 

rapidly to the ever-changing situations 

and conditions. PHS pharmacy officers 

demonstrated their critical and valuable 

role as clinical pharmacists and the 

many other roles they filled as they 

responded to the constantly changing 

situations and conditions in each hurricane’s 

aftermath. 

PHS pharmacy officers are continuing 

the long PHS tradition of 

protecting the public health of this 

nation. In a world that will continue to 

experience disasters as seen in Florida, 

maintaining public health during those 

times will demand that healthcare 

professionals adapt to ever-changing 

and complex situations. PHS pharmacy 

officers are meeting those demands 

now, and proactively preparing for new 

and unforeseen public health challenges 

that lay ahead. 

PHS BLAZER PATCH: 

This is an elegant piece, hand 

embroidered with silk and bullion 

threads, 3" in diameter. The colors 

are based on our original PHS Seal. 

You would be proud to wear this on 

the left pocket of a blazer when in 

civilian attire. It coordinates with 

the PHS "Regimental" Bow Tie. 

[$15 each, or $17.00 when 

purchased in a set with either the 

PHS Seal Lapel Pin or PHS Flag 

Lapel Pin] 

PHS "Military" COIN: 

The military services have a long 

tradition of their own unit coin. 

Always have it in your pocket (or 

purse) to display when "challenged." 

These make great gifts of appreciation 

to uniformed services and 

public health personnel. They are 

almost 1-1/2" in diameter. Carry 

your coin, show pride in your Corps. 

[$10 each, or $12 when purchased 

in a set with a PHS Seal Lapel Pin or 

PHS Flag Lapel Pin] 

PHS Memorabilia 

Show Your Pride in the Commissioned Corps 

and Public Health Service 

Items shown above are smaller than original 

PHS SEAL Lapel Pin 

This lapel pin is dime size and duplicates 

the PHS Seal in design, with gold colored 

letters and a blue enamel background. 

This coordinates with the Blazer Patch 

and the Tie. [$5 each when purchased 

separately] 

PHS QUARANTINE FLAG 

Lapel Pin 

This lapel pin is dime size and is a miniature 

version of the PHS Flag. It has the 

PHS Seal in blue on a yellow background. 

[$5 each when purchased separately, 

$2 each if purchased with a tie, 

coin, or patch.) 

The DC COA Branch is your exclusive 

source for these items to increase 

esprit de corps and group identity. 

Send a check made to "DC COA" and 

mail to CAPT Susanne Caviness, 5901 

Montrose Road, # N-309, North 

Bethesda, MD 20852. Be sure to 

include your mailing address. There is 

no charge for postage! Order forms are 

available at: www.dccoa.org or contact 

CAPT Caviness 240-276-0475 x115; 

susanne.caviness@fda.hhs.gov. 


COA OPPORTUNITIES 

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS 

MANAGER 


of the U.S Public Health Service 

8201 Corporate Drive Suite 200 

Landover, MD 20785 Fax: 301-731-9084 

Date Posted: 01/25/05 

Salary: Commensurate with 

Experience 

Location: Landover, Maryland 

Type: Full Time - Experienced 

The Commissioned Officers Association 

seeks an experienced legislative professional 

to join our team. This position 

is responsible for: 

• Serve as registered lobbyist for the 

Association in presenting its views to 

Congress. 

• Propose and implement strategies 

and tactics to achieve policy and 

legislative agenda. 

• Work closely with the ED and legislative 

committee. 

• Drafting, editing and disseminating 

reports, position papers, testimony, 

and other materials addressing key 

public policy issues. 

• Monitoring and lobbying legislative 

issues on the federal level that affect 

PHS Officers. 

• Developing relationships with the 

media, direct contact with media 

representatives and aggressively 

pursuing media placement opportunities 

and visibility for the association. 

• Writing and editing of news releases, 

articles for publication and maintaining 

excellent relations with the 

members of the media and association. 

• Contribute articles and edit monthly 

publication. 

Requirements: 

Minimum of Bachelor’s degree and 

3-5 years experience with public policy 

issues, including work experience on 

Capitol Hill. Individual must have 

excellent written and verbal communication 

skills. Must be detailed oriented 

with the ability to handle deadlines and 

prioritize. Knowledge of U.S. Public 

Health Service a plus. Individual 

should have a willingness to learn all 

aspects of Association’s mission and 

goals. COA offers a compensation 

package which includes outstanding 

employee benefits, a casual workplace 

environment and professional development. 

Free parking and a gym on the 

building premises. Located 1 block 

from the New Carrollton Metro 

Station. 

Please fax, mail, or email 

(toliver@coausphs.org) resume, salary 

requirements and references. Closing 

date is February 15, 2005 

About Commissioned Officers 

Association 

COA is a private, professional association 

representing more than 7,000 

active duty, reserve, and retired 

commissioned officers of the U.S. 


ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT 


of the U.S Public Health Service 

8201 Corporate Drive Suite 200 

Landover, MD 20785 Fax: 301-731-9084 

Date Posted: 01/25/05 

Salary: Commensurate with 

Experience 

Location: Landover, Maryland 

Type: Full Time (40 hrs.) - Entry Level 

COA is seeking an individual to coordinate 

all aspects of association’s administrative 

duties. Responsibilities will 

include: 

• Open, sort, and distribute incoming 

correspondence, including faxes and 

email. 

• Prepare agendas and make arrangements 

for committee, board, and 

other meetings. 

• Prepare invoices, reports, memos, 

letters, financial statements and 

other documents, using word 

processing, spreadsheet, database, 

and/or presentation software. 

• Prepare responses to correspondence 

containing routine inquiries. 

This position functions as a member 

of the COA team, and provides assistance 

when necessary in staffing 

conferences and events, as well as other 

duties as assigned. 

Requirements: 

COA is in search of an individual 

with excellent written and verbal 

communication skills. Must be detail 

and deadline oriented with the ability 

to handle and prioritize many projects 

concurrently. Individual should have a 

willingness to learn all aspects of 

Association’s mission and goals. 

Notes: Please fax, mail, or email 

(toliver@coausphs.org) resume and 

references. Closing date is February 

15, 2005. 

About Commissioned Officers 

Association 

COA is a private, professional association 

representing more than 7,000 

active duty, reserve, and retired 

commissioned officers of the U.S. 


Resolutions 

Announcement 

Remember that the COA 

Resolution process 

permits individual 

members, at any 

time, to submit a 

resolution to the 

Board of Directors for further 

consideration by the full membership. 

Discussion of proposals with 

your Branch is strongly encouraged. 

The complete resolutions 

policy, along with the form for 

submitting a resolution can be 

found at www.coausphs.org . 


Commissioned Corps Physical Therapist 

Eases Pain from Florida Hurricanes 

Article submitted by LCDR Michael 

LaPlante PT, DSc,ECS, Chief Physical 

Therapist, Winslow Indian Health Care 

Center (WIHCC). 

Like any dutiful Commissioned Officer, 

I replied to the web site on 

September 3, 2004 to register for 

possible deployment due to Hurricane 

Frances. I have been 'deployable' for 

many months, so I didn't think this 

would be any different from all the 

previous times I had responded. But to 

my surprise, my clinical director, Dr. 

Armao was contacted that day to acquire 

permission for my deployment! He and I 

both jumped through all the permission 

hoops and I was set to go. We were both 

surprised by the quick reply of the Corps, 

but still thought it was only an exercise. 

My weekend was quiet until Sunday 

when I was called at 3:15 and told to 

board my plane at 4:20. With only 

minutes to spare, I quickly packed, 

jumped in my car, and sped (but of 

course below the speed limit...) to the 

airport for my flight. The gracious gal at 

the counter was understanding of my 

situation, and allowed me to check in 

even though I was 15 minutes late. I 

boarded my plane and made it to Atlanta, 

arriving at 2 am in the cold and rainy 

town and, unfortunately, finding out that 

I had no place to stay. Following some 

difficult maneuvering, I was able to 

locate a place downtown, and got in a 

solid four hours jet-lagged sleep before 

having to rise and get back to the 

training center. 

After checking in with the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency 

(FEMA), I stayed in Atlanta for two days, 

and was trained as a 'community representative' 

to work in post-hurricane 

areas assessing damage and informing 

residents about the types of disaster 

relief available through FEMA. 

Following training, I was deployed to the 

Orlando Area with 31 other Corps officers, 

and some civilians, to canvass that 

region and get the FEMA word out. This 

particular job during deployment was 

quite interesting, as I was able to personally 

meet with many people who had 

their lives completely turned upside 

down by these hurricanes. Providing 

some comfort and hope that they were 

not alone after such a traumatic (both 

materialistic and emotional) disaster was 

intrinsically rewarding. With FEMA, we 

were able to instill a sense of order to 

peoples’ lives and give them hope that 

tomorrow might really be a better day. 

A few days later, my team was 

deployed to Citrus County. Along the 

coast, we found significant flooding and 

damage to trees and most billboards. 

Roads were under water and power and 

potable water were rare, but I could see a 

resiliency in the local citizens that made 

me feel good about the people of America 

and our ability to bounce back from 

many types of life's challenges. My team 

member (Phil Toy) and I had just gotten 

into the swing of things with FEMA, 

when our detail changed, and we were 

re-assigned to work at a 'Supershelter' in 

Orlando. This shelter was established 

because Hurricane Ivan, even larger than 

the other hurricanes, was heading our 

way. The shelter had the capacity to 

house up to 8,000 people, some just 

needing a bed, others having significant 

medical needs. 

On my first day reporting for duty 

there, we had an 'all hands' meeting to 

outline what our goals would be in 

setting up the shelter. I have been in the 

Corps for about ten years and, until that 

day, had never seen so many officers in 

one place at one time. DMATs had gotten 

the shelter off the ground, but we were 

transitioning in to take over, in partnership 

with the Forest Service. One might 

wonder why the Forest Service had 

anything to do with the hurricane relief, 

but since they work large disasters 

frequently (forest fires), they are familiar 

with how to get large-scale responses 

organized. 

I was the only physical therapist at the 

shelter, so I was appointed team leader 

for family activities and recreation. 

Imagine a multi-thousand square foot 

room, full of beds and cots, and nothing 

to do. With little in the way of resources, 

our team, which consisted of seven officers, 

developed an entire Activities of 

Daily Living (ADL) program and an 

activity program from scratch. Jodi 

Tanzillo, from Shiprock, became our 

chair aerobics teacher, Gillian Engleson 

(See THERAPISTS, page 23) 

CAPT’s Kendra Wallace (left) and Fran Oakley (right) break down shelter beds at 

the “Supershelter” in Orlanda, Florida. 


FOUNDATION FORUM 

COF Donations 

In Memory of CAPT Derek E. Dunn, 

CAPT John Bartko has donated $500. 

Platinum 

LT Thomas F. Lantry 

RADM Robert J. Collins (Ret.) 

Gold 

CAPT Larry S. Gaynor (Ret.) 

CAPT Patricia K. Roberts (Ret.) 

CAPT William A. Millar II (Ret.) 

CDR Deborah A. Levy 

RADM Albert H. Stevenson (Ret.) 

RADM Emery A. Johnson (Ret.) 

RADM Jerrold M. Michael (Ret.) 

RADM John J. Walsh (Ret.) 

RADM John W. Cashman (Ret.) 

RADM Roscoe M. Moore Jr. 

Silver 

CAPT Elisabeth H. Boeker (Ret.) 

CAPT Lila R. Davis Ret.) 

CAPT Raymond Goldstine 

CAPT Ralph C. Graber (Ret.) 

RADM James R. Graham 

CDR Michael G. Halko 

CDR Hugh M. Mainzer 

CAPT Bert W. Mitchell (Ret.) 

CAPT James W. Pees (Ret.) 

RADM John T. Porvaznik (Ret.) 

CAPT Marguerite M. Smith (Ret.) 

CAPT Eugene J. Van Scott (Ret.) 

CAPT Sumathy Vannarth 

CAPT Theodore A. Westley (Ret.) 

CAPT Donald H. Williams (Ret.) 

CAPT William J. Zukel (Ret.) 

Bronze 

CAPT Willard N. Adams (Ret.) 

RADM Harry Allen (Ret.) 

LCDR Helga C. Baca 

CDR Carl C. Baker 

CAPT Amy C. Barkin 

CAPT John T. Barnett (Ret.) 

CAPT Susanna F. Barrett (Ret.) 

CAPT Reuben A. Baybars (Ret.) 

CAPT Ira Berkower 

Christine Berning 

RADM Richard J. Bertin (Ret.) 

CAPT Gary T. Blache 

RADM Richard C. Bohrer 

CAPT Thomas B. Bornstein 

Memory of Dr Jennifer Puryear, DDS 

CAPT Merilys P. Brown (Ret.) 

CAPT Philip M. Budashewitz 

CAPT David W. Callagy (Ret.) 

CDR Erlinda R. Casuga-Marquez 

RADM Richard M. Church 

RADM Clifford H. Cole (Ret.) 

RADM Clifford H. Cole (Ret.) 

CAPT Claire M. Coppage (Ret.) 

RADM Stephen B. Corbin (Ret.) 

CAPT Daniel A. Diggins Jr. 

CAPT Glen D. Drew 

CAPT Gregory M. Dubitsky 

CAPT Rosemary E. Duffy 

RADM James H. Erickson (Ret.) 

CAPT William E. Evans 

CAPT William B. Furgerson, Jr. (Ret) 

CAPT Claude R. Garfield (Ret.) 

CAPT Stephen J. Garza (Ret.) 

✁ 

PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation for the Advancement of Public Health 

■ Yes, I would like to help! Enclosed is my contribution 

Please make checks payable to: 

"PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation" 

or provide credit card information below. 

Mail to: 

PHS Commissioned Officers 

Foundation for the Advancement 

of Public Health 

8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 200 

Landover, MD 20785 

Type of Credit Card: Amount: $_____________________________________________ 

■ MasterCard Card Number: ______________________________________________ 

■ Visa Name on Card: ______________________________________________ 

■ American Express Expiration Date: ______________________________________________ 

■ Discover Signature: ______________________________________________ 

Name: ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ __ 

Organization: _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ __ 

Mailing Address: _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 

City: _______________________________________ State: __________________ Zip: ___________________ 

Phone: ___________________ Fax:_______________________ Email: ________________________________ 


CAPT Gregory J. Glahn (Ret.) 

CAPT Ardon G. Green 

LCDR William C. Guinn 

CDR Steve Gurski III 

CAPT William H. J. Haffner (Ret.) 

RADM Marlene E. Haffner 

CAPT Ernest Hamel 

CAPT Joseph B. Hayden (Ret.) 

CAPT Donald E. Hill (Ret.) 

CAPT William F. Holcomb (Ret.) 

RADM Brenda J. Holman 

CAPT Van S. Hubbard 

CAPT Elizabeth L. Iddings (Ret.) 

CAPT Wayne A. Jenkins (Ret.) 

CAPT Donald W. Johnson (Ret.) 

CAPT Candace M. Jones 

CAPT G. Bryan Jones 

CAPT Anne W. Kay (Ret.) 

CAPT Donna M. Kenison 

CAPT Herbert F. Klein (Ret.) 

CAPT Leslie W. Knott (Ret.) 

CAPT Robert L. Lathrop (Ret.) 

RADM William R. Maas 

CAPT David L. Madden (Ret.) 

CAPT Robert E. Mansell (Ret.) 

CAPT Carnick A. Markarian (Ret.) 

CAPT Katherine L. Matrakas 

CAPT Edward J. McCarten (Ret.) 

CAPT Catherine N. McDuffie (Ret.) 

CAPT Jules M. Meisler (Ret.) 

Memory of Capt Wm Briner 

LTJG Steven R. Miller 

RADM Fitzhugh S. Mullan (Ret.) 

CAPT Tina Murray 

CAPT Milton Z. Nichaman (Ret.) 

CAPT William B. Parsons (Ret.) 

CAPT M. Ethel Payne (Ret.) 

CAPT Robert E. Pittman 

CAPT Linda M. Pottern 

CAPT Warren V. Powell (Ret.) 

CDR Gordon C. Quinn 

CAPT Robert G. Raymond (Ret.) 

CAPT John P. Riegel 

CAPT Albert B. Ripley (Ret.) 

CAPT Jack D. Robertson (Ret.) 

CAPT Latricia C. Robertson 

CDR Jose C. Rodriguez 

CAPT James R. Rostedt 

CAPT Arthur L. Schade (Ret.) 

CAPT Irving H. Schlafman (Ret.) 

CAPT Eleanor B. Schron 

In Memory of Capt Geraldine Ellis 

CAPT George R. Scott 

CAPT Edgar F. Seagle (Ret.) 

CAPT Florence M. Seidler (Ret.) 

CAPT Walter S. Sekiya (Ret.) 

CAPT J. Gary Sirmons (Ret.) 

RADM William M. Smith (Ret.) 

CAPT Howard W. Spence (Ret.) 

CAPT John L. Stephenson (Ret.) 

CAPT David M. Stevens 

CAPT Harry Stierli (Ret.) 

RADM Nathaniel Stinson Jr. (Ret.) 

CAPT Corwin D. Strong (Ret.) 

CAPT John R. Sundell (Ret.) 

CAPT Timothy F. Svoboda (Ret.) 

RADM John G. Todd (Ret.) 

RADM John G. Todd (Ret.) 

LCDR Steven M. Vavrosky 

CAPT James L. Verber (Ret.) 

RADM Donald L. Weaver 

CAPT Leo Weaver (Ret.) 

CAPT Karl A. Western (Ret.) 

CAPT Clair G. Wetmore (Ret.) 

CAPT Charles P. White (Ret.) 

CAPT Holly A. Williams 

CAPT Jack Womack (Ret.) 

CAPT Charles D. Yaffe (Ret.) 

CAPT Charles D. Yaffe (Ret.) 

CAPT John C. Yashuk (Ret.) 

CAPT Robert N. Zimmerman (Ret.) 

Friends 

CAPT Frank A. Bell, Jr. (Ret) 

CAPT Robert L. Bolin (Ret.) 

CAPT Perry C. Brackett (Ret.) 

CAPT William L. Brinck (Ret.) 

CAPT Jacob A. Brody (Ret.) 

CAPT Neil S. Buckholtz 

CAPT Kirby I. Campbell (Ret.) 

CAPT Lawrence E. Chaitkin (Ret.) 

CAPT Donna K. Chandler 

CAPT William Cibulas Jr. 

CDR Jon R. Daugherty 

CAPT Josephine E. Divel 

CAPT Samuel W. Dooley Jr. 

RADM Edgar N. Duncan (Ret.) 

CAPT Jerome L. Fleg 

CAPT Ronald Fried (Ret.) 

CAPT Mary A. Fugitt (Ret.) 

CAPT Vernon J. Fuller (Ret.) 

CAPT Joseph H. Gainer (Ret.) 

CAPT William J. Goodwin Jr. (Ret.) 

RADM Gerald M. Hansler (Ret.) 

CAPT Eugene H. Herman (Ret.) 

CDR Paul E. Huntzinger 

LCDR Grey C. Jones 

CAPT Jean H. Kajikawa (Ret.) 

CAPT Albert Z. Kapikian (Ret.) 

CDR Michael L. Kincaid 

CAPT Betty J. Klingenhagen (Ret.) 

CDR Charles E. Lee 

RADM P. A. Littleton, Jr. (Ret.) 

CAPT Fortune V. Mannino (Ret.) 

CDR Joseph W. Matthews 

CDR Robert D. Newman 

LCDR Lori Newman 

Martaret J Nixon 

CAPT Elaine G. Offutt (Ret.) 

CAPT Thomas H. Pardee 

LCDR Donna L. Roberts 

CAPT Joseph C. Robinson (Ret.) 

CAPT Richard G. Schulman 

CDR Gail M. Stennies 

CAPT James A. Ude 

LCDR Geoffrey T. Wachs 

Donations can be made at several 

levels: 

Leadership Society . . . . . . .$10,000 

President’s Society . . . . . . . . .5,000 

Founder’s Society . . . . . . . . . .2,500 

Platinum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,000 

Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .500 

Silver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250 

Bronze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 

THERAPISTS 


was our materials acquisition officer, and 

all of us helped with patient/resident 

morale. Since no specific physical 

therapy services were requested. I informally 

helped to educate residents in 

need about mobility and safe transfer 

issues - along with many a rousing game 

of checkers with some of our geriatric 

patients. 

Our 'Family Activities and Recreation' 

center truly became a central place for 

patients/residents to come, and considering 

we had two days to establish the 

entire service we and our clients considered 

it a success. In the end, Hurricane 

Ivan missed Orlando. So thankfully the 

shelter did not have to be fully utilized. 

However, many officers were re-deployed 

to other areas that were hit by Ivan and 

continued what became a quick and 

effective response by the Commissioned 

Corps. When my two weeks were up, I 

was given new orders to head home. I 

arrived home at 3 am, the day after demobilizing. 

I would like to extend a big thank you 

to the administration of the Winslow 

Indian Health Care Center for allowing 

me to deploy. The people of Florida truly 

appreciated the help we could provide. 


RESPONSE 


the Gulf Coast who were ready and 

anxious to go. Equally perplexing and 

confusing is the fact the although the 

Commissioned Corps, through the 

Office of the Surgeon General (OSG) 

and the Office of Force Readiness and 

Deployment (OFRD) and RADM John 

Babb, were tasked to train and assign 

officers to the Florida mission, these 

offices have no role in determining 

how officers are actually used at the 

“tip of the spear.” On the ground 

command authority is exercised 

through the DHHS Office of Public 

Health Emergency Preparedness 

(OPHEP). The exact role of OPHEP 

in anything other being in a great 

place to take credit for a successful 

operation is unclear. All the real 

preparation and work is done by OFRD 

and the fine officers assigned by them 

to the task at hand. 

The second example is relief 

operations in South Asia following 

the devastation of the December 26th 

tsunami. The Navy asked the Corps 

for help in staffing the hospital ship 

USNS Mercy which was steaming 

toward Singapore in January. Now I 

think we would all agree that PHS officers 

have skills that are much needed 

in areas ravaged by the tsunami. In 

addition to clinical personnel, there is 

an equally great need for environmental 

health experts and public 

health engineers to rebuild sanitation 

and water treatment facilities. The 

Corps, of course, cannot respond. The 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Health 

wrote to the DHHS Operating Division 

heads and asked them to send officers 

to the Mercy. Fortunately, the OpDivs 

responded affirmatively and 17 officers 

are on their way to lend their skills and 

expertise to relief operations in South 

Asia on board the Mercy. But the 

OpDivs and other agencies involved 

could just as easily have balked. And, 

once again, even though the request is 

directed to OSG, the officers actually 

deployed report back to their OpDivs, 

not OSG. The headquarters footing 

the bill gets to call the shots. 

And, as it usually is, that is the 

essence of the issue – funding. There is 

no line item anywhere in the federal 

budget that says “PHS Commissioned 

Corps.” The Office of the Surgeon 

General has no funds – no budget. 

When a crisis erupts and the “Corps” is 

deployed, RADM Babb has to hope that 

the Operating Divisions supporting 

the officers he details to the crisis will 

foot the bill. There is no guarantee 

they will. How’s that for a system? 

Even more amazing is that in the case 

of getting officers to the Mercy, the 

Department seems unwilling to go the 

White House and get some of the $150 

million pledged to South Asia relief to 

transport and pay the salaries of officers 

needed there. 

None of the foregoing is intended as 

a criticism of OFRD, or Admiral Babb 

and his staff – or of the Corps. The 

fact is that OFRD does incredible 

things with little more than tape, 

string, sealing wax and the occasional 

prayer. And dedicated Corps officers 

do whatever it takes once deployed to 

make the mission a success – overcoming 

huge obstacles of disorganization 

– to bring real relief and support 

to those most in need. The accolades 

received from Governor Jeb Bush and 

the Florida Secretary of Health 

following the September hurricanes 

are testament to the effectiveness of 

the Corps. Imagine how much more 

you could do if properly organized and 

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funded. 

This all relates back to the stalled 

issue of transforming the Corps. If the 

Corps’ mission (still not ready for 

release) is to include emergency 

response (which, according to the NRP 

it surely does), then the requirements 

necessary to fulfill that mission must 

be identified and apportioned (they are 

neither identified nor apportioned). 

The Corps must be organized in such 

a way as to be able to fulfill the 

mission. Emergency response 

demands centrally managed and operated 

organizational constructs with 

clear lines of authority, chains of 

command, and – oh yes – accountability. 

If we are serious about doing 

this right, then the OSG will have to 

have a budget and billets sufficient to 

meet assigned responsibilities and 

requirements as defined by the 

mission. COA has previously proposed 

the creation of a designated team of 

officers funded through OSG and 

assigned to the states that would be 

part of a rapid response to any event – 

domestically or internationally. If 

that entity existed, then requirements 

outlined above would all come 

together – chain of command, clear 

lines of authority, and accountability. 

Also the magic requirement of 

funding would be resolved. When the 

event exceeded the capacity of that 

designated team, OFRD could then dip 

into the rest of the Commissioned 

Corps for augmentation. We have to 

believe the OpDivs and agencies would 

applaud this structure, in that it would 

significantly reduce the almost 

constant requests to deploy their 

officers. 

ESF #8 is a confusing and disorienting 

mishmash of overlapping 

responsibility, unclear authority, 

confused chains of command and no 

apparent accountability. Word is that 

no one is particularly happy with it – 

the folks in Homeland Security are 

uncomfortable and the folks in DHHS 

ought to be. Thus far, we have had 

success following disasters because of 

the awesome dedication and professionalism 

of individuals who make a 

seriously flawed system work. We can 

only hope that the system will get 

fixed before we really need it. 

BOTC Held in Fort Worth, Texas 

The Federal Bureau of Prisons 

Health Services Division and the 

Federal Medical Center, Carswell 

sponsored a Basic Officer Training 

Course (BOTC) in Fort Worth, Texas, 

November 30-December 2, 2004 at 

the Naval Air Station, Joint Reserve 

Base. The Commissioned Officers 

Training Academy staff, CDR Meta 

Timmons and LT Carolyn Oyster, 

presented a thorough and professional 

course. Federal Medical Center 

(FMC) Carswell Warden, Ginny Van 

Buren, presented opening and closing 

remarks. 

Seventy-two officers participated 

in this training. Although most of 

the officers were from Texas, officers 

came from North Carolina, Washington 

DC, New York, Louisiana, Illinois, 

Oklahoma, Maryland, Arizona, and 

Kansas. The officers were of all ranks 

and disciplines and are assigned to 

the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Food 

and Drug Administration, Centers 

for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 

Indian Health Service, and Health 

Resources and Services 

Administration. 

The Fort Worth Chapter of the 


(COA) provided assistance for the 

training, including a social event at 

the Fort Worth Stockyards. Texas 

hospitality was alive and well 

throughout the training. The BOTC 

instructors were given a tour of the 

FMC, Carswell by the BOTC 

Coordinator, CAPT Julia Dunaway. 

The day of the tour happened to 

occur during the annual Christmas 

tree lighting ceremony. CDR 

Timmons was surprised to see three 

inmate choirs singing to the large 

assembly of inmates and staff. 

CAPT Newton Kendig, BOP 

Medical Director, who was unable to 

attend, asked CAPT Nick Makrides, 

BOP Chief Dentist, and one of the 

class participants, to speak on his 

behalf regarding transformation of 

the corps and the recent personnel 

policy changes. Mr. Scott Murchie, 

BOP Health Services Division, Chief 

of Staffing and Recruitment, also 

attended the first two days of the 

BOTC. 

The Texas officers were extremely 

grateful to have a BOTC class close 

to home, learn about PHS history 

and policy, and especially to meet 

new friends. 

Participants in the Basic Officer Training Course, November 30-December 2, 

2004, in Fort Worth, Texas 


EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 


Professional Conference and Global 

Health Summit. Our National Board 

Chair, Captain Tim Ames, is also 

writing about the Conference this 

month. The fact that both of us chose 

the same subject should be at least 

some indication of its importance. 

I hope all of our members know that 

COA will host the 40th Annual US PHS 

Professional Conference from 6-9 June 

2005 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 

birthplace of the U.S. Public Health 

Service. The Conference theme is 

“Where In the World Are We…In 

Global Health?” On June 5th, immediately 

preceding the Conference, COA’s 

affiliated Foundation is sponsoring a 

Global Health Summit, which is 

designed to set the tone and agenda for 

the conference which follows. The 

Summit is the Foundation’s most 

important and ambitious undertaking 

to date. 

Surgeon General Carmona will roll 

out his Global Health Call to Action at 

the Summit, which is planned as a 

venue to invite international feedback 

on the document. We have invited 

prominent public health figures from 

around the world to participate in the 

Summit and many have already 

accepted. The Summit will feature a 

panel representing key stakeholder 

groups in global health such as NGOs, 

national and international government 

organizations, public and private 

funding groups, and beneficiary countries. 

The panel will respond to the 

Call to Action. Four discussion groups 

will address areas of primary importance 

– Diseases, Environment, 

Displaced Persons, and Global Health 

Security and Infrastructure. The fact 

that these four issues have occupied 

much of our newsprint and nightly 

news broadcasts since December 26th 

should not be lost on any of us. There 

is much more to the Summit agenda, 

but not enough space here to detail it 

all. 

The annual Conference will be at 

least as good and likely even better 

than last year’s event in Anchorage. 

Dr. Tony Fauci of NIH will deliver the 

Luther Terry Lecture on the Monday 

afternoon of the Conference. 

Immediately following the opening 

ceremonies on Monday afternoon, the 

Conference will present an historic 

panel discussion exploring the past 

lessons learned in global health and 

relating those lessons to today’s world 

and the future. The panel is historic 

because the panelists will all be former 

U.S. Surgeon’s General. And we expect 

five of the six living former Surgeon’s 

General to participate, including Dr. C. 

Everett Koop. This is something you 

will not want to miss – ask anyone who 

heard Dr. Koop speak at the Anchor 

and Caduceus Society Luncheon on 

January 4th! 

Tuesday of the Conference is 

Category Day and all of the planners 

have done an exceptional job creating 

exciting, informational, and interesting 

agendas. Wednesday will be devoted to 

plenary sessions on a variety of key 

global health issues and a keynote 

address by Surgeon General Carmona. 

Thursday will be devoted to three 

tracked sessions and a closing keynote 

address. Availability of continuing 

education credits is the main function 

of the Conference and we will provide 

our best ever scientific program in this 

regard. 

In addition to the exciting scientific 

agenda, the Conference will also 

include an all hands reception on 

Monday evening, the Surgeon 

General’s Run/Walk on Wednesday 

evening, an Awards luncheon and 

annual COA Meeting of the Assembly 

on Wednesday, breakout lunches on 

Thursday, and a closing dinner on 

Thursday evening during which we will 

present the COA Health Leader of the 

Year Award. Other events planned are a 

Local Branch President’s Breakfast 

with the National COA Board of 

Directors (Wednesday morning), and a 

Retired Officers’ Breakfast (Thursday 

morning). One of the Thursday lunch 

sessions will be a working lunch for 

Inactive Reserve Officers. We are also 

working on a “Meet Your Regional 

Health Administrator” event. A 

Foundation sponsored charity golf 

tournament is also being planned. 

Other “happenings” in the works are 

sessions on professional development 

presented by the Office of 

Commissioned Corps Operations and 

the Office of Commissioned Corps 

Force Management, and the Junior 

Officer Advisory Group. We are planning 

on a re-creation of the “Yellow 

Fever Walk”, an historic tour of the city 

in the context of the yellow fever 

epidemic – one of the first great public 

health events in this country. There 

may also be guest appearances by 

President John Adams and other 

prominent figures, and a reenactment 

of the signing of the Marine Hospital 

Act which created the forerunner of the 

U.S. Public Health Service. 

Both the Summit and Conference 

will be held at the Wyndham Franklin 

Plaza Hotel in central Philadelphia. 

Rooms at the hotel are filling up fast 

with more than 1400 room nights 

taken already. If you have not already 

made your room reservations and 

registered for the Summit and 

Conference (a nice discount if you 

attend both!), now is the time. 

Don’t stop reading now, the important 

part is next. 

We need our members – you – to 

turn out and support this Conference 

and Summit. Improving the annual 

conference is a key element of COA’s 

Strategic Plan. The Conference is key, 

not just because we want a better event 

each year, but because the annual 

conference is the best vehicle we have 

for promoting the Commissioned 

Corps and increasing the Corps’ visibility 

in public health. It is our best 

opportunity to get COA’s agenda out 

each year. The Conference is the 

largest annual gathering of Corps officers 

– we need to have as many of you 

there, in uniform, as possible. There is 

strength in numbers. 

This year we have partnered with the 

local public health community in 

Philadelphia – which is a large and 

vibrant group of academic institutions, 

regional organizations, and private and 

corporate groups. The Philadelphia 

public health community is incredibly 

supportive of the Conference and 

Summit. They are assisting with the 

scientific program and speakers, 

marketing, exhibitors and sponsors. In 

turn, we are inviting and encouraging 

the local community’s participation at 

the Conference. It provides an excellent 

opportunity to demonstrate, to an 

important audience, the uniqueness 

and cohesiveness that the 


Commissioned Corps brings to public 

health. You cannot get your message 

out, however, if you are not there. 

Why am I emphasizing this so 

much? We know that federal budgets 

are tight this year and that travel funds 

are always the easiest and first to be 

cut. We also recognize that officers 

who have been deployed frequently 

may be reluctant to ask for administrative 

time to attend the Philadelphia 

events. We need you to find ways to 

overcome these obstacles. COA, the 

Foundation, and the Commissioned 

Corps need you in Philadelphia from 5 

through 9 June. 

For our part, we have kept the registration 

costs down – unchanged for two 

years. The Foundation provides scholarships 

for junior officer registration 

fees for those who cannot get government 

funding. We coordinate a sharea-room 

program to help with lodging 

costs. We’ll explore special conference 

rates with Amtrak. We will look into 

the possibility of MAC flights from the 

Atlanta area and the southwest. 

Officers are reminded that you are 

authorized military Space Available 

travel. 

The Summit and the Conference are 

the Commissioned Corps’ opportunities 

to demonstrate leadership – the 

reason you are in uniform – to the 

Nation. As we used to drill into the 

Midshipmen when I was on staff at the 

Naval Academy; you cannot lead if you 

are not there. 

Y’all come! 

One last note. This is Matt 

Sigafoose’s last edition of Frontline. 

Matt has resigned from the COA staff to 

accept a position with the Office of 

Personnel Management in Washington, 

DC. Matt has been with us as a 

Communications Associate for about 

18 months and many of you have 

gotten to know him either in person or 

as an email correspondent or through 

telephone conversations. Matt is a 

personable, professional, bright and 

hardworking young man who has had a 

significant positive impact on COA in 

his time with us. We will all miss him 

and wish him well as he moves on to 

new challenges and opportunities – not 

the least of which is his upcoming 

marriage this June. Good luck Matt – 

and thanks! 

See you all in Philly! 


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The COA Frontline (ISSN 10937161) is published monthly 

except for September and December by the Commissioned 

Officers Association of the United States Public Health 

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COA FRONTLINE 

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Landover, MD 20785 

PERIODICALS 

Executive Director 

Jerry Farrell 

gfarrell@coausphs.org 

Deputy Executive Director 

Carrie Bright 

cbright@coausphs.org 

Director of Administration 

Teresa Oliver 

toliver@coausphs.org 

Communications Associate 

FRONTLINE Editor 

Matthew Sigafoose 

msigafoose@coausphs.org 

Membership Coordinator 

Tricia Hoffman 

thoffman@coausphs.org 

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February 2005 Frontline - Commissioned Officers Association

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