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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<br />

<strong>Frontline</strong><br />

COA<br />

Vol. 46, Issue 8 Salus Populi Suprema Lex Este <strong>October</strong> <strong>2009</strong><br />

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR<br />

COA Meets with<br />

Assistant Secretary<br />

of Health Koh<br />

Dear Friends of the<br />

PHS <strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps,<br />

Jerry Farrell<br />

Executive Director<br />

On August 26th, I<br />

was pleased to<br />

meet with the new<br />

Assistant Secretary<br />

for Health, Dr.<br />

Howard Koh.<br />

RADMs Bob<br />

Williams and Carol<br />

Romano, Acting Deputy Surgeon<br />

General and Acting OSG Chief of<br />

Staff, respectively, also participated<br />

in the meeting. Topping the list of<br />

items for discussion was the issue<br />

of the Post 9/11 GI Bill and transferability.<br />

I outlined the history of the<br />

issue, and its importance to COA’s<br />

members. We receive more calls<br />

and correspondence on this single<br />

topic than all others combined since<br />

I have been COA’s Executive<br />

Director!<br />

The importance of transferability<br />

for HHS and the <strong>Commissioned</strong><br />

Corps as a retention and recruitment<br />

tool – especially for the critically<br />

understaffed categories of physicians,<br />

dentists, nurses, and pharmacists<br />

– was also emphasized. I<br />

reminded Dr. Koh that transferability<br />

does not add to the HHS budget<br />

since the Department of Veterans’<br />

(See Executive Director, page 19)<br />

Champion of Public Health Workforce<br />

Is New Mexico’s Senior U.S. Senator<br />

By Judy Rensberger<br />

Thanks to a determined, two-year effort<br />

by U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-<br />

NM) and his energetic staff, legislative<br />

proposals that would help the PHS<br />

<strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps recruit and retain<br />

qualified public health professionals have<br />

made it into three bills now before<br />

Congress, including one of the three<br />

major health care reform initiatives. The<br />

proposals represent a rare and welcome<br />

effort to design and promote scholarship<br />

and loan repayment provisions with the<br />

needs and unique capabilities of the PHS<br />

<strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps in mind.<br />

The news is not all good, however. As<br />

<strong>Frontline</strong> goes to press, the Senate Finance<br />

Committee is concluding a week of acrimonious<br />

debate on its own health care<br />

reform proposal. At this writing, it<br />

includes no public health workforce provisions.<br />

Although Sen. Bingaman filed an<br />

amendment that would have paved the<br />

way, it was not selected by Committee<br />

Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) as a<br />

priority and did not come up for a vote.<br />

U.S. Public Health Sciences<br />

Track<br />

In each of the three bills, the heart of<br />

the PHS-friendly package is Sen.<br />

Bingaman’s proposed U.S. Public Health<br />

Sciences Track. Under the direction of the<br />

Surgeon General, this new program would<br />

train as many as 850 physicians, dentists,<br />

nurses, and other health professionals in<br />

affiliated institutions. Ten slots for medical<br />

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) has introduced<br />

a package of legislative proposals to<br />

enhance recruitment and retention of<br />

PHS officers.<br />

students would be reserved at the<br />

Uniformed Services University of the<br />

Health Sciences (USUHS). The program<br />

would emphasize team-based service,<br />

public health, epidemiology, and emergency<br />

preparedness and response.<br />

Students would receive tuition remission<br />

and stipends, and they would be accepted<br />

as PHS <strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps officers,<br />

with two-year service commitments for<br />

each year of school covered. Much of the<br />

training would take place in rural and<br />

other underserved areas in preparation for<br />

practice in these areas.<br />

(See Bingaman, page 21)


BENEFITS OF YOUR<br />

COA MEMBERSHIP<br />

CAPITOL HILL REPRESENTATION<br />

COA legislation on Capitol Hill<br />

continually supports all <strong>Commissioned</strong><br />

Corps officers – active, inactive<br />

reserve, and retired.<br />

LOCAL REPRESENTATION<br />

COA branches generate new<br />

venues for meeting fellow officers within<br />

your local area while providing a forum for<br />

the discussion of concerns within<br />

the <strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps.<br />

ANNUAL MEETING<br />

With a mixture of business and pleasure,<br />

COA’s annual meeting invites colleagues<br />

from around the country to gather to<br />

discuss new scientific presentations<br />

while stimulating open forums about<br />

health-related issues.<br />

INSURANCE PROGRAMS<br />

COA enables members to<br />

participate in several low-cost<br />

insurance programs that may<br />

continue after leaving the PHS as<br />

long as your membership in COA<br />

remains current.<br />

FRONTLINE<br />

COA’s newsletter reports on<br />

monthly activities and items of<br />

interest to COA members about<br />

the Corps & COA.<br />

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM<br />

COA offers thousands of dollars<br />

towards college scholarships<br />

for children and spouses of<br />

COA members.<br />

PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLICATION<br />

DISCOUNTS<br />

COA members receive a 10% discount<br />

on subscriptions to Public Health Reports,<br />

the journal of the Public Health Service;<br />

and discounts of up to 50% on selected<br />

materials available from the Public Health<br />

Foundation. Visit the COA website for<br />

more information.<br />

AVIS & BUDGET RENTAL<br />

DISCOUNT<br />

Members enjoy discount rates on<br />

Avis and Budget rentals through<br />

COA’s website.<br />

RIBBON<br />

The COA ribbon is authorized to be worn<br />

on the PHS uniform by members in good<br />

standing when attending COA functions.<br />

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE<br />

Military Coalition Urges Congress<br />

to Extend ‘Transferability’ to PHS<br />

In a strong and welcome show of<br />

support for COA and the PHS <strong>Commissioned</strong><br />

Corps, all 34 organizations in<br />

The Military Coalition (TMC) have<br />

signed a letter urging the committees of<br />

jurisdiction in both chambers of<br />

Congress to extend the ‘transferability’<br />

entitlement in the Post-9/11 GI Bill to<br />

PHS officers and the NOAA Corps.<br />

The letter, sent September 14, was<br />

directed to the chairmen and<br />

ranking members of the Senate and<br />

House Veterans Affairs Committees:<br />

Senator Daniel Akaka (D-<br />

HI) and Richard Burr (R-NC),<br />

and Representatives Bob<br />

Filner (D-CA), and Steve<br />

Buyer (R-IN). Copies were<br />

sent to officials in HHS and<br />

the Commerce Department.<br />

The letter notes that<br />

PHS and NOAA officers<br />

have been entitled to<br />

every GI Bill program since<br />

World War II, including<br />

the Post-9/11 GI Bill. “However, these<br />

service members, unlike their Armed<br />

Forces counterparts, are not eligible to<br />

transfer the benefits to their spouses and<br />

dependent children in exchange for<br />

extended service.”<br />

The PHS and NOAA Corps and<br />

their parent federal departments “need<br />

all the tools available to develop and<br />

sustain a vigorous professional career<br />

force,” the letter continues, and “GI Bill<br />

transferability can be an important tool<br />

in that arsenal.”<br />

The Military Coalition represents<br />

5.5 million current and former service<br />

members and their families. The transferability<br />

letter was drafted and coordinated<br />

by Robert F. Norton, Colonel,<br />

U.S. Army (Ret.). He is Deputy<br />

Director of Government Relations for<br />

MOAA and co-chairs TMC’s Veterans<br />

Affairs Committee. The full text of the<br />

letter can be seen at www.coausphs.org<br />

and www.themilitarycoalition.org.<br />

Health Appropriations<br />

Every year at about this time, differences<br />

in HHS funding bills for the<br />

upcoming fiscal year make their separate<br />

ways through both chambers of Congress.<br />

Differences must be reconciled. A<br />

few House and Senate appropriators are<br />

appointed to a joint conference committee<br />

to iron out those differences. This<br />

annual ritual represents the last chance<br />

for public health advocacy organizations<br />

to try to influence the<br />

outcome. As in the past, COA<br />

has joined forces with more<br />

than 100 other organizations<br />

to try to increase or at least<br />

preserve the increasingly<br />

endangered category of<br />

health dollars known as<br />

discretionary spending.<br />

The letters are coordinated<br />

each year by the Coalition<br />

for Health Funding.<br />

“Discretionary health programs are<br />

the only health safety net for millions<br />

who have lost their jobs or their health<br />

insurance,” the letter says, “and the first<br />

line of defense for everyone in protecting<br />

against H1N1 influenza.” The letter,<br />

dated September 22, urges House-<br />

Senate conferees to approve the highest<br />

funding level possible for the FY2010<br />

Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations<br />

bill.<br />

‘National Nurse’ Idea<br />

Still Percolating<br />

In 2005, a group of enthusiastic<br />

nursing educators in Oregon began a<br />

grassroots movement to ask Congress to<br />

create an Office of the National Nurse.<br />

COA argued at the time that the nation<br />

already has a national nurse, in the<br />

(See Legislative Update, page 23)<br />

2 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION


Back to the Future: Public Health Hospitals<br />

By Mark Trahant<br />

Seattle-based Amazon.com, the world’s<br />

largest online retailer, will move into<br />

its new headquarters near Lake Union<br />

next year. Then Amazon will leave an old<br />

Art Deco building, once known as the<br />

U.S. Marine Hospital.<br />

What if we took this empty building<br />

and turned it into a hospital? What if we<br />

staffed it with federal employees? What<br />

kind of health care would that look like?<br />

The answers are in our history. Congress<br />

passed a law in 1789 that provided for<br />

health care for sick and injured merchant<br />

seamen. But the thinking, even then, was<br />

broader. Philadelphia faced an extraordinary<br />

Yellow Fever outbreak in 1783 that<br />

killed more than 4,000 people (out of a<br />

population of 37,000). And, therefore,<br />

the primary mission of the new health<br />

service was to intercept diseases brought<br />

home by sailors returning from sea.<br />

The Public Health Service and the<br />

marine hospital network eventually<br />

expanded across the country. This was<br />

the first “public option” because this<br />

government plan was funded by a<br />

monthly deduction from the seaman’s<br />

wages. The scope of medical activities<br />

grew as well, ranging from the treatment<br />

of epidemic diseases to industrial<br />

hygiene.<br />

The PHS could have become the basis<br />

for a national, federal health care delivery<br />

system. By the 1970s, marine hospitals<br />

and clinics served American Indians, the<br />

urban poor, as well the agency’s traditional<br />

clients of merchant marines and<br />

some federal retirees.<br />

“These hospitals have a record of<br />

service to this nation, and especially to its<br />

merchant seamen, which is long and<br />

distinguished,” President Richard Nixon<br />

wrote in a veto message to Congress over<br />

the funding of public health. “Nevertheless,<br />

it is clear that their inpatient facilities<br />

have now outlived their usefulness to<br />

the federal government. The number of<br />

individuals they serve is declining and<br />

many of the facilities have become old<br />

and outmoded.”<br />

Nixon articulated many of the<br />

Amazon.com’s Headquarters Once Known as the U.S. Marine Hospital<br />

arguments that remain a part of our<br />

current discourse on health care reform;<br />

essentially the notion that direct medical<br />

services should not be a federal responsibility.<br />

In the budgets that followed, the<br />

Nixon and Ford administrations<br />

executed an incremental implementation<br />

of that idea. Now it’s interesting to go<br />

back and read the congressional testimony<br />

about what would happen without<br />

these government-run hospitals.<br />

“If we close down the Public Health<br />

Service hospital system, we are also<br />

dismantling a valuable laboratory of a<br />

different sort,” said John Murphy,<br />

chairman of the House Committee on<br />

Merchant Marine and Fisheries. “As our<br />

population increases, and as the cost of<br />

medical services rises, it is clear that we<br />

must experiment with new methods and<br />

techniques for the delivery of health<br />

care.”<br />

This was June 11, 1976. And even<br />

more prophetic, Murphy said that the<br />

Public Health Service hospitals could<br />

serve as a “yardstick” to measure both the<br />

cost and quality of health care in private<br />

institutions.<br />

A coalition in Seattle attempted to<br />

save the hospital network. “Our PHS<br />

hospital has been in the forefront, caring<br />

for the poor and working poor who were<br />

previously left out of the medical system.<br />

Beginning with the Boeing layoffs in<br />

1971, our hospital has served as the<br />

primary sources of assistance for 15<br />

community clinics, established by residents<br />

of poor communities to serve their<br />

neighborhoods,” said Reynold Pilgrim,<br />

chairman of the Public Health Care<br />

Coalition in congressional testimony on<br />

June 14, 1976.<br />

The government’s own numbers<br />

showed that the PHS system was more<br />

cost-effective than comparable private<br />

institutions. “The study demonstrates<br />

that three people can be cared for in PHS<br />

hospitals at the cost of caring for two<br />

in the private hospitals,” Pilgrim said.<br />

(See Hospitals, page 4)<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2009</strong> • COA FRONTLINE 3


FSIS Hosts First <strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps Promotion Ceremony<br />

The U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS)<br />

<strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps hosted its first<br />

annual United States Department of Agriculture<br />

(USDA) <strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps<br />

Promotion Ceremony on July 1, <strong>2009</strong> on<br />

the Patio of the Whitten Building in<br />

Washington, DC. The promotion ceremony<br />

honored seven officers who have<br />

been recognized for their accomplishments<br />

by receiving a promotion in rank<br />

during the <strong>2009</strong> promotion year.<br />

The ceremony was hosted by CDR<br />

Lou Ann Rector the USPHS/FSIS liaison.<br />

The ceremony began with two selections<br />

from the <strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps Chorale<br />

Group followed by the presentation of the<br />

ceremony flags by the USPHS Honor<br />

Cadre. After this, invited officers, guests,<br />

family members, and colleagues heard<br />

welcoming and congratulatory remarks.<br />

CAPT David Goldman, FSIS Associate<br />

Administrator, gave an uplifting and<br />

informative speech about the history of<br />

the PHS at FSIS. Mr. Alfred Almanza,<br />

FSIS Administrator, followed him<br />

and gave congratulatory remarks to the<br />

officers.<br />

An inspiring keynote address was then<br />

given by RADM Robert Williams,<br />

Deputy US Surgeon General, praising<br />

USPHS/FSIS officers for not only<br />

supporting the mission of the Corps but<br />

also for showing outstanding leadership<br />

within FSIS. He said, “The Corps is<br />

proud to be represented by these<br />

outstanding officers.” RADM Williams<br />

also, along with a family member changed<br />

the shoulder boards of the promoted<br />

officers.<br />

(L-R) RADM Robert Williams, LCDR<br />

Michael Mero, Jr., and Mr. Michael<br />

Mero, Sr.<br />

(L-R) RADM Robert Williams, Mr. Knowlton Antoine, LT Nisha Antoine,<br />

Ms. Elizabeth Davis, and CAPT David Goldman.<br />

The seven newly appointed officers and<br />

their new rank are: LT Nisha Antoine<br />

(OPHS), CDR Michelle Everett<br />

(OPACE), LCDR Kevin Greene (OFO),<br />

CDR Candace Hander (OOEET),<br />

LCDR Michael Mero (OFO), LCDR<br />

Isreal Otero (OPACE) and CDR<br />

Catherine Rockwell (OPPD).<br />

(Hospitals, from page 3)<br />

“The failure of the administration to<br />

realize the potential of the Public Health<br />

hospitals is a great tragedy. Our nation is<br />

in the midst of a deepening health care<br />

crisis. Medical costs are rising at twice the<br />

rate of wages, rising beyond the average<br />

family’s ability to pay.”<br />

The health care crisis was tiny<br />

compared to today. It’s why we need to<br />

look again at those government programs<br />

that efficiently delivered health care.<br />

President Barack Obama said just this<br />

past weekend that a public option insurance<br />

plan could work side by side with<br />

those from the private sector. “It’s the<br />

same way that public colleges and universities<br />

provide additional choice and<br />

competition to students. That doesn’t<br />

Refreshments were served following the<br />

ceremony as officers, their families and<br />

other guest continued to celebrate one of<br />

the most significant events in an officer’s<br />

career.<br />

Congratulations to all the newly promoted<br />

officers at FSIS!<br />

inhibit private colleges and universities<br />

from thriving out there. The same<br />

should be true on the health care front,”<br />

the president said. I would take one<br />

more step. The Public Health Service<br />

hospitals provided additional choice and<br />

competition – at two-thirds of the cost of<br />

private facilities. We should consider<br />

going back to that future.<br />

Reprinted with permission of the author.<br />

Mark Trahant is a writer, teacher, former<br />

editor for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer<br />

and a “Twitter poet.” He is a <strong>2009</strong>-2010<br />

Kaiser Media Fellow and will be writing<br />

about health care reform with the focus of<br />

learning from programs the government<br />

already operates, such as the Indian<br />

Health Service.<br />

4 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION


Former Surgeons General Carmona and Satcher Speak Out<br />

on the Overweight and Obesity Epidemic in America<br />

By Thomas Weaver<br />

Former Surgeons General of the United<br />

States Richard Carmona and David<br />

Satcher led a distinguished panel to<br />

release recommendations for improving<br />

the dialog and interventions for obesity.<br />

The recommendations were developed<br />

by the Strategies to Overcome and<br />

Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance, a<br />

collaboration of consumer, provider,<br />

government, labor, business, health<br />

insurers and quality-of-care organizations<br />

united to drive innovative and practical<br />

strategies that combat obesity.<br />

Joining Drs. Carmona and Satcher on<br />

September 9 at the Newseum in Washington,<br />

DC, was Helen Darling, President<br />

of the National Business Group on<br />

Health, Jeffrey Levi, Executive Director<br />

of Trust for America’s Health and Joseph<br />

Nadglowski, President and CEO of the<br />

Obesity Action Coalition. Also, on the<br />

panel were Christine Ferguson, Director<br />

of the STOP Obesity Alliance and<br />

Morgan Downey, Policy Advisor for the<br />

STOP Obesity Alliance.<br />

Recommendations include the<br />

Correction<br />

The article, “Biography of UT<br />

SPH’s Dr. James Steele to be<br />

Released,” in the September, <strong>2009</strong><br />

<strong>Frontline</strong>, contained a factual error in<br />

the statement that RADM Steele in<br />

2006 became the only veterinarian to<br />

ever receive the Surgeon General’s<br />

Medallion. In fact, we have heard<br />

from two of our members, RADM<br />

Roscoe M. Moore, Jr., USPHS, (Ret.)<br />

and RADM Robert A. Whitney,<br />

USPHS, (Ret.) who have both been<br />

awarded the Surgeon General’s<br />

Medallion in 1997 and 1993 and<br />

have told us there are many more<br />

veterinarian officers who have also<br />

received this award.<br />

development and adoption of standardized<br />

and effective clinical interventions,<br />

increased use of clinical preventive services,<br />

effective community programs and<br />

policies and coordinated research efforts.<br />

Surgeon General Satcher sounded the<br />

alarm regarding the cost of obesity both<br />

in terms of economics and of quality of<br />

life in his 2001 Surgeon General’s Call to<br />

Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight<br />

and Obesity. Surgeon General Carmona<br />

continued that work during his tenure<br />

and now serves as the STOP Obesity<br />

Alliance Health and Wellness Chair.<br />

The panel stressed that obesity significantly<br />

increases the risk of more than 20<br />

chronic diseases that cause suffering and<br />

early death. One dramatic result of this<br />

epidemic is the diagnosis of type 2<br />

diabetes in children. In the past, this was<br />

considered a disease of adulthood. The<br />

diagnosis in children has grave consequences.<br />

Unless the epidemic of overweight<br />

and obesity is reversed many<br />

experts believe the current generation of<br />

children will be the first with life<br />

expectancies shorter than their parents.<br />

(See Surgeons General, page 6)<br />

National Preparedness Month<br />

Helps Focus Attention on Resources<br />

Hurricanes, tornados and H1N1 are great<br />

reasons to remember that September<br />

was National Preparedness Month. In<br />

support of this, the Public Health Advisory<br />

(PHA) Team would like to focus attention<br />

on important on-line US government<br />

resources available to help improve individual,<br />

family, and community readiness.<br />

Family preparedness is a necessity and<br />

we highly encourage you to visit<br />

www.ready.gov if you have not already done<br />

so.<br />

Do you have…<br />

1. A communications plan?<br />

2. Disaster supplies?<br />

3. Copies of important papers ready to go?<br />

4. Could you evacuate or shelter in place<br />

today?<br />

5. Have you initiated a simple preparedness<br />

discussion with your children?<br />

Additionally, you may want to find out<br />

if your community offers alerts via e-mail<br />

or text messages to cell phones or blackberries<br />

so that you can receive up-to-date information<br />

that connects you to your community<br />

quickly. Should this service be<br />

provided in your community, please sign<br />

up!<br />

With all of the discussions surrounding<br />

H1N1, not feeling “in the know” about<br />

H1N1 is expected. The good news is that<br />

www.flu.gov is an excellent starting point<br />

where one can find checklists for individuals<br />

and families including tips on prevention<br />

of infection and how to stay healthy<br />

this flu season. The ‘flu” website also has a<br />

one-page summary checklist to place family<br />

member information like medication, allergies<br />

and emergency contacts.<br />

As PHS officers, every officer has a<br />

responsibility to be prepared. That<br />

means…<br />

1. Have a family plan established for any<br />

eventuality<br />

2. Being ready to deploy with only hours<br />

notice<br />

A full list of initiatives under development<br />

by PHA can be found on the NPAC<br />

website at http://www.phs-nurse.org/. To<br />

learn more about the Surgeon General’s<br />

Public Health Priorities see http://www.<br />

surgeongeneral.gov/publichealthpriorities/publichealthpriorities.html.<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2009</strong> • COA FRONTLINE 5


PHS <strong>Officers</strong> Participate in First Strategic Planning Committee<br />

for Navajo Area Information Technology Services<br />

Over 30 members of the Navajo Area<br />

IHS attended the Team Building and<br />

Strategic Planning for Information Technology<br />

Conference which was held<br />

August 3 – 6, <strong>2009</strong> in Flagstaff, AZ.<br />

Facilitated by JP Consultants, representatives<br />

from nursing, information technology,<br />

finance, administration, pharmacy<br />

and medical staff spent four days<br />

developing the action plans for the<br />

Navajo Area IT Program. The key focus<br />

areas included developing competencies<br />

for all staff that use information technology<br />

through training, creating a<br />

comprehensive IT business plan, creating<br />

a centralized data base using the most<br />

current IT technology and providing<br />

timely support for the users of technology.<br />

Participants were assigned followup<br />

tasks to be accomplished upon return<br />

to their respective work sites. Plans are<br />

in process for a second conference to be<br />

held at the end of <strong>2009</strong> or beginning of<br />

2010.<br />

Left to Right: LCDR Judith A. Mather (Nurse CAC); CDR Michael Belgarde (NAO<br />

CIO); LCDR Keri Gorman (IT Specialist) pictured in front of the NAIHSIT Team<br />

Vision Statement.<br />

(Surgeons General, from page 5)<br />

Seventy-two million Americans are<br />

now considered overweight and obese.<br />

Any program has to address both the<br />

prevention of overweight and obesity in<br />

children and the overweight and obesity<br />

issue in adults. It is important to understand<br />

that overweight and obesity are<br />

more than just personal issues. Societal,<br />

environmental and cultural factors are<br />

also responsible.<br />

According to Dr. Carmona, “Health<br />

leaders and scientists, as well as people<br />

from all sectors of society, are urging<br />

Congress to act now to include prevention<br />

and treatment of obesity in health<br />

reform.” Failure to address this issue may<br />

bankrupt our health care system. Most<br />

economists agree that obesity is a major<br />

driver of health care utilization and<br />

spending. The good news is that with an<br />

individual weight loss of five to ten<br />

percent, the likelihood of complications<br />

can be decreased dramatically.<br />

Because the causes of overweight and<br />

obesity are cultural, environmental and<br />

societal as well as personal, treatment and<br />

prevention strategies must address<br />

multiple causes and factors. The four<br />

general recommendations of the alliance<br />

are:<br />

• Standardized and effective clinical<br />

interventions, flowing from evidencebased<br />

guidelines, such as those<br />

approved by the National Heart, Lung<br />

and Blood Institute, that include<br />

acknowledging the health benefits of<br />

five to ten percent sustained weight loss<br />

to aid and support those individuals<br />

who are currently overweight or obese<br />

achieve improved health.<br />

• Enhanced use of clinical preventive<br />

services to monitor health status and<br />

help prevent weight gain, especially for<br />

individuals who are already overweight<br />

and are at risk of becoming obese.<br />

• Effective evidence-based community<br />

programs and policies that encourage<br />

and support healthy lifestyles, focus on<br />

health literacy, address health disparities,<br />

and represent a significant investment<br />

in population-based prevention<br />

of obesity.<br />

• Coordinated research efforts to build<br />

the evidence for all three of the above<br />

elements to continuously improve<br />

quality of care, bolster our understanding<br />

of what works and what<br />

doesn’t in various settings, and help<br />

translate the scientific research into<br />

practice recommendations for<br />

real world clinical settings and<br />

communities.<br />

Information on the STOP Obesity<br />

Alliance can be found on the alliance<br />

website at http://www.stopobesity<br />

alliance.org/.<br />

6 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION


Disability Insurance: A Primer for COA <strong>Officers</strong><br />

By Thomas Weaver<br />

When the subject of disability insurance<br />

comes up, many uniformed officers<br />

ask: “Why should I worry about disability<br />

insurance? I can rely on the Public Health<br />

Service to take care of me.” While that is<br />

true, it also is not. <strong>Officers</strong> in the U.S.<br />

Public Health Service can rely on support<br />

while on active duty. But if the officer<br />

suffers a disability that is permanent, that<br />

individual is likely to find him or herself<br />

medically retired at less than 100 percent.<br />

Disability insurance – otherwise<br />

known as disability income insurance –<br />

protects the person who is insured<br />

against loss of income if the person<br />

cannot work due to illness or injury.<br />

Disability insurance can either be shortor<br />

long-term.<br />

Short term disability insurance<br />

payments begin within a short time of the<br />

illness or injury and it pays up to six<br />

months of benefits. Because Public<br />

Health Service <strong>Officers</strong> would likely be<br />

covered for the short term by active duty<br />

pay, short term disability won’t be<br />

discussed here.<br />

Long-term disability protects for<br />

longer periods of time: one, two or five<br />

years, up to age 65. The individual can<br />

choose to begin benefits after 30, 60, 90<br />

or 180 days. The longer the waiting<br />

period (also known as the elimination<br />

period), the lower the premiums, but the<br />

insured must balance the need for<br />

disability income with the amount of<br />

time they can reasonably wait to begin<br />

receiving payment.<br />

Most disability income insurance is<br />

hard to get after age 55, unless an<br />

employer is willing to pay additional<br />

premium or the individual is part of a<br />

group policy. COA’s plan allows “All officers<br />

under 65, on active duty in the<br />

USPHS who are members of the COA<br />

and actively performing their regular job<br />

duties . . .” to apply.<br />

The COA disability insurance<br />

program allows officers retired on<br />

disability to ensure they receive 100% of<br />

their base pay. Because this insurance<br />

serves to make up the difference between<br />

the disability and 100% retirement pay,<br />

the premiums are very low.<br />

A few terms:<br />

Disability: The person insured must<br />

be under the care of a physician and the<br />

reason for the disability must be covered<br />

by the policy. A disability may be defined<br />

as either total or residual disability. As<br />

with all insurance, there are limitations<br />

and exclusions, and anyone receiving<br />

disability may be required to be evaluated<br />

periodically to ensure the disability still<br />

exists. (False payments and insurance<br />

By LCDR Kimberly Roman<br />

Last fall, I had the opportunity to participate<br />

in Continuing Promise 2008 – a<br />

mission of humanitarian care and civic<br />

assistance. It was an incredible opportunity<br />

and experience. A key part of the mission<br />

is the partnership of military personnel<br />

with other governmental agencies –<br />

including USPHS – and non-governmental<br />

agencies, as well.<br />

I embarked on the USS Kearsarge<br />

(LHD-3), an amphibious assault ship, for<br />

the Team 3 leg of the mission. During<br />

Continuing Promise 2008, Kearsarge<br />

visited Nicaragua, Columbia, the<br />

Dominican Republic, Trinidad, Tobago<br />

and Guyana. 47,000 patients were seen,<br />

221 surgeries were performed, 81,300<br />

prescriptions were written – and filled.<br />

Almost 200,000 medical, dental and optometric<br />

services were provided. Veterinary<br />

care was delivered to 5,600 animals. Three<br />

schools were built and 20 renovation projects<br />

were undertaken in parks, schools,<br />

clinics and community centers.<br />

While those numbers are impressive,<br />

what Continuing Promise 2008 did for me<br />

was even greater. I am proud to be a part<br />

of the USPHS – proud to do my job. For<br />

the five weeks I participated on Kearsarge,<br />

fraud only serve to increase your<br />

premiums.)<br />

Total disability is the inability to<br />

perform any duties of the insured’s occupation.<br />

Under these conditions, the<br />

policy may be classified as “own occupation”<br />

or “any occupation.” Under an<br />

“own occupation” policy, a surgeon who<br />

can no longer perform surgery would<br />

receive benefits until the end of the<br />

benefit period. Under an “any occupation”<br />

policy, if the surgeon could teach or<br />

hold an administrative position, the<br />

(See Insurance, page 8)<br />

Public Health Service Physician Finds<br />

Fulfillment in Continuing Promise 2008<br />

I realized I was part of a much bigger team<br />

– and it felt good. Along with professionals<br />

from other organizations, I worked with<br />

those from the IHS, BOP and Office of the<br />

Secretary. For that period of time, we were<br />

“just” part of the team.<br />

While I had my own expectations about<br />

our mission – about the diseases we would<br />

treat and the conditions we would see, I<br />

found that more than seeing patients and<br />

treating diseases, our mission was to touch<br />

and to care – to provide these fellow human<br />

beings with hope and small – and not so<br />

small – improvements in their lives: like<br />

clean water; something we take for granted.<br />

One person at a time, we were able to<br />

connect with other people, another culture.<br />

We came to understand them, just as they<br />

came to understand us as caring people and<br />

the United States as a country that does care<br />

about them.<br />

Of course, we did complain about all the<br />

things we didn’t have, but in the end, those<br />

things weren’t important. The things that<br />

mattered were that we were there, that we<br />

cared, that we listened and that we did<br />

everything we could. It was an incredible<br />

experience that I would happily do all over<br />

again.<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2009</strong> • COA FRONTLINE 7


USNS Comfort Completes Mission; USNS Byrd in Kiribati<br />

Health Diplomacy Weekly Update <strong>2009</strong>, Week #20: August 17th – September 2<br />

In support of U.S. Government Health<br />

Diplomacy initiatives, the USPHS<br />

<strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps continues to<br />

participate with the U.S. Navy on shipbased<br />

missions designed to increase the<br />

operational capacity of U.S. government<br />

personnel to deliver humanitarian assistance,<br />

perform public health assessments,<br />

conduct public health infrastructure<br />

repairs and provide health care training of<br />

indigenous health care workers in the<br />

Caribbean, Latin America, the Pacific<br />

Rim and Pacific Islands during the spring,<br />

summer and fall of <strong>2009</strong>.<br />

The USNS Comfort completed the<br />

Continuing Promise <strong>2009</strong> mission and<br />

returned to port in Baltimore, MD. The<br />

USPHS Officer-in-Charge (OIC) was<br />

CAPT Arturo Bravo.<br />

The USNS Byrd is in Kiribati, while<br />

Team 3 was engaged in numerous<br />

missions ashore. The USPHS Officer-in-<br />

Charge (OIC) is CAPT James Ludington.<br />

Team 3 was interviewed by the local<br />

media on topics of H1N1 flu, spaying/<br />

neutering, mosquito control and water<br />

quality related issues.<br />

Specifically while in Kiribati:<br />

• The preventive medicine and environmental<br />

health teams examined and<br />

treated patients at the Betio Health<br />

Clinic and Abaokoro outreach clinic;<br />

chlorinated the hospital water system<br />

with an effected population of 20,000;<br />

assisted with the Kiribati Community<br />

Health Fair and assisted in the distribution<br />

for hygienic supplies to the<br />

members in attendance; and taught and<br />

discussed basic food inspection, food<br />

safety and proper thermometer use to<br />

the Kiribati health inspectors.<br />

• The veterinary team conducted<br />

numerous spays and neuters of dogs,<br />

cats and pigs at several village communities<br />

and provided technical assistance<br />

to the Department of Agriculture with<br />

respect to their fish hatchery and farm.<br />

LCDR Martin Smith training a local health officer in the use of a chlorine meter.<br />

(Insurance, from page 7)<br />

payments would continue until the<br />

surgeon was able to perform the new<br />

duties. Such work must be at a commensurate<br />

level with the previous occupation.<br />

(Surgeons, nurses, pharmacists, etc., are<br />

not required to flip burgers or perform<br />

other duties below their level of training.)<br />

Some policies have both requirements.<br />

For example, the first three years, the<br />

“own occupation” definition is in force.<br />

After that, the “any occupation” conditions<br />

apply.<br />

Residual/Partial disability: partial loss<br />

of ability to earn income. Benefit<br />

payments are based on the percentage of<br />

loss. For example, a pharmacist who can<br />

no longer work more than two days a<br />

week would be eligible for partial benefits.<br />

Benefit: the amount of money paid<br />

to the insured on a weekly or monthly<br />

basis. The higher the benefit paid, the<br />

higher the premium.<br />

Waiting or Elimination Period: the<br />

amount of time the insured has to wait to<br />

begin receiving the benefit. The shorter<br />

the elimination period, the higher the<br />

premium.<br />

Maximum Benefit Period: the length<br />

of time benefits are paid. As above, the<br />

individual can choose one year, two years,<br />

five years or to age 65. The longer the<br />

maximum benefit period, the higher the<br />

premium.<br />

Waiver of Premium: a part of the<br />

policy that states that the insured does not<br />

have to make premium payments as long<br />

as the disability exists. This costs extra<br />

with some policies.<br />

Examples in this article are given for<br />

illustration only. If you have any questions<br />

about the programs, please contact<br />

Tom Weaver by telephone at the COA<br />

office (866-366-9593) or via e-mail at<br />

tweaver@coausphs.org. To apply for the<br />

COA endorsed disability insurance go to<br />

the COA web site, click on “Insurance” on<br />

the left side of the page or contact AGIA<br />

at 800-523-4816.<br />

8 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION


Health and Wellness Booth of the Scientific and Training<br />

Symposium Annually Promotes USPHS Basic Readiness<br />

Standards using a Multi-Disciplinary Approach<br />

By LCDR Bayo C. Willis and LCDR Mary T. Glenshaw<br />

The Health and Wellness Booth Team at<br />

the annual Scientific and Training<br />

Symposium makes an important contribution<br />

to health promotion among<br />

USPHS officers. This highly collaborative<br />

multi-agency, multi-category effort<br />

has been ongoing for at least seven years<br />

to increase awareness of basic readiness<br />

standards and provide personalized<br />

fitness and nutritional counseling. At the<br />

<strong>2009</strong> Symposium, these services were<br />

provided by volunteers from the<br />

Dietitian, Therapist, and Health Services<br />

<strong>Officers</strong> categories representing federal<br />

agencies from around the nation as<br />

well as volunteer students and faculty<br />

from local universities. In addition, this<br />

year the Health and Wellness Booth<br />

offered a new service, respiratory health<br />

counseling.<br />

The Health and Wellness Booth of the<br />

<strong>2009</strong> Symposium utilized the expertise<br />

and knowledge base of USPHS dietitians,<br />

therapists, and health services officers to<br />

conduct BMI (body mass index) measurements,<br />

resting energy expenditure for<br />

estimated caloric intake, and provide<br />

physical and nutritional counseling based<br />

on the results of these assessments. BMI<br />

was a key focus of activities, given that<br />

anticipated changes in USPHS readiness<br />

standards include maintaining a BMI of<br />

less than 25 (normal weight). The team<br />

utilized recommendations from the Physical<br />

Activity Guidelines and the Dietary<br />

Guidelines for Americans, a joint effort of<br />

the U.S. Department of Health and<br />

Human Services and the U.S. Department<br />

of Agriculture. These guidelines<br />

provide recommendations regarding the<br />

importance of physical activity and the<br />

maintenance of a healthy diet for the<br />

promotion of good health and reduction<br />

of the risk of chronic diseases. An additional<br />

activity of the Health and Wellness<br />

Booth team this year was a demonstration<br />

of the impact of smoking and<br />

(Left to Right) Dr. Randy Baker, LCDR Merel Kozlosky, CAPT Edith Clark, CPO<br />

Dietitian Category, RADM Steven K. Galson, Acting US Surgeon General, LCDR<br />

Mary Glenshaw, LCDR Sandra Magera, LCDR Bayo Willis, CAPT Karen Siegel, CPO<br />

Therapist Category.<br />

environmental exposure on respiratory<br />

health.<br />

In addition to respiratory health counseling,<br />

another exciting feature was<br />

offered at the <strong>2009</strong> Symposium booth:<br />

the addition of resting energy expenditure<br />

(REE). This ten-minute screen<br />

utilized a portable device to measure the<br />

oxygen that the body consumes. Using<br />

this measurement, the daily number of<br />

calories that an individual burns at rest<br />

could be calculated. With this tool,<br />

specialized nutritional counseling for<br />

daily caloric needs and healthy weight<br />

management could be provided in addition<br />

to BMI screening. The availability<br />

of this service also increased participation<br />

of officers compared to previous years by<br />

approximately 50%. In addition to the<br />

success of the REE, the scope of the<br />

health and wellness booth was expanded<br />

by providing smoking cessation counseling<br />

and information regarding respiratory<br />

health through a live demonstration<br />

with an artificially ventilated diseased<br />

and healthy pig lung. Respiratory<br />

therapy expertise was provided for the<br />

first time at the Symposium, acknowledging<br />

new inclusion of respiratory<br />

therapists into the USPHS Therapist<br />

category.<br />

The actions of the Health and Wellness<br />

Booth Team had a significant impact<br />

on the health of fellow <strong>Commissioned</strong><br />

<strong>Officers</strong> attending the Symposium from<br />

(See Symposium Booth, page 10)<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2009</strong> • COA FRONTLINE 9


(Symposium Booth, from page 9)<br />

across the nation. Their efforts directly<br />

impacted <strong>Commissioned</strong> <strong>Officers</strong> who<br />

received personalized counseling, BMI<br />

measurements and resting energy expenditure<br />

for weight loss/maintenance.<br />

Further, their efforts impacted officers’<br />

knowledge of the effects of smoking on<br />

respiratory health. These public health<br />

accomplishments of the Health and<br />

Wellness Booth would not be possible<br />

without the annual participation and<br />

enthusiasm of fellow <strong>Commissioned</strong><br />

<strong>Officers</strong>. We look forward to continued<br />

efforts to improve the health of<br />

<strong>Commissioned</strong> <strong>Officers</strong> at the 2010<br />

Scientific and Training Symposium in<br />

San Diego!<br />

FRONT<br />

FLAG<br />

<strong>2009</strong> Health and Wellness<br />

Booth Volunteers:<br />

HSO Category - LCDR Bayo Willis;<br />

Dietitian Category - CDR Claire Banks,<br />

LCDR Blakeley Denkinger, CDR Kathleen<br />

Edelman, LCDR Merel Kozlosky,<br />

LCDR Sandra Magera, CAPT April<br />

Shaw, LT Susan Steinman, CDR Carol<br />

Treat, LCDR John Urban; Therapist<br />

Category - CDR Mercedes Benitez-<br />

McCrary, LCDR Ivy Chan, LCDR<br />

Mary Glenshaw, CDR Laura Grogan,<br />

LCDR Monique Howard, LCDR Joann<br />

Shen; Civilian Volunteers - Dr. Randy<br />

Baker, Associate Professor & Chair,<br />

Department of Respiratory Therapy,<br />

Medical College of Georgia, Ms. Lori<br />

Northcraft, Doctor of Physical Therapy<br />

student, Emory University, Ms. Megan<br />

Brock, Doctor of Physical Therapy<br />

student, Emory University.<br />

BACK<br />

The Military services<br />

have a long tradition of<br />

their own unit coin.<br />

Always have it in your<br />

pocket (or purse) to<br />

display when “challenged.”<br />

These make<br />

great gifts of appreciation<br />

to uniformed<br />

services and public<br />

health personnel.<br />

They are almost 1 1/2"<br />

in diameter. Carry your<br />

coin, show pride in<br />

your Corps.<br />

– $10 each, or $12 when<br />

purchased in a set with a<br />

PHS Seal Lapel Pin or PHS<br />

Flag Lapel Pin<br />

This is an elegant piece,<br />

hand embroidered with<br />

silk and bullion threads,<br />

3" in diameter. The<br />

colors are based on our<br />

original PHS Seal. You<br />

would be proud to wear<br />

this on the left pocket of<br />

a blazer when in civilian<br />

attire.<br />

– $15 each, or $17 when<br />

purchased in a set with<br />

either the PHS Seal Lapel<br />

Pin or PHS Flag Lapel Pin<br />

INCREASE<br />

ESPRIT DE CORPS &<br />

GROUP IDENTITY!<br />

SEAL<br />

The PHS Quarantine<br />

Flag and the PHS Seal<br />

lapel pins are dime size.<br />

The Flag pin is a miniature<br />

version of the PHS<br />

Flag. It has the PHS Seal<br />

in blue on a yellow background.<br />

The Seal pin<br />

duplicates the PHS Seal,<br />

with gold colored letters<br />

on a blue enamel background.<br />

This coordinates<br />

with the Blazer<br />

Patch.<br />

– Flag - $5 each, or $2<br />

when purchased with a<br />

PHS Military Coin or<br />

PHS Blazer Patch<br />

– Seal - $5 each when<br />

purchased separately<br />

Visit Us On the Web<br />

www.phscof.org<br />

Send a check made to “DC COA” and mail to:<br />

CDR James Simpson<br />

1329 Carlsbad Drive<br />

Gaithersburg, MD 20879<br />

Be sure to include your mailing address. There is no charge for postage!<br />

Order forms are available at www.dccoa.org or contact CDR James Simpson<br />

at (301) 796-2514 or by e-mail at james.simpson@fda.hhs.gov.<br />

10 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION


OCTOBER <strong>2009</strong> • COA FRONTLINE 11


12 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION


FROM THE FOUNDATION PRESIDENT<br />

An Update on the Future, II<br />

In my November 2008 column, I<br />

reviewed activities of the PHS <strong>Commissioned</strong><br />

<strong>Officers</strong> Foundation that serve to<br />

advance public health, particularly as it<br />

pertains to the PHS <strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps.<br />

I am pleased to report that the ensuing year<br />

has been very productive in that regard as<br />

we move into the Foundation’s 10th year.<br />

The New Year will bring opportunities and<br />

challenges for the Foundation to expand its<br />

activities and support for PHS officers. I<br />

invite you to partner with the Foundation<br />

through volunteer work and support of<br />

those efforts to help secure your own future<br />

as public health leaders, nationally and<br />

internationally.<br />

This year brings the prospect of<br />

continued good relations with the Administration<br />

and Congress, due in large<br />

measure to efforts of CAPT Jerry Farrell,<br />

(Ret.), RADM Jerry Michael, (Ret.), and<br />

others. The strong commitment of the<br />

Board of Trustees in support of the PHS is<br />

unsurpassed. I am pleased that CAPT Bill<br />

Haffner, (Ret.), and Dr. John Parascandola<br />

will continue in the positions of Vice-President<br />

and Treasurer of the Foundation, and<br />

that these retired officers will join the<br />

Foundation in important roles: CAPTs<br />

Patricia Mail and Bruce Chelikowsky as<br />

new Trustees; RADM Julia Plotnick as<br />

Chair of the Anchor and Caduceus<br />

Committee; and, RADM Marlene Haffner<br />

as Chair of the Development Committee.<br />

The success of the Development Committee<br />

will be vital to the Foundation’s<br />

future and its efforts will be highly visible<br />

as the Foundation launches a Capital<br />

Endowment Campaign. The Foundation<br />

is also pleased that RADM Steve Galson<br />

will be an Honorary Trustee of the Foundation,<br />

joining a prestigious group of<br />

former Surgeons General and Acting<br />

Surgeons General. It was with pleasure<br />

that I signed, along with the COA Board<br />

Chair, the contract to renew Jerry Farrell’s<br />

appointment as Executive Director of the<br />

COA/COF. We are fortunate to have a<br />

person with Jerry’s outstanding leadership<br />

abilities at the helm of the <strong>Association</strong> and<br />

Foundation, as we anticipate a period of<br />

significant and enduring change for the<br />

PHS <strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps.<br />

The Foundation-sponsored <strong>2009</strong><br />

USPHS Scientific and Training Symposium<br />

in Atlanta was a tremendous success,<br />

both in terms of the largest attendance in<br />

the meeting’s history and a great program.<br />

Our sincere thanks to the Scientific<br />

(See COF President, page 16)<br />

Invest in the <strong>Commissioned</strong> <strong>Officers</strong> Foundation<br />

Ways to Make a Gift<br />

COA members and friends provide the<br />

Foundation with much needed financial<br />

assistance through outright gifts of<br />

cash, securities, gifts of stock and<br />

matching gifts.<br />

Outright Gift of Cash<br />

A gift of cash is the simplest and<br />

easiest way to support the Foundation.<br />

Cash gifts include personal checks,<br />

currency, money orders, credit card and<br />

electronic fund transfers. All cash gifts<br />

are tax deductable as provided by law.<br />

Gifts may be given outright or pledges<br />

over time. If you prefer to use a check,<br />

please make it to the <strong>Commissioned</strong><br />

<strong>Officers</strong> Foundation or make a gift online<br />

using your credit card at the COF<br />

website http://www.phscof.org/donate.<br />

html.<br />

Gift of Stock<br />

If you own securities or other assets<br />

that have increased in value since time of<br />

purchase, and if you have held them<br />

long-term, you may find it advantageous<br />

to give them to the Foundation. Your<br />

outright gift of long-term, appreciated<br />

securities is exempt from capital gains tax<br />

and, in most case, enables you to claim a<br />

charitable deduction equal to the full fair<br />

market value of the securities at the time<br />

of transfer. Please be sure to consult your<br />

financial advisor.<br />

Matching Gifts<br />

Many corporations match donations<br />

to charitable institutions. Please check<br />

with your Human Services Department<br />

to find out if your employer or your<br />

spouse’s employer has a matching gift<br />

program. It is a wonderful way to double<br />

or triple your gift to COF.<br />

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO<br />

FOR THE FOUNDATION!<br />

New Law Brings New<br />

Opportunities: IRA Rollovers,<br />

Consider COF<br />

IRA legislation extended through <strong>2009</strong><br />

The opportunity to make a tax-free<br />

gift to a non-profit directly from your<br />

IRA account, originally designated for<br />

2006 and 2007, has been extended<br />

through December 31, <strong>2009</strong>. Total gifts<br />

of up to $100,000 annually to charitable<br />

organizations will not be taxed at the<br />

time of withdrawal. The gift amount is<br />

excluded from gross income for federal<br />

income tax purposes and in many cases<br />

for state income purposes.<br />

This can be a wonderful way to maximize<br />

your charitable giving and make a<br />

tax-wise gift to help COF. To qualify, you<br />

must be at least 70½ years of age at the<br />

time you make the gift and the transfer<br />

must be made directly from your IRA<br />

administrator to COF. Gifts may not<br />

exceed a total of $100,000 for the year.<br />

Please contact your financial advisor or<br />

accountant for more details.<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2009</strong> • COA FRONTLINE 13


COF Announces Scholarship Winners for <strong>2009</strong>-2010<br />

Thirteen deserving dependents of PHS<br />

<strong>Commissioned</strong> <strong>Officers</strong> have been<br />

awarded a total of $4,900 in Scholarship<br />

money for the <strong>2009</strong>-2010 academic<br />

year. Winners were chosen by a panel of<br />

PHS <strong>Officers</strong>. Congratulations to the<br />

following:<br />

Justin Rex Boice, from Rockville, MD<br />

is the winner of the Ronald Lessing<br />

Memorial Scholarship. He is currently<br />

attending Georgetown Preparatory<br />

School in Bethesda, MD. He has been<br />

accepted at seven universities and is<br />

awaiting decisions from three others.<br />

His COA sponsor is Captain John D.<br />

Boice Jr., USPHS, (Ret)<br />

Kayla Meeks, from Tuttle, OK is the<br />

winner of the Atlanta Branch Scholarship.<br />

Kayla attends East Central University,<br />

in Ada, OK. Her goal is to become<br />

a Physical Therapist. Her COA sponsor<br />

is Captain Kevin Meeks, USPHS.<br />

Laura A. Divel, from Rockville, MD is<br />

the winner of the Fort Duchesne Scholarship.<br />

Laura is attending the University<br />

of Notre Dame pursuing a degree in<br />

Civil Engineering. Her COA sponsor is<br />

Captain Josephine E. Divel, USPHS.<br />

Brittany Coyner, from Hopewell, VA is<br />

the winner of the Rio Grande Branch<br />

Scholarship. Brittany will be graduating<br />

from the University of West Florida in<br />

May 2010 with a degree in Psychology.<br />

Her COA sponsor is CDR William<br />

Coyner, USPHS.<br />

William C. Redd, from Atlanta, GA is<br />

the winner of the Baxer Family Scholarship.<br />

He is attending Vanderbilt University<br />

majoring in Mechanical Engineering.<br />

His COA sponsor is RADM Stephen C.<br />

Redd, USPHS.<br />

Preston Tilus, from Tucson, AZ is the<br />

winner of the European Branch Scholarship.<br />

Preston will graduate from the<br />

University of Arizona in May 2010. His<br />

major is Computer Science. His COA<br />

sponsor is LT Michael Tilus, USPHS.<br />

Caitrin O’Brien, from Potomac, MD<br />

is the winner of a DC Metro Branch<br />

Scholarship. Caitrin is majoring in<br />

Economics-Government (Dual) Leadership<br />

Sequence at Claremont McKenna<br />

College. Her COA sponsor is Captain<br />

Thomas R. O’Brien, USPHS.<br />

Kimberly Marie Hudon, from Milton,<br />

FL is the winner of a DC Metro Branch<br />

Scholarship. She has just begun her<br />

studies at the University of Florida<br />

majoring in Biological Sciences. Her<br />

COA sponsor is Commander Richard<br />

N. Hudon, USPHS.<br />

Natalie E. Slepski, from Homosassa,<br />

FL is the winner of a DC Metro Branch<br />

Scholarship. She is attending the University<br />

of South Florida, Graduate School of<br />

Public Health, Department of Global<br />

Health, Tampa, FL. Her anticipated<br />

graduation date is May 2010. Her COA<br />

sponsor is Captain Lynn A Slepski,<br />

USPHS.<br />

Marianne B. Lalonde, from Poolesville,<br />

MD is the winner of a DC Metro Branch<br />

Scholarship. She has just begun working<br />

toward her PhD in Chemistry at Northwestern<br />

University. Her COA sponsor is<br />

Commander Francois M. Lalonde,<br />

USPHS.<br />

David Davis, from Union City, CA is<br />

the winner of a DC Metro Branch Scholarship.<br />

David attends the University of<br />

California, Santa Barbara, majoring in<br />

Economics. His COA sponsor is Captain<br />

Michael Davis, USPHS.<br />

Candice Johnson, from Irving, TX is<br />

the winner of the Bemidji Branch Scholarship.<br />

She is attending Florida A&M<br />

University in Tallahassee, FL. Her COA<br />

sponsor is LCDR Anthony L. Johnson,<br />

USPHS.<br />

David H. Pearson, from Casa Grande,<br />

AZ is the winner of the PHS <strong>Commissioned</strong><br />

<strong>Officers</strong> Foundation Scholarship.<br />

David attends Brigham Young University.<br />

His COA sponsor is LCDR Delrey K.<br />

Pearson, USPHS.<br />

Scholarships are funded by individuals,<br />

including PHS officers both active<br />

and retired, COA branches and other<br />

organizations for as little as $250. Persons<br />

interested in contributing to the scholarship<br />

fund, want more information or<br />

whose dependents may wish to apply for<br />

an award are encouraged to contact Brian<br />

McSheffrey, the Foundation’s Development<br />

Director at 1-866-366-9593. He<br />

can also be reached at bmcsheffrey<br />

@coausphs.org.<br />

14 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION


Revocable Living Trusts — What You Need to Know<br />

The question of naming The Foundation<br />

in a trust has surfaced at many of<br />

the COA/COF meetings. The Foundation<br />

is a designated IRS 501(c) (3) nonprofit.<br />

This article will attempt to answer<br />

some of the more basic tenants of naming<br />

the PHS <strong>Commissioned</strong> <strong>Officers</strong> Foundation<br />

for the Advancement of Public<br />

Health as a beneficiary of a trust. As<br />

always, we recommend you contact your<br />

Tax Adviser or Accountant prior to<br />

naming a trustee.<br />

The thought of estate planning can be<br />

somewhat intimidating. To many people,<br />

estate planning conjures up images of<br />

gated mansions, summer cottages, jetsetting<br />

adolescents, and chauffeured<br />

limousines. Of course, that image is<br />

simply the product of the financial services<br />

industry.<br />

In reality, estate planning is nothing<br />

more than taking the necessary steps to<br />

insure that your loved ones will achieve<br />

their goals despite the possibility of your<br />

incapacity or death.<br />

It’s about making sure that your<br />

spouse will have sufficient income to<br />

maintain his or her standard of living;<br />

that your children will be able to attend<br />

the right schools, will get the right education,<br />

and will be raised by the right<br />

people. It’s about making sure that your<br />

money and property are used for their<br />

benefit until they’re able to manage it on<br />

their own. It’s about making sure that<br />

elderly parents, disabled siblings, and<br />

various charitable causes that you have<br />

pledged to support will continue to<br />

receive that support. And, it’s about<br />

making sure that your money and property<br />

are not wasted simply because of<br />

your incapacity or death, particularly<br />

through estate taxes, state death taxes,<br />

probate fees, and attorney’s fees.<br />

Estate planning doesn’t have to be<br />

intimidating, or time-consuming, or<br />

costly. All it requires is a commitment on<br />

your part to develop a plan of action and<br />

then put that plan into effect.<br />

Although a revocable living trust has<br />

been a useful estate planning tool for<br />

hundreds of years, there is no doubt that<br />

the revocable living trust has experienced<br />

a dramatic increase in popularity over the<br />

past several decades. Newspaper advertisements<br />

for free seminars on the benefits<br />

of a revocable living trust are everywhere,<br />

as are television commercials<br />

suggesting that a revocable living trust is<br />

for everyone. You might even find a doorto-door<br />

salesperson who would tell you,<br />

without reservation that a revocable<br />

living trust is something you just have to<br />

have.<br />

Legitimate seminars on a revocable<br />

(See Trusts, page 16)<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2009</strong> • COA FRONTLINE 15


(Trusts, from page 15)<br />

living trust and other legal topics are<br />

offered by attorneys and other professional<br />

advisors routinely in every city and<br />

state. After all, seminars are a legitimate<br />

way for professionals to promote their<br />

services and their expertise.<br />

There are some promoters, however,<br />

who are less than honest and far from<br />

knowledgeable about estate planning<br />

issues. Whether intentional or not, these<br />

promoters do a disservice to the public<br />

because they often provide inaccurate<br />

and misleading information.<br />

A revocable living trust can be an<br />

excellent tool for solving a number of<br />

issues confronting individuals and families<br />

today, including the avoidance of<br />

probate, the management of property<br />

during incapacity, the protection of property<br />

for beneficiaries who cannot handle<br />

money on their own, protection from<br />

disgruntled heirs, the elimination or<br />

minimization of federal estate taxes and<br />

state death taxes, and the assurance that<br />

personal affairs will remain private.<br />

Basic Concept of a Trust<br />

In order to understand the nature of<br />

trusts and the many different types of<br />

trusts that exist, it is important to understand<br />

the basic concept of a trust. In a<br />

general sense, a trust is nothing more<br />

than an arrangement whereby one person<br />

agrees to hold property for the benefit of<br />

another. We create trusts all the time<br />

without even thinking about it.<br />

For example, how many times have<br />

you given money to a babysitter in case<br />

he or she needed something for the kids?<br />

In a strictly legal sense, your babysitter<br />

accepted the money and agreed to hold it<br />

and use it for their benefit. That is the<br />

essence of a trust - someone agrees to<br />

hold money or property for the benefit of<br />

someone else. In a pragmatic sense, you<br />

trusted your babysitter to hold on to the<br />

money and use it for the benefit of your<br />

kids. And, there probably was an implied<br />

understanding that whatever wasn’t spent<br />

on the kids would be returned to you.<br />

Every type of trust you’ll ever confront<br />

- regardless of the name given to it - must<br />

have the same basic components as our<br />

babysitter example; i.e.:<br />

• Someone must create the trust. We<br />

call this person the “grantor.” Other<br />

people call the creator of a trust the<br />

“donor,” or the “settlor,” or the<br />

“trustor.” All these terms are used interchangeably.<br />

In our baby sitter example,<br />

you were the grantor because you<br />

created the trust between yourself and<br />

your babysitter.<br />

• Some other person or entity must<br />

agree to hold money and/or property<br />

for the benefit of someone else. We<br />

call this person the “trustee.” There<br />

may be more than one trustee and the<br />

trustee need not be a person. It may be<br />

a corporation with trust powers, such<br />

as a bank. In our babysitter example,<br />

your babysitter agreed to serve as the<br />

trustee.<br />

• Some money and/or property must<br />

actually be held by the trustee for the<br />

benefit of someone else. We call this<br />

money or other property the “principal”<br />

of the trust. Some people also<br />

(COF President, from page 13)<br />

Program Committee co-chairs RADMs<br />

Clara Cobb and Boris Lushniak, the officers<br />

who served on program committees<br />

and subcommittees, to the COA/COF<br />

Executive Office staff, and to Leading Edge<br />

staff for their exceptional dedication. Planning<br />

for the 2010 Symposium in San<br />

Diego is already well underway. Other<br />

highlights among the Foundation’s current<br />

activities include approval of the first<br />

Strategic Plan, Mission, and Vision for the<br />

Foundation to guide its future endeavors;<br />

agreement with the University of Maryland<br />

for the Foundation to provide tuition<br />

for PHS officers to pursue a Global Health<br />

Certificate; publication of the book Caring<br />

and Curing on the history of the Indian<br />

Health Service; signatory on two agreements<br />

pertaining to international projects<br />

in China (with the University of Maryland)<br />

and Nigeria; ongoing work with the<br />

National Library of Medicine to define the<br />

information needs of PHS officers during<br />

emergency response missions; and, the<br />

call this money or other property the<br />

“corpus” of the trust. The principal (or<br />

corpus) of the trust never stays the<br />

same; some is spent by the trustee,<br />

some is invested - earning dividends<br />

and interest, and some of the principal<br />

appreciates and/or depreciates in value.<br />

Collectively, we call all of this money<br />

and property the “trust fund.”<br />

• Someone else must benefit from the<br />

trust. We call this person the “beneficiary”<br />

of the trust. There may be more<br />

than one beneficiary. In that case, they<br />

are collectively called the “beneficiaries.”<br />

In our babysitter example above,<br />

your children were the beneficiaries of<br />

the trust.<br />

All types of trusts must have these four<br />

basic components.<br />

Again, we recommend you contact<br />

either your Tax Advisor or Accountant<br />

for further information on starting a<br />

Trust. Contact Brian McSheffrey at 301-<br />

731-9080 or bmcsheffrey@ coausphs.org<br />

for any questions concerning the COF.<br />

likely publication in 2010 of a new book<br />

for PHS officers on emergency preparedness<br />

principles.<br />

The Foundation is able to carry out its<br />

mission with diligence and excellence due<br />

to the extraordinary commitment of its<br />

Trustees and those volunteers who serve as<br />

committee chairs, committee and/or<br />

project members. This is a collegial effort<br />

that inspires much esprit-de-corps. The<br />

Foundation invites the participation of<br />

more officers to lend their time and talents.<br />

I particularly encourage retired “alumni”<br />

of the Corps to consider volunteering your<br />

service in the significant and worthwhile<br />

activities of the Foundation. Please contact<br />

me or Jerry Farrell if you would like to help<br />

advance the PHS <strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps in<br />

this way. On behalf of the Board of<br />

Trustees, our highest regards to each of you<br />

for your service to the Nation.<br />

James E. Knoben, PharmD, MPH<br />

CAPT (Ret.), USPHS<br />

16 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION


PHS <strong>Commissioned</strong> <strong>Officers</strong> Foundation<br />

for the Advancement of Public Health Acknowledges...<br />

Donations received August 16 - September 17th, <strong>2009</strong><br />

Founder's Society<br />

CAPTs Alice and James Knoben, (Ret.) *<br />

Platinum<br />

District of Columbia Metro Branch **<br />

Silver<br />

Baxer Family **<br />

Bronze<br />

CAPT Ralph J. Black, (Ret.)<br />

Friends<br />

CAPT David L. Levin, (Ret.)<br />

* Endowment Fund<br />

** COF Scholarship Program<br />

COF Approved<br />

for CFC <strong>2009</strong><br />

PHS <strong>Commissioned</strong> <strong>Officers</strong><br />

Foundation for the Advancement of<br />

Public Health (COF) has been<br />

approved to participate in the <strong>2009</strong><br />

Combined Federal Campaign of the<br />

National Capital Area (CFCNCA).<br />

The designation (catalog)<br />

number assigned to the Foundation<br />

is 42884. Please keep COF in mind<br />

when you support the <strong>2009</strong><br />

Combined Federal Campaign.<br />

Donations Can be Made<br />

at Several levels:<br />

Leadership Society . . . .$10,000<br />

President’s Society . . . .$5,000<br />

Founder’s Society . . . . .$2,500<br />

Platinum . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,000<br />

Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$500<br />

Silver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$250<br />

Bronze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$100<br />

Yes, I would like to help!<br />

✁<br />

PHS COMMISSIONED O FFICERS F OUNDATION<br />

FOR THE A DVANCEMENT OF P UBLIC H EALTH<br />

Enclosed is my contribution<br />

Please make checks payable to:<br />

“PHS <strong>Commissioned</strong> <strong>Officers</strong> Foundation”<br />

or provide credit card information below<br />

MAIL TO: PHS <strong>Commissioned</strong> <strong>Officers</strong><br />

Foundation for the<br />

Advancement of Public Health<br />

8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 200<br />

Landover, MD 20785<br />

Type of Credit Card:<br />

Amount:<br />

$ ____________________<br />

MasterCard<br />

Visa<br />

American Express<br />

Discover<br />

Card Number: ________________________________________________________________<br />

Name on Card: ________________________________________________________________<br />

Expiration Date: ________________________________________________________________<br />

Signature: ________________________________________________________________<br />

Name: ________________________________________________________________<br />

Organization: ________________________________________________________________<br />

Mailing Address: ________________________________________________________________<br />

City: __________________________ State: ______________ Zip: ______________<br />

Phone: ____________________ Fax: __________________ Email:__________________<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2009</strong> • COA FRONTLINE 17


18 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION


(Executive Director, from p. 1)<br />

Affairs picks up the tab. Further, having<br />

the authority to use transferability does<br />

not mean the Secretary has to implement<br />

it. Transferability can be offered to as<br />

narrow or as broad a field of Corps officers<br />

as the Secretary determines is<br />

necessary.<br />

Congress, I went on to point out, is<br />

unlikely to act on including the PHS<br />

<strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps in transferability<br />

absent a request from DHHS to do so.<br />

This position was further driven home<br />

several days after my meeting with<br />

Dr. Koh when we learned that the<br />

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee was<br />

preparing technical corrections legislation<br />

for the Post 9/11 GI Bill. A senior<br />

staff member of that Committee advised<br />

a fellow member of The Military Coalition<br />

(TMC has since sent its own letter of<br />

support to have PHS and NOAA included<br />

in transferability) that in order to include<br />

the Corps in that bill, DHHS would have<br />

to state their need for transferability and<br />

make the request.<br />

We relayed this information to Dr. Koh<br />

and asked – begged – for the Department<br />

to make such a request of Congress.<br />

Dr. Koh replied that he is looking in to<br />

the situation.<br />

During our August meeting, Dr. Koh<br />

and I also discussed the need to reorganize<br />

at least OCCO and OCCFM into a<br />

single unit aligned under the Office of the<br />

Surgeon General. Dr. Koh commented<br />

that he had seen evidence of the problems<br />

first-hand since taking office and<br />

a reorganization plan was in the works.<br />

We certainly look forward to learning<br />

more about this plan and its sooner,<br />

rather than later, implementation.<br />

The critical importance of fully developing<br />

and instituting a billet-based force<br />

management system for the Corps was<br />

also reviewed. Such a system will enable<br />

the Corps to define a numerical and skills<br />

requirement – what the other uniformed<br />

services call an “end-strength” requirement<br />

each year which determines the<br />

size and shape of each Service. The<br />

ability to define and defend the <strong>Commissioned</strong><br />

Corps’ end-strength requirement<br />

annually is a fundamental building block<br />

for everything else the Corps needs to<br />

fulfill its potential.<br />

As the meeting concluded, I verbally<br />

renewed our earlier written invitation to<br />

Dr. Koh to attend and address the 2010<br />

US PHS Scientific and Training Symposium<br />

in San Diego next May. It will be, I<br />

suggested, a great opportunity to bask<br />

in the Corps’ appreciation for having<br />

Post 9/11 GI Bill transferability successfully<br />

extended to include the PHS<br />

<strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps.<br />

Dr. Koh is an active listener who<br />

takes his own detailed notes during a<br />

meeting. He asks good, hard, probing<br />

questions and is careful not to promise<br />

IN MY VIEW<br />

more than he is sure he can produce.<br />

We must all recognize that the Corps and<br />

issues like transferability, struggle for<br />

attention in a Department that is a bit<br />

overwhelmed with health reform, and<br />

H1N1 influenza and a serious gap in<br />

appointees in key leadership positions –<br />

the Surgeon General for one. So, this is<br />

no small or easy task for us, but that<br />

does not mean we should not pursue it<br />

or that the Department should not<br />

support its <strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps in<br />

these important issues. Leadership is a<br />

two-way street.<br />

(See Executive Director, page 20)<br />

Opposing Same-Sex Partner Benefits<br />

By CAPT Michael Frederiksen, (Ret.)<br />

Iread with concern the article “In My<br />

View” in the September <strong>2009</strong> <strong>Frontline</strong><br />

promoting benefits to same-sex domestic<br />

partners of PHS officers.<br />

One of the attractive features of the<br />

USPHS is the knowledge that we are a<br />

service that does not openly support samesex<br />

domestic partnerships. This honorable<br />

position is a feature which will attract,<br />

recruit, and retain PHS officers.<br />

As the writer states, it is indeed the<br />

mission of the PHS <strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps<br />

to promote public health but a homosexual<br />

lifestyle does not promote public health.<br />

This is shown by a 25-30 year decrease in<br />

life expectancy, in increased rates of infectious<br />

hepatitis, liver cancer, rectal cancer,<br />

and suicide. Also a 1981 study revealed<br />

only 2% of homosexuals were monogamous<br />

or semi-monogamous – generally<br />

defined as ten or fewer lifetime partners.*<br />

I oppose the legislation “Domestic Partnership<br />

Benefits and Obligations Act”<br />

(H.R. 2517/S 1102) which would extend<br />

benefits to same-sex domestic partners of<br />

federal employees.<br />

I support the stand of the COA of the<br />

USPHS for full parity of benefits among<br />

the seven uniformed services. I also support<br />

the exclusion of same-sex domestic partner<br />

benefits in all the uniformed services from<br />

any proposed legislation.<br />

I encourage all like-minded USPHS<br />

officers to express their concerns on this<br />

issue with the COA, the administration of<br />

the USPHS, and their senators and representatives.<br />

Respectfully submitted,<br />

Michael Frederiksen, MD<br />

CAPT USPHS (Ret)<br />

*Source: “Homosexuality and the Politics<br />

of Truth” by Jeffrey Satinover, MD<br />

published by Baker Books.<br />

The opinions expressed in this article<br />

are those of the author and do not necessarily<br />

reflect the policy or position of the<br />

<strong>Commissioned</strong> <strong>Officers</strong> <strong>Association</strong>.<br />

The Board approved position of COA<br />

with respect to H.R. 2517/S1102 is that<br />

COA supports full parity among all seven<br />

uniformed services, especially with respect<br />

to issues regarding compensation and<br />

benefits.<br />

– Jerry Farrell, Exec Dir<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2009</strong> • COA FRONTLINE 19


(Executive Director, from p. 19)<br />

Back to the Future<br />

In this month’s <strong>Frontline</strong>, we reprint<br />

an article by journalist Mark Trahant who<br />

makes the case to reopen the Marine<br />

Hospitals as an alternative to health<br />

reform. Trahant is a former editorial<br />

page editor for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.<br />

Be sure and read his article,<br />

especially if you ever served in one of<br />

the Marine Hospitals.<br />

Caring & Curing<br />

Also in this month’s <strong>Frontline</strong>, the<br />

Foundation is proud to announce the<br />

publication of Caring & Curing: A History<br />

of the Indian Health Service. This handsome,<br />

hard-bound, full-color book will<br />

be a collector’s item. Order your prepublication<br />

copy now for a considerable<br />

savings over the retail price. Hats off and<br />

BRAVO ZULU to CAPT Alan Dellapenna,<br />

Jr. and co-author James P. Rife for their<br />

impressive work in documenting an important<br />

chapter in the history of public health,<br />

Native Americans, and the enduring legacy<br />

of the <strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps.<br />

Symposium Planning<br />

Planning for the 2010 PHS Scientific<br />

and Training Symposium in San Diego is<br />

in full swing. The Symposium theme is<br />

“Public Health 2010: The Road Ahead.”<br />

I want to thank all the volunteers who<br />

have turned out to be a part of the planning<br />

effort. We have more than 60 officers<br />

involved in planning the program for<br />

2010 – far more than ever before. The<br />

tough part will be in winnowing down all<br />

the terrific ideas being brought forward<br />

into the time and space we have available.<br />

This will be a great conference –<br />

make your plans now to be there.<br />

And finally…<br />

As this is written in late September,<br />

the nation remains without a Senateconfirmed<br />

Surgeon General. The word<br />

is that Dr. Regina Benjamin made the<br />

rounds of courtesy calls on Capitol Hill<br />

as soon as Congress reconvened after<br />

Labor Day. But there is still no scheduled<br />

hearing on her nomination by the Senate<br />

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions<br />

(HELP) Committee. The Committee does<br />

not have to hold a hearing with Dr.<br />

Benjamin; it could vote to send her nomination<br />

to the full Senate without a formal<br />

hearing. However, no one can recall the<br />

Senate HELP Committee ever passing up<br />

the chance to conduct a formal hearing<br />

for a Surgeon General nominee.<br />

Lots going on. We manage to remain<br />

busy, as I know is the case with all of you.<br />

Yours Aye!<br />

20 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION


BRANCH NEWS<br />

Northeastern Oklahoma Area Branch Holds First USPHS<br />

<strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps Promotion Ceremony<br />

The Northeast Oklahoma Branch<br />

<strong>Commissioned</strong> <strong>Officers</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />

(NEO COA) recently hosted its first<br />

promotion ceremony on July 8th at the<br />

Claremore Service Unit. It was an honor<br />

to have members of the NEO COA from<br />

both the Claremore Indian Hospital and<br />

the Northeastern Tribal Health Center in<br />

attendance as they celebrated the promotions<br />

of nine officers.<br />

To Commander:<br />

Julie Holifield, Health Services Officer<br />

Michael Lee, Pharmacy Officer<br />

Timothy Murray, Pharmacy Officer<br />

Susan Wood, Nurse Officer<br />

(See Ceremony, page 22)<br />

Promoted <strong>Officers</strong> in attendance from Left to Right: CDR Michael Lee, LCDR Cheri<br />

Fleming, LCDR Cara Nichols, CDR Susan Wood, LCDR Mary Kennedy, and LCDR<br />

Brian Hamilton.<br />

(Bingaman, from page 1)<br />

Ready Reserve<br />

The HELP proposal, called the Affordable<br />

Health Choices Act, would also establish<br />

a PHS Ready Reserve Corps “for<br />

service in time of national emergency.” Its<br />

central purpose, according to the proposal,<br />

would be to have additional commissioned<br />

Corps personnel available on short<br />

notice to meet routine and emergency<br />

response missions, both domestic and<br />

foreign. Reservists would be available and<br />

ready for involuntary calls to active duty<br />

during national emergencies and public<br />

health crises. They would be available for<br />

backfilling critical positions left vacant<br />

during deployment of active-duty<br />

<strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps members. They<br />

would serve in isolated, hardship, and<br />

medically underserved communities to<br />

improve access to health services. Finally,<br />

reservists would participate in routine<br />

training to meet the general and specific<br />

needs of the <strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps.<br />

As Committee members discussed and<br />

debated this provision over the spring and<br />

early summer, COA worked closely with<br />

Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) to<br />

promote the concept and convince senators<br />

and staff to beat back a proposed<br />

amendment that would have stripped the<br />

provision from the final committeeapproved<br />

version.<br />

Three Legislative Vehicles<br />

All three legislative proposals<br />

containing the PHS workforce provisions<br />

are broader, more comprehensive efforts<br />

to address the interrelated problems of<br />

lack of access to health care and a steadily<br />

shrinking health workforce. If successful,<br />

health care reform would expand access to<br />

care for millions of citizens who are now<br />

uninsured or underinsured. That underscores<br />

the need to step up efforts to recruit<br />

and retain physicians and other health<br />

professionals, especially those with a<br />

potential interest in public service careers.<br />

The first bill is S. 790, The Health<br />

Access and Health Professions Supply Act<br />

of <strong>2009</strong>. Sen. Bingaman, its author and<br />

lead sponsor, introduced it in April. Its<br />

House companion of the same name,<br />

H.R. 3109, was introduced in June by<br />

Rep. Harry Teague, also a New Mexico<br />

Democrat. The third legislative vehicle for<br />

the PHS-friendly package is the health<br />

care reform proposal approved by the<br />

Senate HELP Committee. Its bill number<br />

is S.1679. It was introduced on September<br />

17. In the heat of the health reform<br />

debate, it is up against the competing and<br />

less expensive proposal introduced on<br />

September 16 by Sen. Max Baucus.<br />

The Baucus proposal, with no Republican<br />

support and a lukewarm response<br />

from Democrats, contained no substantive<br />

workforce provisions. Sen. Baucus<br />

gave senators on the Finance Committee<br />

48 hours to propose any desired changes.<br />

Nearly all did, filing 564 amendments<br />

by deadline. An amendment filed by<br />

Sen. Bingaman referenced the entire<br />

health workforce package in the HELP<br />

Committee’s proposal. But it was not<br />

among the 200 “priority amendments”<br />

selected for consideration by the Finance<br />

Committee chairman.<br />

This is the first of a two-part profile; an<br />

upcoming article will discuss Sen. Bingaman<br />

and the Indian Health Service.<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2009</strong> • COA FRONTLINE 21


(Ceremony , from page 21)<br />

To Lieutenant Commander:<br />

Cheri Fleming, Nurse Officer<br />

Brian Hamilton, Nurse Officer<br />

Mary Kennedy, Nurse Officer<br />

Cara Nichols, Health Services Officer<br />

Jodi Sparkman, Pharmacy Officer<br />

Veterinary Professional Advisory Committee<br />

(VetPAC) Coin<br />

CAPT Martin Smith was the Senior<br />

Officer for the event and CDR<br />

Anthony Likes served as the Adjutant.<br />

The event was held at the Claremore<br />

Indian Hospital, located in Claremore,<br />

OK, and joined by supervisors and<br />

family members of the promoted officers.<br />

A reception immediately followed<br />

the ceremony. Special thanks were<br />

extended to all the volunteers who<br />

graciously offered their assistance in<br />

planning and implementing the <strong>2009</strong><br />

Promotion Ceremony.<br />

WELCOME NEW COA MEMBERS<br />

LCDR Sridhar V. Basavaraju, Atlanta<br />

LCDR Stacey Bosch, Dallas<br />

LT Brian W. Bunn, Aberdeen<br />

CDR Lisa D. Cash, New England<br />

LCDR Mark D. Clayton, District of Columbia<br />

LCDR Mary L. Demby, North Carolina<br />

LT Fred E. Echoles, Unaffiliated<br />

LTJG Steven M. Ferrara, New England<br />

LT Natalie K. Gibson, District of Columbia<br />

LCDR Anita M. Glenn-Reller, Rainier<br />

LCDR Vanessa M. Hadley, Evergreen<br />

LT Patrick Humphries, Carville<br />

LTJG Ryan C. Johnson, Tucson<br />

LT Jennifer S. Kast, Little Colorado River<br />

LCDR David Lau, Greater LA & SoCal<br />

LT James Mason, Thomas Jefferson<br />

LTJG Shauna L. Mettee, Atlanta<br />

LCDR Nancy Miller, Heart of America<br />

LT Quynhnhu Nguyen, District of Columbia<br />

LTJG Kazuhiro Okumura, District of<br />

Columbia<br />

LT Lundy H. Patrick, Central Florida<br />

LT Bobby B. Rasulnia, Atlanta<br />

LTJG Daniel J. Rector, Heart of America<br />

LTJG Yvonne M. Santiago, New York<br />

LT Michael Saulibio, SoCal<br />

LT Monalisa Schaffran, Rio Grande<br />

LT Kanta D. Sircar, Atlanta<br />

LTJG Darin W. Smith, Rainier<br />

LCDR Scott E. Steffen, Unaffiliated<br />

LT Stacey L. Thomas, Big Sky<br />

LCDR Erik S. Vincent, Golden Gate<br />

LT Teresa Vu, Baltimore & Ft. Detrick<br />

LT Matthew M. Watson, Sierra<br />

Order Form<br />

Make checks or money orders payable to Wanda Wilson.<br />

Cost is $10.00 per coin, includes shipping and handling.<br />

Number of Coins: ________ x $10.00 = Cost: __________<br />

Method of Payment: n Check n Money Order<br />

Please fully complete your return mailing address for coin delivery (Please print legibly):<br />

Name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _<br />

Address: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _<br />

City/State/Zip Code: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _<br />

Send your mail order to:<br />

LCDR Wanta Wilson<br />

1830 Potomac Avenue SE<br />

Washington, DC 20003<br />

Questions?<br />

Contact LCDR Wanda Wilson<br />

Email: wanda.wilson@fsis.usda.gov<br />

22 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION


(Legislative Update, from page 2)<br />

person and position of the Chief Nurse<br />

Officer of the U.S. Public Health<br />

Service. Most nursing organizations,<br />

including the ANA, agreed. The grassroots<br />

movement has not really gained<br />

traction, but its backers have never<br />

wavered. The prospect of health care<br />

reform has given them renewed hope.<br />

The proposal’s supporters have come<br />

to agree with COA and organized<br />

nursing that the CNO position should<br />

be full-time. They also agree that the<br />

rank of the CNO should be elevated to<br />

Rear Admiral (Upper Half/08), which<br />

would make it equivalent to the ranks of<br />

the other uniformed services’ Nurse<br />

Corps Chiefs.<br />

But the proponents of a new Office<br />

of the National Nurse want to change<br />

the title and responsibilities of the<br />

existing CNO by designating the CNO<br />

as the National Nurse for Prevention.<br />

To counter that, a draft letter to<br />

health policy makers is being circulated<br />

within the nursing community by<br />

retired RADM Mary Pat Couig, a<br />

former CNO. The draft argues that<br />

changing the name and functions of the<br />

CNO would needlessly politicize the<br />

position and limit its scope. Instead of<br />

renaming the position and narrowing its<br />

focus, the draft letter concludes, “we<br />

believe more can be achieved through<br />

strengthening our existing public health<br />

infrastructure and resources.”<br />

Military Coalition<br />

Awards Reception<br />

The Military Coalition hosts an<br />

annual awards reception to honor two<br />

members of Congress and two legislative<br />

aides who have, over the preceding year,<br />

helped in significant ways to further<br />

Coalition goals. They are preceded by<br />

months of discussion among Coalition<br />

members about who most deserves the<br />

Award of Merit (Members of Congress)<br />

and the Freedom Award (Congressional<br />

staff). The ceremonies are held in the<br />

elegant, fifth-floor Congressional Hall of<br />

Honor in the Reserve <strong>Officers</strong> <strong>Association</strong>’s<br />

building at First Street and Constitution<br />

Avenue. These well-attended<br />

events are pleasant, collegial, and noncontroversial,<br />

and the view of the nation’s<br />

capital is spectacular.<br />

This year’s event on <strong>October</strong> 6 honors<br />

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Rep.<br />

Joe Wilson (R-SC). Yes, that Joe Wilson.<br />

They are expected to receive their awards<br />

and deliver their acceptance remarks at<br />

noon. The Coalition will also honor Tony<br />

McClain, Military Legislative Assistant<br />

for Sen. Lincoln, and Allison Witt,<br />

Legislative Director for Rep. Bob Latta<br />

(R-OH).<br />

— Judy Rensberger<br />

Reflection: COA & Transferability<br />

With this issue of <strong>Frontline</strong>, COA’s<br />

campaign to win all Post-9/11 GI<br />

Bill entitlements for PHS officers will<br />

head into its sixteenth month. This<br />

makes it the longest-running, singleissue<br />

legislative campaign in COA’s<br />

recent history. Since winning most of<br />

the battle four months ago, we have<br />

focused entirely and relentlessly on<br />

transferability. We have written about<br />

it incessantly, in venues ranging from<br />

<strong>Frontline</strong> to The Washington Post. We<br />

have talked about it to reporters, HHS<br />

officials, dozens of congressional<br />

staffers, and a couple of U.S. senators.<br />

(As I write this, Jerry Farrell is making<br />

our case to the newly-hired White<br />

House aide for Veterans’ affairs.)<br />

So it startles me when I receive e-<br />

mails from PHS officers earnestly<br />

inquiring if COA is doing anything<br />

about transferability. Recently I got<br />

one from a PHS officer who asked to<br />

be informed of “any activity, COA-led<br />

or otherwise,” about efforts to extend<br />

the transferability entitlement to PHS<br />

officers. He also wanted to hear my<br />

thoughts about the chances of success.<br />

Turns out he is not a COA member.<br />

In fact, he is one of dozens of non-COA<br />

members who have called or written<br />

COA to tell us how important this issue<br />

is and to urge us to keep fighting the<br />

good fight. The GI Bill campaign has<br />

thus shed light on a surprising (to me)<br />

phenomenon: PHS officers who want<br />

and expect to benefit from COA<br />

legislative advocacy, but do not want to<br />

share the work. Or even support the<br />

effort by joining COA and paying<br />

membership dues. That part, they leave<br />

to others.<br />

In the weeks since I invited this PHS<br />

officer to join COA, he has not done<br />

so. In his e-mail asking me what is<br />

being done to win transferability for<br />

PHS officers, he noted: “As a father of<br />

two, I’m very interested in this<br />

happening.” Right.<br />

Just not interested enough to help<br />

make it happen.<br />

— Judy Rensberger<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2009</strong> • COA FRONTLINE 23


The COA <strong>Frontline</strong> (ISSN 10937161) is published monthly<br />

except a combined issue January/February and July/August<br />

by the <strong>Commissioned</strong> <strong>Officers</strong> <strong>Association</strong> of the United<br />

States Public Health Service, 8201 Corporate Drive, Suite<br />

200, Landover, MD 20785, (301) 731-9080; Toll-free (866)<br />

366-9593; FAX: (301) 731-9084; Periodicals Postage Paid<br />

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COA FRONTLINE<br />

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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to COA <strong>Frontline</strong> c/o<br />

<strong>Commissioned</strong> <strong>Officers</strong> <strong>Association</strong>, 8201 Corporate Drive,<br />

Suite 200, Landover, MD 20785.<br />

A report of timely information concerning activities of<br />

the <strong>Commissioned</strong> Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service.<br />

Distributed exclusively to <strong>Association</strong> members.<br />

Executive Director<br />

Jerry Farrell<br />

gfarrell@coausphs.org<br />

Director of Administration<br />

Teresa Hayden<br />

thayden@coausphs.org<br />

Government Relations<br />

Director<br />

Judith Rensberger<br />

jrensberger@coausphs.org<br />

Development Director<br />

Brian McSheffrey<br />

bmcsheffrey@coausphs.org<br />

Membership Coordinator<br />

Malissa Spalding<br />

mspalding@coausphs.org<br />

Foundation Project Coordinator<br />

& Database Mgr.<br />

Julia Veeder<br />

jveeder@coausphs.org<br />

Administrative Assistant<br />

Christina Grill<br />

cgrill@coausphs.org<br />

Conference Planners<br />

Leading Edge Solutions<br />

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866-544-9677<br />

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Visit us at www.coausphs.org<br />

© <strong>2009</strong> COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

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