October 2009 Frontline - Commissioned Officers Association
October 2009 Frontline - Commissioned Officers Association
October 2009 Frontline - Commissioned Officers Association
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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 />
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Distributed exclusively to <strong>Association</strong> members.<br />
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thayden@coausphs.org<br />
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jrensberger@coausphs.org<br />
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© <strong>2009</strong> COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION