Mar 2008_Frontline - Commissioned Officers Association

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

Frontline 

COA 

Vol. 45, Issue 3 Salus Populi Suprema Lex Este March 2008 

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

Corps Officers 

Take the Lead 

Dear COA and Foundation Friends, 

You will read elsewhere 

in this 

March edition of 

Frontline about our 

43 rd Annual PHS 

Scientific and 

Jerry Farrell Training Symposium, 

Executive Director 

scheduled for June 9 

– 12, 2008 at the convention center 

in Tucson, Arizona. The agenda is 

simply awesome and I hope each 

COA member takes the time to read 

through the details carefully. Don’t 

miss the pre-conference sessions 

that will be offered on Sunday, 8 

June. This will be my seventh “COA 

meeting” and as world class as our 

previous agendas have been, this 

one beats them all. Well done and 

thanks to our planning committee 

chairs – RADM (Ret.) Gary Hartz, 

RADM Boris Lushniak, and CAPT 

Clint Chamberlain and all members 

of the committee. 

You will see a broad variety of 

topics on the agenda. This is entirely 

appropriate and reflects the broad 

array of issues that combine under 

the label “public health.” It underscores 

the fact that, regardless of 

where you are stationed – IHS, CDC, 

FDA, BOP, etc.; or what you do – 

clinician, research, regulation, 

(See Executive Director, page 25) 

Commissioned Corps Celebrates 

119th Birthday! 

The PHS Commissioned Corps was 119 

years old on January 4th. This year there 

were two celebrations of the Corps’ founding. 

The first Atlanta COA Branch Anchor 

and Caduceus Dinner was held on 

Saturday, January 26. Read more about 

the Atlanta event on page 7. 

The 2008 Washington, DC Anchor 

and Caduceus Dinner was held at the J.W. 

Marriott Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue 

on Friday evening, February 1st. This 

event, sponsored by the PHS Commissioned 

Officers Foundation for the 

Advancement of Public Health (COF), 

featured the annual Dr. C. Everett Koop 

Honorary Lecture delivered by Dr. Julie L. 

Gerberding, Director of the Centers of 

Disease Control and Prevention. 

The USPHS Ensemble/Chorale provided 

music for the approximately 300 

Commissioned Officers, legislative, medical, 

professional and Public Health 

Officials attending the dinner. 

RADM Mary Pat Couig, USPHS, 

(Ret.), President of the PHS Commissioned 

Officers Foundation, acted as 

Master of Ceremonies. RADM Couig 

introduced Dr. C. Everett Koop, 13th 

Surgeon General, who, along with Acting 

Surgeon General Steven Galson as the 

senior Corps officers present, cut the birthday 

cake along with Ensign Dimana 

Dimitrova, the junior Corps officer in 

attendance. Following the ceremonial cake 

cutting, Dr. Koop briefly addressed the 

attendees. The crowd enthusiastically 

demonstrated their appreciation for his 

appearance and remarks. 

Dr. Julie Gerberding, CDC Director 

delivers the Dr. C. Everett Koop Honorary 

Lecture at the 2008 Anchor and Caduceus 

Dinner in Washington, DC. 

Photo credit: CAPT Cathy Poneleit 

RADM Couig then introduced RADM 

Galson who offered his congratulations on 

the Corps’ anniversary and introduced Dr. 

Gerberding. Dr. Gerberding spoke on the 

topic of “Global Disease Control and 

Prevention – Health Priorities in the 21st 

Century.” Dr. Gerberding took attendees 

on a four city global tour using them as 

examples of where and how limited public 

health resources need to be invested in 

order to ensure that “health means wealth” 

in the future. 

The Corps officers present for the dinner 

were also pleased to welcome representatives 

from the broader public health 

community as guests including Dr. 

(See Birthday, page 25) 

MARCH 2008 • COA FRONTLINE 1

BENEFITS OF YOUR 

COA MEMBERSHIP 

CAPITOL HILL REPRESENTATION 

COA legislation on Capitol Hill 

continually supports all Commissioned 

Corps officers – active, inactive 

reserve, and retired. 

LOCAL REPRESENTATION 

COA branches generate new 

venues for meeting fellow officers within 

your local area while providing a forum for 

the discussion of concerns within 

the Commissioned Corps. 

ANNUAL MEETING 

With a mixture of business and pleasure, 

COA’s annual meeting invites colleagues 

from around the country to gather to 

discuss new scientific presentations 

while stimulating open forums about 

health-related issues. 

INSURANCE PROGRAMS 

COA enables members to 

participate in several low-cost 

insurance programs that may 

continue after leaving the PHS as 

long as your membership in COA 

remains current. 

FRONTLINE 

COA’s newsletter reports on 

monthly activities and items of 

interest to COA members about 

the Corps & COA. 

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM 

COA offers thousands of dollars 

towards college scholarships 

for children and spouses of 

COA members. 

RIBBON & MINIATURE MEDAL 

The COA ribbon and miniature 

medal are authorized to be worn 

on the PHS uniform by members 

in good standing. 

HERTZ RENTAL DISCOUNT 

Members enjoy discount rates on 

Hertz rental throughout the 

United States at Hertz locations 

and participating licensees. 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 

For COA’s Top Legislative Priority, 

The Outlook in Congress Appears Bleak 

Alegislative proposal known as the 

Surgeon General Independence Act, or 

HR 3447, would significantly strengthen 

the Office of the U.S. Surgeon 

General. It was introduced by 

Congressman Henry Waxman (D- 

California) in the wake of public 

hearings in July. The hearings, 

conducted by Rep. Waxman’s 

Government Oversight and 

Reform Committee, aired 

allegations of unwanted 

political interference in the 

development of scientific 

reports to the Nation on 

important public health 

issues. 

The bill would change the 

process for selecting a 

Surgeon General by requiring consideration 

of PHS Flag Officers as potential candidates. 

It would have the Surgeon General 

report directly to the Secretary of Health 

and Human Services, not the Assistant 

Secretary for Health. It would permit the 

Office of the Surgeon General to hire its 

own staff and to submit budget proposals 

directly to the President and Congress. It 

would preserve the scientific integrity of 

the Surgeon General’s Reports and Calls to 

Action. 

Along with a similar but less sweeping 

bill in the Senate, HR 3447 was 

announced with much fanfare in July and 

then, with 13 co-sponsors, referred to the 

House Energy and Commerce Committee 

on August 3. 

Since then, however, there has been 

virtually no movement at all. No new 

co-sponsors have been recruited. The bill 

has not been reported out by the Energy 

and Commerce Committee, and it does 

not appear on the Committee’s draft 

agenda for the rest of the year. A muchanticipated 

report from Congressman 

Waxman’s committee has not materialized. 

All this is discouraging if not surprising. 

For one thing, the matter has simply 

dropped out of sight. Alleged efforts to 

politicize the Office of the Surgeon 

General are no longer making headlines. 

The President's controversial choice for 

Surgeon General, Dr. James Holsinger, is 

so unlikely to be confirmed that he, too, 

has faded from public view. The departure 

of a diligent congressional staffer who 

also happened to be a knowledgeable 

friend of the PHS Commissioned 

Corps, Dr. Arthur Kellerman, certainly 

has not helped. As a 

Congressional Fellow, Dr. 

Kellerman doggedly worked 

the issue from the inside and 

moved it forward while serving 

on the staff of the House 

Government Oversight and 

Reform Committee. And finally, 

in an unexpectedly riveting 

presidential election year, there is serious 

competition for politicians’ attention as 

the remaining months of the 110th 

Congress rapidly slip away. 

What to do? 

COA is writing to all 13 co-sponsors of 

HR 3447 to thank them, to all 57 members 

of the Energy and Commerce 

Committee to request their support, and 

to Committee Chairman John Dingell (D- 

Michigan) and Ranking Member Joe 

Barton (R-Texas) to ask them to move the 

bill. COA is also asking The Military 

Coalition for its support. 

What else? 

As COA staff, we are trying to engage 

COA members as legislative advocates, 

particularly those whose congressional representatives 

happen to be co-sponsors of 

the bill, or members of the committee that 

controls its fate. (By the way, writing to 

one’s own elected representative about a 

particular proposal or issue of concern does 

not constitute “lobbying.” It is exercising 

one’s right as a constituent, citizen, and 

(See Legislative Update, page 21) 

2 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

Remembering Our Fallen USPHS Commissioned Corps 

Officer on the USS SERPENS 

By Commander Joselito Ignacio, CIH, CSP, MPH, REHS, USPHS Detailed to the U.S. Coast Guard, Washington, DC 

On 29 January 2008, under the sponsorship 

of Flags Across America and the 1,950shp. 

determined as due to an explosion while 

reciprocating steam engine, single shaft, nature of the explosion. Lost was officially 

DC Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officers At the time, and up to July 1947, the loading depth charges, 29 January 1945, 

Association, an annual ceremony commerating 

Coast Guard still thought an enemy attack while anchored off Lunga Beach, 

the lost lives of the USS Serpens was 

held at the Serpens Memorial in Arlington 

National Cemetery. 193 Coast Guard 

had caused the blast. However, by June 10, 

1949, it was officially determined not to 

have been the result of enemy action but 

Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. 

The 250 remains were originally buried 

at the Army, Navy and Marine Cemetery 

crewmen, 56 Army stevedores, and Dr. 

Harry M. Levin, a Public Health Service 

physician were killed in the explosion. The 

force of the explosion was so great that it 

killed a U.S. Army soldier who was ashore. 

Only two sailors aboard survived the incident. 

The cause of the explosion was never 

completely determined. The loss of the 

USS SERPENS AK-97 was the largest single 

disaster ever suffered by the United 

States Coast Guard. 

The ceremony involved the posting of 

colors by the U.S. Coast Guard Honor 

Guard, an invocation by the U.S. Coast 

Guard Deputy Chaplain Dennis Young, a 

brief history reading shared by members of 

the audience, a wreath laying ceremony, 

and finally, the playing of taps. Representatives 

from the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. 

Army, and the U.S. Public Health Service 

were designated to lay a wreath for those 

service members lost. Commander Joselito 

Ignacio, a USPHS Officer detailed to the 

U.S. Coast Guard at Headquarters, Washington, 

DC, lay the wreath in honor of Dr. 

Harry M. Levin, the USPHS Surgeon. Dr. 

Levin was on-board when the catastrophic 

explosion occurred. 

The ship was laid down, 10 March 

1943, as a Maritime Commission type 

(EC2-S-C1) hull, under Maritime Commission 

contract (MCE hull 739), at 

California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, 

CA. It was launched, 5 April 1943, 

and acquired by the US Navy. It was commissioned 

as the USS Serpens (AK-97) in 

19 April 1943. It displaced 11,565 tons, 

was 441 feet and 6 inches in length, a top 

speed of 12 knots, was armed with one 

5"/38 dual purpose gun mount, one 3"/50 

dual purpose gun mount, two 40mm guns, 

never completely determined of the exact 

USS Serpens 

(See Remembering, page 4) 

six 20mm guns, and had a propulsion Salute during Bugle Taps at the USS Serpens Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery 


Dr. Harry Levin (Right) with comrade, 

LTjg William C. Garber (Left) 

(Remembering, from page 3) 

in Guadalcanal with full military honors 

and religious services. The remains were 

repatriated under the program for the 

return of World War II dead in 1949. The 

mass recommittal of the 250 unidentified 

dead took place in section 34 at MacArthur 

Circle, Arlington National Cemetery. The 

remains were placed in 52 caskets and 

Posting of Colors 

buried in 28 graves near the intersection of 

Jesup and Grant Drives. 

The ceremony reminds all attendees of 

the tragic loss. This strikes to the heart of 

the U.S. Public Health Service, who actively 

assigned its Commissioned Corps in 

support of the military services during 

World War II. Although little is known 

about Dr. Levin, one can definitely say that 

he died in defense of the United States and 

exemplifies the ultimate sacrifice specified 

in the oath that all Commissioned Corps 

Officers take and are expected to uphold. 

$18.95 

TO ORDER CALL THE UNVIVERSITY OF ALASKA PRESS 

TOLL FREE AT 1-888-252-6657 

OR ORDER ONLINE AT WWW.UAF.EDU/UAPRESS. 

By Robert Fortuine, M.D. 

Captain, USPHS (Retired) 

PUBLISHED BY THE COMMISSIONED OFFICERS FOUNDATION, LANDOVER, MD. 

DISTRIBUTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA PRESS. 


BCOAG Reaches Out to Residents of New Orleans, LA 

The camaraderie and esprit de corps for 

several members of the United States 

Public Health Service (USPHS) Black 

Commissioned Officers Advisory Group 

(BCOAG) was greatly enhanced by participating 

in a volunteer recovery mission in 

the New Orleans, LA area. From November 

11-16, 2007, fourteen Officers made 

the selfless decision to forgo a Veterans Day 

holiday vacation, and instead assist residents 

of New Orleans and St. Bernard 

Parish as they attempt to restore normalcy 

to their lives after the devastating effects of 

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. 

The volunteer mission was coordinated 

through BCOAG’s Community Outreach 

committee and the non-profit organization, 

Lean on Me, Inc. (LOMI) – additional 

information can be found at http://www. 

help4families.org/. The “Rebuilding the 

Big Easy Project,” sponsored by LOMI, is 

focused on getting the citizens of New 

Orleans and surrounding areas out of 

FEMA trailers and temporary housing, and 

back into their homes. The Officers participated 

in various volunteer activities 

with the following LOMI partners: the 

Lower 9th Ward Homeowners Association 

(http://ny2no.net/lower9homeowners); the 

Community Center of St. Bernard 

(CCSTB) (www.ccstb.org); and the Animal 

Rescue New Orleans (ARNO) (www. 

animalrescueneworleans.org). 

Through this mission, BCOAG members 

developed new skills and refined existing 

ones, all the while remaining flexible 

and willing to assist wherever there was a 

need. With commitment to the mission, 

smiling faces and fitting senses of humor 

were interjected when necessary. Officers 

ranking from Rear Admiral to Lieutenant 

fulfilled their civic duty by: 

• Cutting grass, (using only weed cutters 

and hedge trimmers), at the homes of 

elderly Lower 9th Ward residents who 

have not yet returned to New Orleans 

and/or have been unable to maintain 

their property; 

• Cleaning animal cages and attending to 

abandoned pets at the ARNO; 

• Preparing and serving meals for the onceweekly, 

free CCSTB community supper 

(Left to Right) LT Alia Legaux , CDR Celia Gabrel, LCDR Helen Hunter, LT Donna 

Phillips, LCDR Monique Fountain Hanna, LCDR Michelle Everett, LCDR Postelle Birch 

Smith, CDR Sheila Merriweather, LCDR Michelle Dillahunt, and CDR Nina Waba 

Recruitment Event at Xavier University 

(Left to Right) LCDR Michelle Everett, LT Donna Phillips, LT Lisa Patterson, LT Alia 

Legaux, LCDR Postelle Birch Smith, LCDR Monique Fountain Hanna, LCDR Chekesha 

Clingman, and CDR Michelle Dillahunt 

for residents of St. Bernard Parish; 

• Sorting and organizing clothing, food 

and other items donated to the Mustard 

Seed Distribution component of the 

CCSTB; and 

• Mudding, priming and painting the 

homes of residents currently in the 

process of rebuilding their homes. 

The BCOAG members also capitalized 

(See BCOAG, page 6) 


(BCOAG, from page 5) 

on this unprecedented opportunity to further 

increase the visibility of the USPHS 

Commissioned Corps among health professionals 

and students in the New Orleans 

area. To culminate this mission, BCOAG 

members who also serve as Associate 

Recruiters, conducted an informational 

presentation to pharmacy students at Xavier 

and Dillard Universities in New Orleans. 

The recruitment activity was very well 

received by students and faculty from both 

universities. The students expressed considerable 

interest in future careers with the 

PHS and were provided with all the necessary 

information to initiate their application 

process to the Corps. 

The self-sponsored volunteers represented 

various geographic locations and PHS 

duty stations around the country including: 

Rockville, MD; Washington, DC; Atlanta, 

GA; Butner, NC; and New York, NY. The 

participants included: RADM Helena 

Mishoe, CDR Sheila Merriweather, CDR 

Nina Nwaba, CDR Celia Gabrel, LCDR 

Monique Fountain Hanna, LCDR Postelle 

Birch Smith, LCDR Chekesha Clingman, 

LCDR Michelle Everett, LCDR Michelle 

Dillahunt, LCDR Helen Hunter, LT 

Christopher Mocca, LT Alia Legaux, LT 

Lisa Patterson, and LT Donna Phillips. 

Order Form 

Make checks or money orders payable to SWPAG. No Credit Cards Accepted. 

Costs $12.00 per coin, includes shipping and handling. 

Number of Coins: ________ x $12.00 = Cost: __________ 

Method of Payment: ■ Check ■ Money Order 

Please fully complete your return mailing address for coin delivery (Please print legibly): 

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Address: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

City/State/Zip Code: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

RADM Helena Mishoe assists with cleaning 

at Animal Rescue New Orleans . 

Not Ready to Order? 

Send your order from via mail to: 

Social Work Professional Advisory Group 

ATTN: Chair, SWPAG 

13003 North Point Lane 

Laurel, MD 20708 

Questions? 

Contact CDR Wanda Finch Chair, SWPAG 

Email: Wanda.finch@samhsa.hhs.gov 


BRANCH NEWS 

Atlanta COA Celebrates Birthday of the Commissioned Corps 

By CDR Bruce Tierney 

The Atlanta Branch of the Commissioned 

Officers Association celebrated the 

119th birthday of the Commissioned 

Corps in style Saturday evening, January 

26, 2008 with the First Annual Atlanta 

Area Anchor and Caduceus Dinner. More 

than 90 officers and their guests turned out 

to celebrate the occasion with a dinner and 

program held at Fort McPherson. The 

theme for the evening was “The United 

States Public Health Service Commissioned 

Corp: Past and Future” and the dinner 

proved to be a combination of fellowship 

amongst officers from all across the 

Atlanta area with a bit of uniform service 

tradition thrown in for good measure! 

The evening kicked off with a reception, 

followed by a ceremonial entry into the 

banquet hall by the honored guests complete 

with a bagpiper to lead the way. The 

Atlanta Area Honor Cadre helped to get 

the pre-dinner program underway with the 

presentation of the Colors and the PHS 

Chorale led the guests in our National 

Anthem. This was followed by a delightful 

CDR Tierney thanks retired RADM Jerry 

Michael for his remarks at the Atlanta 

Anchor and Caduceus Dinner. 

concert from the Atlanta PHS Chorale and 

Wind Ensemble before the guests settled in 

for a buffet dinner. 

Featured speakers for the evening 

included RADM Robert Williams, Acting 

Deputy Surgeon General of the United 

States, and RADM Jerrold Michael, (Ret), 

Founding President of the Commissioned 

Officers Foundation. Admiral Michael 

gave a superb presentation on the history 

of our Corps highlighting the many 

accomplishments of Commissioned 

Officers over the past 119 years in the constant 

struggle against diseases of all varieties 

in both peacetime and wartime. Admiral 

Williams followed with an inspiring discussion 

of the foundations laid down by 

these past officers that have led to our core 

values today and which we are building on 

to strengthen the public health of our 

nation for the future. 

One of the highlights of the evening 

was the ceremonial cutting of the 

Commissioned Corps birthday cake with a 

PHS sword performed by RADM 

Williams, as our senior officer present, 

along with the most junior officer present, 

LTJG LaTrice Fowler, who recently joined 

our Corps and is now stationed at CDC 

after serving for several years in the U.S. 

Navy. After LTJG Fowler finished serving 

pieces of cake to our Flag Officers and honored 

guests, Admiral Williams concluded 

the ceremony by presenting LTJG Fowler 

with the first piece of cake cut, symbolizing 

the passing of knowledge and wisdom 

from senior officer to junior officer. CDR 

Daphne Moffett, COA Board of Directors 

Chairperson, brought greetings and an 

update from National COA to kick off the 

after dinner presentations for the evening. 

Another highlight was the opportunity to 

recognize and honor CAPT Austin Hayes 

for his many years of dedicated service to 

ACOA, CDC and the Commissioned 

Corps as he approaches his retirement. The 

Atlanta Branch of COA presented CAPT 

Hayes with a plaque in recognition of his 

service and Admiral Williams capped off 

the tribute to CAPT Hayes by presenting 

him with the Surgeon Generals Medallion 

for the many contributions he has made to 

our Corps and the nation in the field of 

public health during his career. 

Atlanta COA Branch President, CDR Bruce Tierney presents the ceremonial sword to 

RADM Robert Williams, Deputy Surgeon General and LTJG LaTrice Fowler, the junior 

officer present, in preparation for cutting the Corps’ birthday cake at the Atlanta COA 

Anchor and Caduceus Dinner. (See Atlanta, page 8) 


DC COA Branch Members Participate 

in Elementary School Science Fair 

Several Commissioned Officers participated as either judges or guest scientists at the 

Annual College Gardens Elementary School Science Exposition held February 9, 2008 

in Rockville, Maryland. More than 160 students presented science experiments and 

attended talks by the guest scientists. Pictured above from left to right are RADM 

Richard Barror (FDA), CAPT Stephanie Donahoe (FDA), LCDR Brian Lewis (FDA), 

LCDR Ruby Wu (FDA), LCDR Fei Xu (FDA) and LT Morrisa Rice (HRSA). 

Aurora Borealis Helps Give Kids 

in Alaska 34,000 Toys 

The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve has 

awarded a certificate of appreciation 

to Alaska Native Tribal Health 

Consortium (ANTHC) employees and 

Aurora Borealis Commissioned Officers 

Association (COA) for taking part in the 

2007 Toys for Tots. The overall success of 

the campaign resulted in the distribution 

of over 34,000 toys to almost 

15,000 children throughout the state of 

Alaska. About 9,000 toys stayed in the 

Anchorage area, 1,200 went to the 

Matanuska and Susitina valley, and over 

4,000 to a combination of coastal and 

interior areas. Some of the coastal and 

interior areas included the following: 

Nome, St. Mary, Kotzebue, Nightmute, 

Galena, Nuam Iqua, Klawock, 

Nanwalek, Tununak, Ruby, Tanana, 

Kaltag, Koyokuk, Nulato, McGrath, 

Nikoli and Takotna. The coordinator 

(Jason Milbery) looks forward to working 

with ANTHC and COA again during 

the 2008 Toys for Tots campaign. 

(Atlanta, from page 7) 

In addition to the many Commissioned 

Officers present, there were several officers 

from other uniformed services in attendance, 

to include COL Marguerite 

Garrison, post commander of Fort 

McPherson, who had the opportunity to 

hear first-hand about the history of our 

Corps and to learn about who we are and 

our contributions to the health and safety 

of our Nation. The evening proved again to 

be an excellent opportunity to share our 

history with fellow uniformed service officers 

as well as an occasion to celebrate our 

own heritage as a uniformed service and 

enjoy the camaraderie of fellow officers 

outside of the workplace setting. All in all, 

the prevailing sense was that a good time 

was had by all! 

ACOA plans to hold a variety of social 

events in the coming year as part of its 

ongoing efforts to keep all Atlanta area officers 

connected with one another to include 

the ACOA Annual Fall Social. In addition 

plans are already underway to maintain this 

latest tradition with the Second Annual 

Atlanta Area Anchor and Caduceus Dinner 

next January. 

CDR Tierney serves as Immediate Past 

President and member of the Executive 

Committee of the Atlanta Branch of COA for 

2008. In addition he served as a member of 

the First Annual Atlanta Area Anchor and 

Caduceus Dinner Planning Committee as 

well as the host of this year’s dinner. 

Atlanta COA President CDR Bruce Tierney 

presents a plaque to CAPT Austin Hayes 

who retired from the Commissioned Corps 

after an extraordinary 30 year career. 


Retired Officers Make a Difference 

The vast majority of PHS Commissioned 

Corps officers go on to hugely important 

second careers upon retirement from 

active duty. Many move into academia, as 

did RADM Jerrold Michael who served for 

some 25 years as the Dean of the School of 

Public Health at the University of Hawaii 

after his career in the Commissioned 

Corps. Captain Bill Haffner has multiple 

second careers. He is on faculty at 

USUHS, and editor of the AMSUS journal, 

Military Medicine, among other pursuits. 

Rear Admiral Dushanka Kleinman, 

after a long and distinguished career in the 

Commissioned Corps, has gone on to be 

an associate dean at the University Of 

Maryland School Of Public Health. These 

retirees also make a difference in another 

way as Trustees of the PHS Commissioned 

Officers Foundation for the Advancement 

of Public Health. 

Other retirees move into the private sector 

and some take positions as leaders or 

senior staff in the non-profit sector. 

Virtually all PHS officer retirees continue 

Special Note for 

Retired Officers 

Who Pay Maryland 

State Income Tax 

Don’t forget to claim the partial subtraction 

of your PHS retirement 

income when filing your 2007 

Maryland State income tax return. 

COA fought hard to have Commissioned 

Corps retirees included in 

this benefit for the uniformed services. 

All PHS retirees who pay Maryland 

State income tax are entitled to subtract 

the first $5000 of your PHS 

retirement income from state tax computation. 

On Maryland Form 502, 

enter $5000 on line 14 and the code 

letter “U.” Widows of retired officers 

are also eligible to claim this subtraction. 

to make significant contributions to public 

health in their second or even third careers. 

COA and its affiliated Foundation can 

provide opportunities for Corps retirees 

who are looking for ways to continue to be 

involved with Commissioned Corps activities. 

The Foundation has an aggressive programmatic 

vision, but limited resources. 

We can always use volunteer help with such 

things as grant writing, fundraising, project 

staffing, etc. The Association has a particular 

need for help in extending our reach 

and influence in the area of government 

relations. 

As COA continues to seek partners and 

alliances with whom we can work on issues 

of mutual interest, there is a growing list of 

meetings and briefings in which we would 

like to participate, but cannot since we are 

staff limited. For example, The Military 

Coalition (TMC), of which COA is a 

member, meets monthly, and we are 

required to participate in at least one TMC 

committee. We actually provide members 

to two committees – Healthcare and 

Personnel/Compensation. The committees 

also meet regularly. 

COA is a member of the CDC 

Coalition and the National Health 

Council. The Foundation is a member of 

the Global Health Council. We would like 

to participate more fully in each of these 

organizations, but with a staff of only six, 

that is a real challenge. 

If there are retirees out there, particularly 

in the DC Metro area who would like to 

help, please let us know. COA would welcome 

a volunteer to help out with TMC 

meetings on the first Thursday of each 

month in Alexandria, VA. And there are 

lots of other opportunities to lend a hand 

and make a difference as well. 

LT Allen Magtibay is 2007 Rising Star 

By CDR Elizabeth Osborne, USPHS, ImHS 

LT Allen Magtibay 

Fe d e r a l 

Computer 

Week (FCW) 

selected LT 

Allen Magtibay 

as a “Rising 

Star” for 2007. 

LT Magtibay 

was presented 

with the award 

at a luncheon 

in his honor on December 7th. FCW presents 

the award to “tomorrow’s leader and 

decision maker” in the government IT 

community. Eligibility for the award is 

extended to professionals in the first half of 

their careers as they are recognized for their 

accomplishments during 2007 through 

demonstrated leadership and innovation 

and the impact they had on their organizations. 

As the Information Technology 

Program Manager for the Division of 

Immigration Health Services (DIHS), LT 

Magtibay was responsible for the overall 

management and daily operations of IT 

service for DIHS and served as the project 

officer for the five year $14.4 million IT 

enterprise services contract as well as providing 

recommendations to senior leadership 

for the development of future IT 

resources. During his tenure, LT Magtibay 

facilitated the IT support for eight new 

facilities and the scheduling of two additional 

facilities. He also was instrumental 

in updating the enterprise network migrating 

from a decentralized to a centralized 

infrastructure. Since this accomplishment, 

LT Magtibay accepted a position as the first 

Commissioned Corps Officer in the 

Department of Health and Human 

Services’ Division of Financial Operations. 

He now serves as the Project Officer for 

Operations and Maintenance for the new 

Unified Financial Management System and 

was promoted to the rank of LCDR on 

January 1st. Although he has moved on, 

DIHS is grateful for his service and the 

credit he has brought to the division and 

the USPHS through this prestigious award. 

Congratulations, Allen! 


PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation 

for the Advancement of Public Health Acknowledges... 

Donations received January 2, 2008 to February 1, 2008 

Platinum 

Dr. C. Everett Koop 

Gold 

RADM Richard M. Church 

CAPT Jane A. Davidsaver, (Ret.) 

CAPT Deborah A. Levy 

CAPT Harold F. Newman, Jr., (Ret.) 

Silver 

CAPT Ronald A. Berry 

CAPT Beverly A. Dandridge 

CAPT Carnie A. Hayes, Jr. 

CAPT George P. Kubica, (Ret.) 

CDR Paula M. LaPlant 

RADM William R. Maas 

CAPT Lowell F. Miller, (Ret.) 

CAPT Bert W. Mitchell, (Ret.) 

LCDR Denise A. Norman 

RADM John T. Porvaznik, (Ret.) 

CDR Gordon C. Quinn 

CAPT Jessie P. Smith 

CAPT Theodore A. Westley, (Ret.) 

Bronze 

CAPT Willard N. Adams, (Ret.) 

CAPT David W. Alton, (Ret.) 

CDR Helga C. Baca 

CAPT Paul H. Bedrosian, (Ret.) 

LCDR Virgilio A. Beltran 

CAPT Ira Berkower 

CAPT Kristine M. Bisgard 

CAPT Gary T. Blache 

CAPT Ralph J. Black, (Ret.) 

CAPT William S. Boivin 

CAPT Perry C. Brackett, (Ret.) 

CAPT Merilys P. Brown, (Ret.) 

CAPT Arthur E. Cohen 

CAPT Felix A. Conte, (Ret.) 

CAPT Nancy J. Devlin, (Ret.) 

CAPT Lois M. Dommert, (Ret.) 

CAPT Glen D. Drew (Ret.) 

CAPT Leonard B. Dworsky, (Ret.) 

CAPT Frederick Dykstra, (Ret.) 

Donations Can be Made 

at Several levels: 

Leadership Society . . . .$10,000 

President’s Society . . . . .$5,000 

Founder’s Society . . . . . .$2,500 

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

Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$500 

Silver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$250 

Bronze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$100 

RADM James H. Eagen, (Ret.) 

CAPT Celeste B. Evans, (Ret.) 

CAPT Leland L. Fairbanks, (Ret.) 

CAPT Richard M. Fejka 

CAPT Mary E. Ferrell, (Ret.) 

(See Donors, page 11) 

Yes, I would like to help! 

PHS COMMISSIONED O FFICERS F OUNDATION 

FOR THE A DVANCEMENT OF P UBLIC H EALTH 

Enclosed is my contribution 

Please make checks payable to: 

“PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation” 

or provide credit card information below 

MAIL TO: PHS Commissioned Officers 

Foundation for the 

Advancement of Public Health 

8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 200 

Landover, MD 20785 

Type of Credit Card: 

Amount: 

$ ____________________ 

MasterCard 

Visa 

American Express 

Discover 

Card Number: ________________________________________________________________ 

Name on Card: ________________________________________________________________ 

Expiration Date: ________________________________________________________________ 

Signature: ________________________________________________________________ 

Name: 

________________________________________________________________ 

Organization: ________________________________________________________________ 

Mailing Address: ________________________________________________________________ 

City: __________________________ State: ______________ Zip: ______________ 

Phone: ____________________ Fax: __________________ Email: __________________ 


FOUNDATION NEWS 

2008-2009 COF Scholarship Program 

The PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation 

for the Advancement of Public 

Health (COF) is sponsoring the COF 

Scholarship Program to assist dependent 

children or dependent spouses of active 

duty, retired, or deceased officers of the 

USPHS Commissioned Corps, who are 

members of COA. 

COF is firmly committed to encouraging 

the pursuit of higher education and is 

pleased to provide this opportunity for 

financial assistance in the form of scholarships 

for those eligible persons. 

Scholarship Amounts 

The scholarship awards range from 

$250 to $2000 depending on the applicant’s 

qualifications. 

Applicants to the PHS Commissioned 

Officers Foundation Scholarship 

Program must fulfill the following 

requirements: 

1. Dependent children or dependent 

spouses of active duty, retired, or 

deceased officers of the USPHS 

Commissioned Corps, who are members, 

in good standing, of COA as of 

the applicant deadline date of June 1, 

2008. 

2. High School seniors/graduates who 

plan to enroll or students already 

enrolled in a full-time undergraduate 

or graduate course of study at an 

accredited two or four year college, 

university, or vocational-technical 

school. 

3. Recipients must enroll in a course of 

study no later than Fall 2008. 

Scholarship recipients will be evaluated 

on the following standards; (in no particular 

order) 

• The basis of the applicant’s academic 

record. 

• The applicant’s school counselor’s recommendation. 

• The illustration of leadership and participation 

in school and community activities. 

• Applicant’s completed essay. 

COF Scholarship payments are made in 

one installment. Check payments are 

mailed to the recipient’s home address. 

The application is available on the COF 

web site or by writing to the COF, 8201 

Corporate Drive, Suite 200, Landover, 

MD 20785. Or e-mail to bmcsheffrey@ 

coausphs.org. 

(Donors, from page 10) 

CAPT Stephen J. Garza, (Ret.) 

CAPT Robert K. Gerloff, (Ret.) 

CAPT Gregory J. Glahn, (Ret.) 

CDR Melvyn A. Golden (Ret.) 

CAPT Alice M. Haggerty, (Ret.) 

RADM Jerome A. Halperin, (Ret.) 

CDR Brockton J. Hefflin 

CAPT Charles G. Helmick, III 

CAPT Donald E. Hill, (Ret.) 

CAPT Stephen A. Holve 

LT Jennifer L. Hornsby-Myers 

CDR Omar D. Hottenstein 

CAPT Janice M. Huy 

CAPT Donna M. Kenison 

CAPT Laurencia J. Liebmann, (Ret.) 

CAPT Richard T. Light, (Ret.) 

CAPT Fred W. Love, (Ret.) 

CAPT Jeffrey A. Lowell 

CAPT David L. Madden, (Ret.) 

CAPT Robert E. Mansell, (Ret.) 

CAPT Gilda M. Martoglio, (Ret.) 

CAPT Daniel N. Masica 

CAPT Evelyn L. Maxwell, (Ret.) 

CAPT Craig R. McCormack 

LCDR David J. Meehan 

CAPT Helen L. Myers, (Ret.) 

RADM Thomas E. Novotny, (Ret.) 

CAPT Lawrence J. Ochfeld, (Ret.) 

LCDR Vickie S. Owens 

CAPT William B. Parsons, (Ret.) 

CAPT Joseph F. Piffat, (Ret.) 

CAPT Robert G. Raymond, (Ret.) 

CAPT Jack C. Robertson, (Ret.) 

CAPT James W. Rolofson, (Ret.) 

CAPT James R. Rostedt 

CAPT Alan N. Schechter, (Ret.) 

CAPT Irving H. Schlafman, (Ret.) 

CAPT Nadine M. Simons 

CAPT J. Gary Sirmons, (Ret.) 

CAPT Barbara A. Sloop, (Ret.) 

CAPT Dolores Staudenraus, (Ret.) 

CAPT David M. Stevens 

CAPT Corwin D. Strong, (Ret.) 

CAPT John R. Sundell, (Ret.) 

CDR Wilnetta A. Sweeting 

CAPT Laurence D. Sykes, (Ret.) 

LCDR Jacqueline K. Thomas 

RADM John R. Trautman, (Ret.) 

CAPT James L. Verber, (Ret.) 

CAPT Gerald Vurek, (Ret.) 

CAPT Thomas J. Walsh 

LTJG John T. Welch 

CAPT Charles R. Westley, (Ret.) 

CAPT Janet L. Wildeboor 

CAPT Bryan K. Yim 

CDR Darius S. Yorichi 

Friends 

LT Lorraine N. Alexander 

CAPT Louise K. Baker, (Ret.) 

CDR Diane E. Bennett 

CDR Amy S. Bloom 

RADM Richard C. Bohrer 

CAPT William L. Brinck, (Ret.) 

LTJG Rosalia Casares 

LT Gregory R. Dill 

CAPT Samuel W. Dooley, Jr. 

CAPT Ernest D. Ficco, (Ret.) 

CDR Earl P. Floyd, (Ret.) 

CAPT Mary M. Glass 

LCDR Jeffrey K. Goldstein 

CAPT Lorenzo G. Guzman, (Ret.) 

CAPT Michelle T. Hall 

LCDR Daniel J. Hewett 

CAPT Robert Holdenried, (Ret.) 

CDR Stewart L. Jorgensen 

CDR Mariann Kocsis 

Donald J. Lawler 

CDR Charles E. Lee 

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

LCDR Audrey G. Lum 

LCDR Sandra G. Magera 

CAPT Beatrice Marino, (Ret.) 

CAPT Leroy G. Martin, (Ret.) 

CAPT Martin D. McCarthy, (Ret.) 

LT Julie A. Niven 

CAPT Johnny B. Peebles, (Ret.) 

CDR David E. Robbins 

LCDR Karen S. Russell 

CAPT Lawrence B. Schonberger, (Ret.) 

CAPT Daniel H. Schubert, (Ret.) 

CAPT Richard G. Schulman, (Ret.) 

CAPT Florence M. Seidler, (Ret.) 

CDR Donald W. Stanek, (Ret.) 

LCDR Jeffrey M. Tarrant 

CDR Carol L. VanPrice 

CAPT Michael R. Weaver, (Ret.) 

CAPT Judith A. Whitecrane, (Ret.) 

CAPT Holly A. Williams 

LCDR Judy A. Williams, (Ret.) 

LT Elaine C. Wolff 


2008-2009 

Academic Year 

COF Scholarship 

Donations 

It is that time of the year again that 

the Commissioned Officers Foundation 

is asking for increased Branch 

support. Last year, the DC Metro, 

Atlanta, Evergreen, Bemidji, Rio 

Grande and Fort Detrick branches, as 

well as the Public Health Service 

Club, and the Ronald Lessing 

Memorial came through with COF 

scholarship donations. This year, 

Officer Basic Course Class 004 has 

already donated $310 joining the 

Ronald Lessing Memorial Scholarship 

towards next year’s COF Scholarship 

Fund. 

Here are the details of donating in 

the form of a COF Scholarship: 

• The minimum donation for a 

scholarship is $250. 

• Branches that donate can name the 

scholarship as they choose. Most 

branches simply name the scholarship 

after their particular branch to 

gain the much deserved recognition. 

• Branches that donate may choose 

one representative from their 

branch to serve on the Scholarship 

Awards Committee. 

• Individuals that would like to 

donate are highly encouraged as 

well. Again, they may name the 

scholarship as they wish. 

• Individuals that donate may serve 

on the Scholarship Awards 

Committee. 

We are optimistic that Branches 

will want to participate in the worthwhile 

program. If you would like to 

donate or discuss this option any further, 

please contact Brian McSheffrey 

at 301-731-9080 or bmcsheffrey@ 

coausphs.org. 

Call for Nominations PHS Commissioned 

Officer Veterinarian of the Year 

Nominations are being sought for the 

U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) 

Commissioned Corps Officer Veterinarian 

of the Year Award. This award recognizes 

veterinarians whose professional 

careers and work performance have 

resulted in significant contributions to 

public health and to the mission of the 

Department's Agency/Operating Divisions 

and other programs where Commissioned 

Corps veterinarians serve. The 

award, established in 1997, will be presented 

at the PHS Veterinary Category 

All-Hands Meeting to be held in July 

2008 at the American Veterinary Medical 

Association Annual Meeting in New 

Orleans, LA. 

Nominees must be active-duty officers 

in the Veterinary category. PHS veterinarians, 

supervisors, coworkers, and peers, as 

well as members of the Commissioned 

Officers Association, are encouraged to 

nominate deserving veterinarians for this 

competitive and prestigious award. 

Nominators do not have to be veterinarians 

or Commissioned Officers. Nominations 

will be kept in strictest confidence. 

The selection will be made by an 

Award’s Committee composed of senior 

PHS veterinarians. 

Evaluation by the Awards Committee 

will be made based on the impact of the 

nominated officer's work in public health 

and veterinary professional communities. 

Nominations will be judged on 

accomplishments in the following areas: 

• Support of the Department's mission 

• Research/research support 

• Publications 

• Presentations 

• Mentoring and teaching of junior staff 

• Service on committees/boards 

Nomination Package 

The nomination package should consist 

of the following: 

• Letter of nomination (no more than 

two pages) 

• Two letters of support for the nomination 

(no more than one page each) 

• A copy of the officer's curriculum 

vitae 

The nomination package should be 

sent electronically, to CDR Jennifer 

McQuiston, fzh7@cdc.gov by COB on 

Friday, May 16th, 2008. 

COA Joins Coalition for Health Funding 

in Asking Congress to Make Public Health 

Funding a National Priority 

The Commissioned Officers Association 

has joined with some 400 other health 

related organizations in asking Congress to 

make public health funding a national priority. 

The message to all Members of 

Congress estimates that an additional $5.3 

billion will be needed in FY 2009 to meet 

the following goals: 1) restore funding cuts 

to public health programs enacted in FY 

2006; 2) restore lost purchasing power that 

flat-funding for at least five years has eroded; 

and, 3) provide investments that begin 

to truly meet health challenges facing the 

nation. Specific challenges include biomedical 

and behavioral research; disease 

prevention and health promotion; access to 

safety net health care services, health professions 

education; mental health and substance 

abuse; health services research; 

health care for Native Americans and 

Alaska Natives; and food and drug safety. 

COA is also seeking restoration of the 

$38 million for Corps transformation cut 

from the FY 2008 appropriation. 



USPHS Environmental Health Officer Category Coin 

(Front) 

(Back) 

EHO coins are available for $10 each, includes shipping and handling 

To place an order please contact: 

CDR Robert B. Knowles 

Phone: 404.498.0426 or Email: rknowles@cdc.gov 


IN MEMORIAM 

Captain Ray D. Crossley 

II, USPHS, (Ret.) 

CAPT Ray D. 

Crossley II, 75, 

USPHS, (Ret.) and a 

COA Life Member 

died of multiple organ 

failure February 15, 

2008 at Holy Cross 

Hospital in Silver 

Spring, Maryland. 

CAPT Crossley was director of the 

Biologic Information Services Office in the 

Center for Drugs and Biologics at the FDA 

from 1984 to 1988. He had worked at the 

agency since 1972, rising from a Freedom 

of Information and environmental impact 

officer to director of the FOI office. 

He was born in Milton, Pennsylvania, 

and graduated from Bucknell University in 

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. He received a 

master's degree in pharmaceutics in 1964 

from the Philadelphia College of Science 

and Pharmacy, now the University of the 

Sciences. 

CAPT Crossley joined the Public 

Health Service in 1958 and the following 

year began working as a pharmacist at the 

National Institutes of Health Clinical 

Center and later as a biological products 

inspector. 

He retired from the Public Health 

Service and the FDA in 1988, but continued 

to work as a pharmacist for what is 

now CVS until he fully retired in 1997. 

Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth E. 

Hiner of Silver Spring, three children and 

four grandchildren. 

Thank You 

8 

The COF wishes to thank the family of 

Captain Ray D. Crossley II, who, in time of 

mourning, asked that donations be made to 

the PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation 

in his memory. This is a thoughtful and lasting 

salute to the contributions made by 

Captain Crossley, who died February 15th 

2008. Please accept our sincere condolences 

on your loss. 

Captain William Matthews, USPHS, (Ret.) 

CAPT Bill Matthews, 

USPHS (Ret.), 63, 

of Frederick, MD and 

Lost River, WV and a 

COA Life Member, 

died Sunday, May 27, 

2007 at the National 

Naval Medical Center 

in Bethesda, MD. 

CAPT Matthews was assigned to the 

Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) from 

1978 to 1993 eventually rising to be the 

FBOP Chief Pharmacist from 1990 to 

1993. He then accepted an assignment in 

the Health Resources and Services 

Administration (HRSA) Office of Drug 

pricing Program, now the Office of 

Pharmacy Affairs where he worked until 

his retirement from the U.S. Public Health 

Service in 2001. 

While working in HRSA, CAPT 

Matthews is credited as one of the govern- 

Gifts Through Legacy 

For individuals who have not considered 

making a contribution to 

the Foundation other than through 

the annual mail campaign, “Planned 

Giving” offers other possible options 

for donors of all income levels. 

According to the National Committee 

on Planned Giving, “planned 

giving is a term commonly used to 

describe a wide variety of giving vehicles 

that enable you to give to charity 

during your lifetime and/or after 

death, while meeting your current 

income needs and providing for your 

heirs.” 

Planned Giving offers a variety of 

ways to make a contribution and 

enhance your support of the Foundation 

and its many worthy programs. 

For a Planned Gift consult 

your accountant or lawyer to understand 

the tax benefits and guidelines 

pertaining to a Planned Gift to the 

Foundations via options such as: 

ment officials most influential in implementing 

the 340B program after its passage 

in 1992. He was also instrumental in 

establishing the Prime Vendor Program. 

Captain Matthews received his Bachelor 

of Science in Pharmacy Degree from 

Brooklyn College of Pharmacy, Long 

Island University and completed Hospital 

Pharmacy residency at the Albany College 

of Pharmacy. Prior to receiving a commission 

in the Public Health Service he 

worked as a staff pharmacist in the New 

York City Department of Hospitals and as 

a narcotics investigator for the New York 

State Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement. 

After his retirement in 2001, CAPT 

Matthews provided occasional volunteer 

support for COA. 

CAPT Matthews is survived by his wife 

Mary Alicia Higdon Matthews, four children 

and three grandchildren. 

Gift Annuities 

Charitable Remainder Trust 

Charitable Legal Trust 

Charitable Bequest 

Community Foundations 

To transfer Mutual Funds or other types 

of financial assets to the Foundation contact 

your financial institution directly and follow 

their guidelines. 

Ensure you contact the Foundation to 

inform us of your contribution utilizing any 

of the above means. 

In addition to Planned Giving, other 

ways to contribute to the Foundation 

include yearly contributions through the 

annual mail campaign, or a gift to the 

Foundation at any time. 

As a non-profit entity organized under 

section 501c(3) of the IRS tax code, contributions 

to the Foundation are fully tax 

deductible. 

Brian McSheffrey, Director of Development, 

is the point of contact concerning the 

programs listed above. 


CAPT Anthony Zimmer, Ph.D., P.E. Wins the Federal 

Engineer of the Year Award 

At the National Society of Professional 

Engineer’s (NSPE) awards lunch held 

on February 21 in Washington, D.C., 

IN MEMORIAM 

Captain Nicholas Vito 

Scorzelli, USPHS (Ret.) 

Captain Nicholas 

Vito Scorzelli, 

USPHS (Ret.) 94, 

of Rixeyville, MD, 

and a COA Life 

Member, died 

Wednesday, February 

8, 2008 at 

his residence. 

He was born October 14, 1913, in 

Queens, New York, to the late Guiseppe 

Angelo and Carmela Manifreda 

Scorzelli. 

CAPT Scorzelli graduated from 

Manhattan College with a degree in 

Biology and Master's Degree in nutrition 

and later graduated from Middlesex 

University with his Medical Degree. He 

served his country with the United 

States Coast Guard from 1945 until 

1958. His duty assignments included 

the Coast Guard sail training ship U.S.S. 

Eagle where he was recognized for his 

admirable and courageous conduct. 

He continued to serve in the U. S. 

Public Health Service Commissioned 

Corps for 35 years with several Surgeons 

General while working on the small pox 

vaccine in the 1960's. 

CAPT Scorzelli is survived by his 

children, Donna Irene Scorzelli and 

Debra W. Scorzelli and two grandchildren. 

He was preceded in death by his wife, 

Norma Jeanette Scorzelli who passed 

away in January 2008; and one son, 

Joseph Edward Scorzelli who passed 

away in July 2005. 

CAPT Tony Zimmer was selected as the 

NSPE Federal Engineer of the Year for 

2008 from a field of 33 candidates nominated 

by the Federal agencies. CAPT 

Zimmer, who was also the EPA Engineer of 

the Year, is assigned to EPA in Cincinnati 

and was formerly with NIOSH in 

Cincinnati. CAPT Zimmer was selected 

for his experience, training, credentials and 

accomplishments, both professional and in 

community service. He is the past 

President of the COA Cincinnati Branch 

and was very active in planning the COF 

COA Welcomes New Staff 

We are pleased to welcome two new 

staff members at the Commissioned 

Officers Association and Foundation. Julia 

Marsh joins us as a Program Assistant and 

will work primarily with the Foundation 

on its many activities. Julia is a graduate of 

Towson University in Maryland and comes 

highly recommended. 

Christina Grill is our new Administrative 

Assistant and will work closely with 

Teresa Oliver to keep the office running 

smoothly. Christina also comes highly recommended 

and we are most pleased to 

have these two great new additions to our 

small staff. 

Please join us in welcoming Julia and 

Christina to COA! 

Training Symposium in Cincinnati last 

summer. CAPT Zimmer is shown in the 

photo below being presented his award by 

RADM Richard F. Barror, PHS Chief 

Engineer, and NSPE officials. 

Other PHS officers and HHS Civil 

Service engineers recognized by the NSPE 

at the awards lunch included CAPT 

Richard Wermers (IHS), CAPT Gladys 

Rodriguez (FDA), CAPT Paul Robinson 

(NPS), Dr. Joel Myklebust (FDA), and Dr. 

Bon Ki Ku (CDC). Congratulations to all! 

Julia Marsh (l) and Christina Grill (r) 

have joined the COA/COF staff. 


2008 SYMPOSIUM UPDATE 

Agenda Details Unveiled for 2008 USPHS Symposium 

The planning teams for the 2008 

USPHS Scientific and Training 

Symposium have released details on the 

jam-packed agenda for the meeting, 

which will be held June 9-12 at the 

Tucson Convention Center in Tucson, 

AZ. 

Monday, June 9 (Opening Day) 

Schedule: 

8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 

• Briefings on transformation and 

deployment readiness 

• COA General Membership meeting 

1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

• Opening Ceremonies 

2:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. 

• Opening Panel 

4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

• Luther Terry Lecture 

6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

• Meet and Greet Reception 

8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

• PHS Ensemble Concert 

The Symposium kicks off at 1 pm 

with the Opening Ceremonies followed 

by a panel discussion featuring the current 

Acting Director of the Indian 

Health Service and all living former 

directors. This talented and experienced 

group of leaders will explore current and 

emerging challenges facing the agency 

and the populations it serves and will 

examine how the agency’s history has 

paved the way for addressing these challenges. 

The panel also will explore the 

connection between the agency’s work 

and evolving global health practices. 

The formal program for Monday will 

conclude with the Luther Terry Lecture 

delivered by CAPT Patricia Mail, MD, 

MPH, USPHS, (Ret), recent Past 

President of the American Public Health 

Association. Dr. Mail’s talk is entitled 

“New Public Health - Or Return to the 

Basics?” 

Tuesday, June 10 (Category Day) 

Schedule: 7:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. 

Tuesday, June 10 will feature a full-day 

of profession-specific sessions for dentists, 

dietitians, engineers, environmental 

health officers, health services officers, 

nurses, physicians, pharmacists, scientists, 

therapists and veterinarians. 

Detailed agendas for each category are 

available at www.phscofevents.org 

Wednesday, June 11 

(Scientific and Training Sessions) 

Schedule: 

8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. 

• Breakfast in Exhibit Hall 

9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. 

• Opening Panel 

10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. 

• Break in Exhibit Hall 

11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 

• Concurrent Track Sessions 

Visit Us 

On the Web 

www.coausphs.org 

12:00 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. 

• Awards Luncheon 

1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. 

• Dessert in Exhibit Hall 

2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. 


4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. 


Wednesday will open with a timely 

and critical panel exploring the practical 

implications of the recently-released 

National Response Framework (NRF), 

which guides response efforts to manmade 

and natural disasters at all levels of 

government. The Framework presents 

the guiding principles that enable all 

response partners to prepare for and 

provide a unified national response to 

disasters and emergencies by establishing 

a comprehensive, national, all-hazards 

approach to domestic incident 

response. The Framework identifies the 

key response principles, as well as roles 

and structures that organize national 

response. The purpose of this panel is to 

explore resulting changes to health and 

medical services as well as mass care 

operational plans and their impact on 

communities, tribes, states and the 

Department of Health and Human 

Services. The session will open with an 

overview of the NRF by a representative 

from FEMA, followed by a discussion of 

the implications with representatives 

from federal, tribal, state and local agencies. 

This discussion will be moderated 

by RADM W. Craig Vanderwagen, 

Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and 

Response with the U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services. 

The remainder of the day will feature 

concurrent track sessions focusing on: 

Strategies for Improving Health Care in 

the U.S.; Strategies for Addressing the 

Growing International Element of 

Public Health; Strategies for Innovative 

Federally Funded Health Programs; and 

(See Symposium, page 18) 


(Symposium, from page 17) 

Strategies for Improving Public Health 

Emergency Preparedness and Response. 

Visit www.phscofevents. org for details on 

specific presentations. 

Thursday, June 12 

(Scientific & Training Sessions) 

Schedule: 

7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. 

• Breakfast in Exhibit Hall 

8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. 

• Opening Keynote 

915 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. 

• Break 

9:45 a.m. to10:45 a.m. 


10:45 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. 

• Break 

11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 


12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. 

• Lunch in Exhibit Hall 

1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. 


2:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. 

• Break 

2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. 


3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. 

• Break 

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. 

• Closing Keynote 

6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. 

• Closing Dinner (separately priced) 

CAPT Scott F. Dowell, MD, MPH, 

USPHS with the Global Disease 

Detection and Emergency Response section 

of the Coordinating Office of Global 

Health at the Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention will deliver the opening 

keynote on Thursday. CAPT Dowell will 

examine the potential roles of U.S. public 

health personnel in responding to and 

mitigating emerging global disease 

threats 

The bulk of the day will feature concurrent 

track sessions focusing on: 

Strategies for Improving Health Care in 

the U.S.; Strategies for Addressing the 

Growing International Element of Public 

Health; Strategies for Innovative Federally 

Funded Health Programs; and 

Strategies for Improving Public Health 

Emergency Preparedness and Response. 

Visit www.phscofevents.org for details on 

specific presentations. 

RADM Steven Galson, MD, MPH, 

USPHPS, Acting U.S. Surgeon General 

will deliver the closing keynote. 

Pre-Conference Trainings 

Announced for USPHS Symposium 

For the first time this year, half- and 

full day pre-conference workshops will be 

offered the day before the U.S. Public 

Health Service Scientific & Training 

Symposium to provide attendees with 

intensive, hands-on training in critical 

need areas. The trainings will be held at 

the Tucson Convention Center on 

Sunday June 8. These workshops are separately 

priced. Visit www.phscolevents. 

org for additional details or to register. 

The workshops are: 

• Fundamentals of Leadership (fullday). 

This session is applicable for public 

health personnel at all levels who are 


seeking to hone their leadership skills. 

Participants will learn the elements of 

leadership; discover more about their 

personal leadership style; participate in 

real-world (including crisis response) 

scenarios with peers; and leave with a 

paradigm for successfully improving 

leadership skills after the course 

• CDC Environmental Health Training 

in Emergency Response (Condensed 

Version): Food Safety, Potable Water 

and Shelters Modules (full-day). This 

invaluable training will benefit federal, 

tribal, state, and local environmental 

health practitioners involved in disaster 

response to potable water, food safety 

and shelter issues. The training will 

provide environmental health responders 

with an introduction to their roles 

in disaster response related to food safety, 

potable water and shelters. The 

training includes lecture, hands-on, 

and demonstration components. 

Attendees will participate in exercises 

for assessing food safety, potable water, 

and shelter operations in disasters. 

• Lean Six Sigma for Healthcare 

Professionals: A Top Down Approach 

(full-day). Lean six sigma is one of 

today’s leading techniques to maximize 

efficiency and maintain control over 

each step in the managerial process for 

healthcare systems. This workshop will 

help you significantly reduce complexity 

and achieve major cost reductions to 

advance your organization to new and 

higher levels of performance – one tool 

at a time. Also, you will learn the basics 

of Lean Six Sigma and receive guidelines 

to align the right people and 

resources within your organization to 

the right projects to get the maximum 

results. 

• CDC-Developed Rapid Health 

Epidemiologic Assessment (CASPER) 

Toolkit (half-day). This targeted training 

will benefit APHT members, RDF 

members, OFRD Tier 3 members, 

IRCT members, and state-local-nongovernmental 

health or emergency 

management officials. The course is 

appropriate for health scientists or 

administrators with interests in decision-making 

methods, quantitative 

Uniforms Come, Uniforms Go; 

The Corps Goes On… 

There has been lots of discussion and some dissension recently over announced uniform 

and grooming standards for the Commissioned Corps. Uniform changes are 

nothing new to the Public Health Service or to any uniformed service. The accompanying 

series of photos attest to that fact. Pictured is a distinguished PHS officer – 

Medical Director Eugene Mullan – shown in the uniforms he wore during his PHS 

career. Nothing ever stays the same! 

methods, IT-supported scientific methods, 

epidemiology/surveillance, preventive 

medicine planning, and health 

infrastructure or services planning or 

mitigation. Participants will learn to 

establish a baseline method for conducting 

community assessments and 

improving technical knowledge in 

applied public health preparedness and 

response for natural or manmade disasters. 

• Establishing Cultural Competency in 

Emergency Preparedness and 

Response (half-day). This hands-on 

workshop will be useful to anyone who 

may be called on to participate in an 

emergency response effort. This interactive 

workshop will provide participants 

with a situational awareness of 

‘what it means to be culturally competent’ 

utilizing core principles in cultural 

competency to increase the effectiveness 

of response and recovery efforts 

while decreasing the risk for adverse 

effects, distress and disorders. 

• Meeting the Ethical Challenges of 

Hospital-Based Pandemic Influenza 

Preparedness and Response (half-day). 

In an influenza pandemic, the demand 

for health care services is anticipated to 

exceed the capacity of health care institutions 

both to treat influenza patients 

and to sustain other health care services. 

Institutions will be stressed by 

personnel shortages that result from 

workers becoming ill or staying home 

to care for family or out of fear of infection. 

Health care institutions may need 

to isolate infected patients and may 

(See Symposium, page 20) 


(Symposium, from page 19) 

need to institute quarantine for potentially 

exposed patients and staff. With 

resources scarce, heightened risk 

imposed on health care workers, and 

the pressing need to contain the spread 

of a pandemic virus, health care leaders 

and professionals will be faced with 

extraordinary ethical challenges centered 

on responsibilities, rationing, and 

restrictions. With a variety of tools and 

through a series of activities, this workshop 

will address ethical challenges in 

pandemic influenza planning and 

response including tough decisions that 

may need to be made about reporting 

for duty, mandatory vaccination of 

health care workers, quarantine, and 

triage and rationing of scarce resources, 

as well as steps that can be taken to 

ensure that decision making is transparent 

and informed by stakeholder 

concerns and values. 

Junior Officer/Civil Servant 

Scholarships Available for 

Symposium 

Qualified applicants may be approved 

to receive a Junior Officer/Civil Servant 

Scholarship to attend the 2008 

U.S.P.H.S. Scientific and Training 

Symposium, which will be held in 

Tucson, Arizona from June 9-12, 2008. 

The scholarship will cover the full registration 

cost of the Symposium, but 

does not cover the registration fee for any 

Pre-conference Events or related 

Symposium costs such as travel, housing, 

etc. 

To qualify, an individual: 

• Must be in a pay grade of O3 or below 

(Ensign, LTJG, LT) or the civil service 

equivalent GS 10/11 or below; 

• Must be a member (officer)/associate 

member (civil servant) in good standing 

of the Commissioned Officers 

Association; and 

• Must certify in writing that funding 

has been requested from his/her agency 

and been denied. 

After attending the meeting, scholarship 

recipients will be encouraged to submit 

a brief, 2-3 paragraph summary of 

their attendance at the Symposium to the 

COF Executive Director. 

Visit www.phscofevents.org for more 

information or to apply. 

Students Invited to Attend 

USPHS Symposium 

Students enrolled in a full-time health 

or health-related undergraduate or graduate 

course of study are invited to attend 

the 2008 U.S. Public Health Service 

Scientific and Training Symposium. 

The conference will be held June 9-12 at 

the Tucson Convention Center. 

Registration is free (meals not included) 

for students. Visit www.phscofevents.org 

for more information or to register. 

Highlights of the Symposium will 

include: 

• Updates on hot topics and emerging 

trends in public health 

• Keynote addresses by national public 

health leaders including the U.S. 

Surgeon General, the most recent past 

president of the American Public 

Health Association, the Director of the 

Indian Health Service; and top officials 

from the Department of Health and 

Human Services. 


• A full-day of profession-specific topics 

related to nursing, pharmacy, medicine, 

dentistry, engineering, environmental 

health, science and more. 

• Two days of track sessions focusing on 

improving public health care; emergency 

preparedness and response; international 

health; and federal health care 

delivery programs. 

• Mentoring for student interested in 

entering the public health field 

Take advantage of this unique opportunity 

to learn more about public health 

and the opportunities in this growing and 

important field! Visit, www.phscofevents. 

org and sign up today! 

(Legislative Update, from page 2) 

voter.) 

In October, at the retirement ceremony 

honoring Deputy Surgeon General Ken 

Moritsugu, which was sponsored by the 

PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation 

(COF), COA staff distributed blue flyers 

that described HR 3447, summarized its 

provisions, credited its co-sponsors, and 

listed all members of the House Energy 

and Commerce Committee. The flyer 

urged COA members and their guests to 

ask their congressional representatives to 

support the bill. In February, staff updated 

the flyer, reprinted it in goldenrod yellow, 

and put a copy on every chair at the COFsponsored 

Anchor and Caduceus Dinner. 

Of course, our message only reached the 

few hundred PHS officers and guests who 

were able to attend one or both events. It 

is difficult to know how effective this effort 

was; I noticed dozens of flyers left behind 

on chairs and tables as the dinner ended. 

(The text of the flyer is reprinted below ). 

As a small non-profit with no Political 

Action Committee (PAC), and no war 

chest, COA does not send staff to congressional 

fund-raisers, does not participate in 

political campaigns, and has never donated 

a cent to any politician at any level. 

That leaves COA and its members with 

only one basic tool, which is the ability to 

make a persuasive case on public policy 

grounds. 

On matters of importance to the PHS 

Commissioned Corps, elected officials 

need to hear from their constituents, not 

just from COA staff. Please write, especially 

if the name of your own Member of 

Congress appears on our list below. Any 

questions? Please call me at 866-366-9593 

or e-mail me at jrensberger@ coausphs.org 

— Judy Rensberger 


Hispanic Officers Advisory Committee’s Call for Nominations 

for the Juan Carlos Finlay Award 

The Juan Carlos Finlay Award was established 

by the Hispanic Officers 

Advisory Committee (HOAC) to honor 

individuals, organizations, and groups 

who through work performance and 

other activities have demonstrated leadership 

in the development of programs, 

methods, or initiatives that improve 

health services for Hispanics. This award 

was named after Juan Carlos Finlay 

(1833-1915), a Cuban physician and 

epidemiologist who discovered that the 

mosquito was the vector of “fiebre amarilla” 

or yellow fever. 

Nominations for the Juan Carlos 

Finlay Award should describe the specific 

accomplishments of the candidate (individual 

or organization) in one or more of 

the following areas: 

(1) Leadership in their area of expertise 

as it pertains to Hispanic health care 

issues; 

(2) Accomplishments in Hispanic health 

care development, management, 

and/or improvement; 

(3) Organization and/or implementation 

of activities/programs that significantly 

improve Hispanic access to 

health care and health care services. 

USPHS Flags Available Again! 

3’ X 5’ nylon flag* with 

USPHS seal sewn onto 

both sides and metal 

grommets make this flag 

appropriate for proud 

indoor/outdoor display 

and special presentation. 

Fly it proudly at your home, on your office wall or on the road! 

Cost: $55.00 plus $5.00 shipping* *(in US and territories) 

* Please note that this item is for personal use and not intended to replace official USPHS flags as noted 

in Subchapter CC29.9 of the Commissioned Corps Manual. 

Desktop Flag Set Also Now Available! 

4” x 6” U.S. and PHS synthetic silk flags 

mounted on a black plastic base and staff 

with golden tip 

Excellent, unique gift for fellow officers, 

family members and PHS civilians alike! 

Cost: Price reduced! Now just $17 plus 

$5.00 shipping** (in U.S. and territories) 

**Note: In most cases multiple USPHS flags and/or desktop sets can be mailed together 

and the total shipping charge will remain $5.00 if sent to one address. 

So get together with friends to place your order and save! 

For questions or to place an order, contact LT Carlos Bell at 

izz3@cdc.gov, Atlanta Commissioned Officers Association 

Complete nomination information 

and forms are available on the HOAC 

website and must be submitted no later 

than March 28, 2008. 

The Juan Carlos Finley Award will be 

presented at the 2008 U.S. Public Health 

Service Scientific and Training Symposium 

(formerly the USPHS Professional 

Conference) in Tucson, Arizona. 

For additional assistance or information, 

please contact: 

LT Erik Cala, MA, CCC-SLP 

Chair, HOAC Awards Subcommittee 

Chinle Hospital 

Attn. Rehab. Dept. 

PO Drawer PH 

Chinle, AZ 86503 

TEL: 928.674.7554 

Mobile: 928.349.0069 

Fax: 928.674.7559 

erik.cala@ihs.gov 

HAVE YOU REGISTERED 

FOR THE TUCSON 

CONFERENCE YET? 

www.phscofevents.org 


2008 Veterinary Student Day at Centers for Disease Control 

By LCDR Casey Barton Behravesh, CDR Jennifer McQuiston, CDR Jennifer Wright, 

LCDR Alicia Anderson, LCDR Renee Funk, and LT Heather Bair-Brake 

On January 28, 2008 over 360 veterinary 

students and faculty came to the 

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC) from all around the 

US and Canada as part of the 2008 ‘CDC 

Veterinary Student Day.’ 

Why would CDC invite veterinary 

students to visit? Think about all the 

high-profile disease events since 1999 

including West Nile virus (WNV) 

encephalitis, outbreaks of severe acute respiratory 

syndrome (SARS), monkeypox, 

and avian influenza. These zoonotic diseases 

highlight the capacity of animalborne 

diseases to occur unexpectedly and 

in new locations, creating an urgent need 

for veterinarians to enter public health 

careers. 

There are about 90,000 veterinarians 

in the United States, and 90% of them are 

engaged in clinical animal practice. Only 

2.5% of practicing veterinarians are in the 

public sector. Currently, there are almost 

90 veterinarians in the U.S. Public Health 

Service. Retirement rates are high, and the 

number of veterinarians entering public 

practice is not keeping up with the numbers 

needed to meet future needs. So, 

CDC veterinarians CDR Jennifer 

McQuiston, CDR Jennifer Wright, 

LCDR Alicia Anderson, LCDR Casey 

Barton Behravesh, LCDR Renee Funk, 

LT Heather Bair-Brake, Dr. Erin Kennedy 

and Dr. Nina Marano, encouraged by Dr. 

Lonnie King, the Director of CDC’s 

National Center for Zoonotic, Vector- 

Borne and Enteric Diseases (NCZVED), 

decided to do something to encourage veterinarians 

to enter public practice careers. 

Many USPHS officers including CAPT 

Hugh Mainzer, Chief Professional Officer 

for the Veterinary Category, attended this 

exciting event. 

This is CDC’s second “CDC 

Veterinary Student Day” - the first event 

was held in 2006 and attended by approximately 

250 guests. The 2008 event was 

designed to introduce students to the 

CDC mission of public health and epidemiology, 

and to encourage students to 

Veterinary Students and Faculty using a test tube with color change array to determine 

whether they are a “case” for the foodborne outbreak simulation exercise. 

CDR Kathy Hollinger from FDA, CDR 

Jennifer McQuiston and CDR Jennifer 

Wright from CDC modeling various 

USPHS uniforms at the 2008 CDC 

Veterinary Student Day. 

Photo Credit: Greg Knobloch 

consider public health as a career choice. 

This year there were morning presentations 

by representatives from some of the sponsoring 

organizations, to include the 

American Veterinary Medical Association, 

the Association of American Veterinary 

Medical Colleges, CDC, and the Department 

of Homeland Security, as well as presentations 

by CDC veterinarians and epidemiologists. 

LCDR Greg Langham, 

USPHS, gave a presentation entitled, 

“Humanitarian Assistance, Veterinary 

Medicine and the USNS COMFORT in 

Central and South America.” The morning 

presentations were followed by a ‘Lunch & 

Learn’ exhibit session, with the afternoon 

devoted to solving a foodborne outbreak 

scenario. During the “Lunch and Learn,” 

a USPHS exhibit was displayed, and officers 

were available to answer questions 

about opportunities with the Commissioned 

Corps. 

To provide the students with first-hand 

Photo Credit: Nina Marano (See CDC, page 24) 


(CDC, from page 23) 

experience in investigating an outbreak, the 

organizers developed a unique table top 

and case study exercise. Over 50 CDC staff 

helpers facilitated this exercise in which students 

had to recall foods eaten during a 

reception held the previous evening. The 

students “re-created” the meal by selecting 

clear liquids from flasks representing specific 

food items, and then used a colorimetric 

change at the end to determine if they had 

selected the implicated food item and were 

therefore considered a “case.” A cohort 

study comparing cases to other reception 

attendees illustrated basic epidemiologic 

concepts, and identified spinach appetizers 

served at the reception as the implicated 

food item. Traceback investigations to 

identify how the appetizers became contaminated 

formed the basis to study interagency 

cooperation between CDC, the 

FDA, USDA, and state government. The 

highlight of the case study was a taped 

interview with Dr. Julie Gerberding, the 

CDC Director, in a ‘press interview’ to 

describe CDC’s response to the outbreak. 

Vet Student Day co-sponsors included 

the Association of American Veterinary 

Medical Colleges, Department of 

Homeland Security, American Veterinary 

Medical Association, National Association 

of State Public Health Veterinarians and 

the American College of Veterinary 

Preventive Medicine. 

There are approximately 12,000 veterinary 

medical students in the today’s educational 

pipeline. If CDC can connect with 

even a small percentage of these students, 

our efforts to show students how we 

respond to an emerging infectious disease 

and work with other agencies will substantially 

raise their awareness that a career in 

public health is exciting, attainable and will 

ultimately benefit human and animal 

health. 

LCDR Alicia Anderson presenting on conducting 

an epidemiologic study for an outbreak 

investigation. LCDR Anderson 

received special permission to wear BDUs 

as an example of various USPHS uniforms. 

Photo Credit: CDR Jennifer McQuistion 


(Birthday, from page 1) 

Georges Benjamin, CEO of APHA, and 

senior leaders from ASTHO, NACCHO, 

the CDC Coalition, and the Campaign for 

Public Health. 

The Foundation is grateful for the support 

of our many sponsors – especially 

Gilead Sciences, Inc., B&D Consulting, 

Animas Corporation, and Johnson & 

Johnson. Well done to the Anchor & 

Caduceus Committee, chaired by CAPT 

Pamela Brye, USPSH (Ret.) for a memorable 

evening. 

RADM Steve Galson, Surgeon General 

watches as ENS Dimana Dimitrova and 

Dr. Koop cut the Commissioned Corps’ 

birthday cake. 

Dr. Koop and Dr. Gerberding confer at the 

2008 Anchor and Caduceus Dinner. 

Foundation President, RADM Mary 

Pat Couig, USPHS (Ret.) presents 

Dr. Gerberding with the Koop Lecture 

commemorative medallion. 

(Executive Director, from page 1) 

administration, etc.; or your category or 

professional discipline – physician, pharmacist, 

nurse, therapist, etc. – each of 

you, as a public health officer, is first 

and foremost, just that – a public health 

officer. As such, you are presumed to 

be expert on that entire broad array of 

issues and concerns that make up public 

health. The June conference will help 

you live up to those expectations. 

The role of the PHS 

Commissioned Corps as a 

uniformed service of federal 

health professionals is to 

provide leadership, credibility, 

and a well-organized, trained 

and disciplined rapid response 

capability across the full 

spectrum of the U.S. Public 

Health Service. Regardless of 

your rank or assignment, as a 

uniformed officer – leadership 

is an inherent and intrinsic 

part of your job description. 

PHS students at USUHS posed with the 13th Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Koop and 

the Acting Surgeon General, RADM Steve Galson at the Washington Anchor and Caduceus 

Dinner. 

One topic will receive a lot of time in 

Tucson – leadership. We are offering a 

full day, pre-conference session devoted 

to leadership training, and there will be 

another major presentation on leadership 

by the Deputy Surgeon General along with 

Rear Admirals John Babb, David Rutstein, 

and Carol Romano. Leadership has been 

the subject of recent seminars and presentations 

at a variety of Commissioned 

Corps activities. And this is not the first 

time COA and our affiliated Foundation 

(See Executive Director, page 26) 


(Executive Director, from page 25) 

have focused on leadership. The Denver 

conference two years ago was preceded 

by a one-day Public Health Leadership 

Institute. 

Some might ask “why all the attention 

on leadership for a group of health professionals?” 

The answer, I hope you will all 

agree, is simple and straightforward. 

The role of the PHS Commissioned 

Corps as a uniformed service of federal 

health professionals is to provide leadership, 

credibility, and a well-organized, 

trained and disciplined rapid response 

capability across the full spectrum of the 

U.S. Public Health Service. Regardless of 

your rank or assignment, as a uniformed 

officer – leadership is an inherent and 

intrinsic part of your job description. 

There have been many recent examples 

of the Commissioned Corps being 

expected to provide leadership. Tasking 

of the Corps in the wake of Hurricane 

Katrina is one. The most recent however, 

is perhaps the most compelling. Earlier 

this year, CDC specifically requested that 

Commissioned Corps officers be assigned 

to deliver the results of CDC tests for 

WELCOME NEW COA MEMBERS 

LT Darrell R. Acheson, Aurora Borealis 

LTJG Olin E. Bakke, Unaffiliated 

LTJG Francis Bertulfo, Unaffiliated 

LT Ryan W. Buff, White Mountain 

LT Erik M. Cala, Canyon de Chelley 

ENS Sarah E. Coleman, District of Columbia 

COL Luis G. Fernandez, Dallas 

LCDR Alyssa M. Finlay, Atlanta 

LT Kent J. Forde, District of Columbia 

ENS D. M. Gianterarte, Unaffiliated 

LCDR John M. Heusinkveld, Four Corners 

LTJG Kurt J. Kesteloot, Little Colorado River 

LT Elizabeth P. Leavitt, District of Columbia 

LT Monique-Rachelle Lester, District of 

Columbia 

LT Kenneth M. Monahan, Unaffiliated 

LT Jaime K. Morris, Unaffiliated 

ENS Tina Pattaratornkosohn, Unaffiliated 

LT Steven E. Porter, Jr., SoCal 

LCDR Tracy L. Reed, Phoenix 

LT Dianna D. Richards, Rocky Mountain 

LT Jaclyn Rubio, District of Columbia 

LTJG Dennis A. Ward, Oklahoma 

LT Matthew J. Zoch, Bemidji 

formaldehyde on trailers provided as temporary 

housing to persons displaced by 

Hurricane Katrina. The uniformed Corps 

officers are to be accompanied by FEMA 

officials who will be prepared to discuss 

the options available to persons found to 

be living in trailers with high formaldehyde 

levels. 

Now CDC has plenty of staff, including 

several hundred Commissioned Corps 

officers and literally thousands of civil 

servants who could have been called 

upon or tasked for this mission. But the 

job of delivering the bad news to the 

affected families was given to the 

Commissioned Corps as an institution – 

not as CDC representatives (although 

some of the officers assigned are surely 

assigned to CDC) but as representatives 

of the U.S. Public Health Service. Why? 

The uniform the officer 

wears denotes leadership in the 

profession of public health and 

all that it entails – integrity, 

expertise, commitment, 

results, compassion, duty 

before self. 

There are probably several reasons. 

Surely near the top is that uniformed 

officers will convey a sense of confidence, 

competence, professionalism, and 

integrity. The Commissioned Corps also 

has a “track record” along the Gulf Coast, 

and is remembered there as one of the 

organizations that responded effectively 

following the 2005 hurricanes. That adds 

to the Corps’ credibility and overall reputation 

for competence. Given the general 

perception along the Gulf Coast that the 

federal government may not have served 

the people in those areas all that well in 

the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it 

makes sense for the government to put 

its “best foot forward” now – even late in 

the game. It should not be lost on 

anyone that in this case at least; the 

government recognizes that the PHS 

Commissioned Corps is that “best foot.” 

Corps officers assigned to this 

extremely sensitive mission will be asked 

to exercise one of the most difficult tasks 

of a newly assigned leader – overcoming 

a long history of failure. The plight of the 

Gulf Coast residents who lost their homes 

has been a series of natural disasters 

followed and compounded by missteps, 

misinformation, denial, and delay. Corps 

officers will have to ask these people to 

look beyond what they surely must see as 

betrayal and accept that what the officer 

says is true and accurate – finally. It’s 

the ultimate in “Trust me.” 

And that trust is likely to be given 

because the officer presents him or herself 

as a member of a uniformed service 

– the most respected and trusted component 

of the federal government. The uniform 

the officer wears denotes leadership 

in the profession of public health and 

all that it entails – integrity, expertise, 

commitment, results, compassion, duty 

before self. The challenge to the individual 

officer is to be able live up to those 

high expectations. 

This may be a small mission for the 

Commissioned Corps with only a few 

dozen officers assigned. But it speaks 

volumes about the absolute need for the 

institution of the Corps and its role providing 

leadership for the U.S. Public Health 

Service. 

This new Gulf Coast mission (underway 

as this edition of Frontline goes to 

press) further underscores the timeliness 

and topicality of the Tucson symposium. 

In addition to sessions on leadership, we 

will offer a class on cultural competency – 

an essential element in the tool kit of 

officers assigned to deliver the bad news 

in Louisiana and Mississippi. 

We all look forward to reading in a 

future Frontline, reports from officers 

assigned to the mission. 

Yours Aye! 



The COA Frontline (ISSN 10937161) is published monthly 

except during July/August and November/December by the 

Commissioned Officers Association of the United States 

Public Health Service, 8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, 

Landover, MD 20785, (301) 731-9080; Toll-free (866) 366- 

9593; FAX: (301) 731-9084; Periodicals Postage Paid at 

Hyattsville, MD and additional mailing offices. 

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to COA Frontline c/o 

Commissioned Officers Association, 8201 Corporate Drive, 

Suite 200, Landover, MD 20785. 

A report of timely information concerning activities of 

the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. 

Distributed exclusively to Association members. 

COA FRONTLINE 

8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 200 

Landover, MD 20785 

Periodicals 

Executive Director 

Jerry Farrell 

gfarrell@coausphs.org 

Director of 

Administration 

Teresa Oliver 

toliver@coausphs.org 

Government Relations 

Director 

Judith Rensberger 

jrensberger@coausphs.org 

Development Director 

Brian McSheffrey 

bmcsheffrey@coausphs.org 

Membership Coordinator 

Malissa Spalding 

mspalding@coausphs.org 

Program Assistant 

Julia Marsh 

jmarsh@coausphs.org 

Administrative Assistant 

Christina Grill 

cgrill@coausphs.org 

Conference Planners 

Leading Edge Solutions 

Tim O’Neil/Diana Hallman 

866-544-9677 

Group Insurance – AGIA 

800-818-9785 

Visit us at www.coausphs.org 

© 2008 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

Mar 2008_Frontline - Commissioned Officers Association

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