Galson Named Acting ASH - 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. 46, Issue 1 Salus Populi Suprema Lex Este January/February 2009 

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

My Least Favorite 

Subject 

Jerry Farrell 

Executive Director 

Dear COA and COF 

Friends, 

There is no dearth 

of topics for me to 

address in this first 

issue of Frontline for 

the New Year. I don’t 

think the COA and COF staffs have 

been busier during my seven years 

as Executive Director than we have in 

the last several weeks. On the 

Association side, we have been hard 

at work on several legislative issues 

promoting the Commissioned Corps, 

as well as other important issues of 

concern to our members. Certainly, 

the many press reports about 

Dr. Sanjay Gupta as the potential 

Surgeon General nominee have kept 

us fully occupied since this news 

broke on January 6th. More on that 

elsewhere in this issue. 

On the Foundation side, we are 

busy putting the final touches on the 

June conference – online registration 

opens this month; and keeping up 

with the myriad projects on which the 

Foundation is engaged. 

But, of necessity, I am going to 

spend most of my space this month 

speaking to a subject that transcends 

both Association and 

Foundation and gravely impacts current 

as well as future operations of 

(See Executive Director, page 8) 

Galson Named Acting ASH 

Dr. Sanjay Gupta Emerges as Leading Contender 

for Surgeon General 

In a surprise move late in the afternoon of 

January 22nd, Acting Surgeon General 

Rear Admiral Steven Galson was named 

the HHS Acting Assistant Secretary for 

Health (ASH). Admiral Galson will serve 

concurrently in both posts until permanent 

nominations are made by the 

President and confirmed by the Senate. 

Galson replaces Dr. Don Wright as Acting 

ASH. Dr. Wright, the Principal Deputy 

Assistant Secretary for Health, and a career 

official, had only recently been named to 

replace Dr. Joxel Garcia, the last Bush 

appointee as ASH, who left office on 

January 20th. 

The move to name RADM Galson as 

the Acting ASH clearly indicates a certain 

recognition of his integrity and professionalism 

as Acting Surgeon General by the 

incoming Obama Administration. His elevation 

to the Acting ASH position also 

reflects well on the entire PHS Commissioned 

Corps as an institution. 

Admiral Galson’s 

appointment as Acting 

ASH does not, 

however, provide any 

indication that President 

Obama may be 

backing away from his 

Dr. Sanjay Gupta 

intention to nominate 

Dr. Sanjay Gupta of 

Atlanta as Surgeon General. Dr. Gupta, a 

well-regarded neurologist, and world 

famous CNN medical journalist has long 

been known to covet the Surgeon General 

post. COA learned that Dr. Gupta was 

RADM Steven Galson, USPHS 

informing acquaintances that he would be 

the next Surgeon General on January 2nd 

and various media outlets carried the story 

on January 6th that he had been selected by 

President Obama as the Surgeon General 

nominee. 

COA’s position on the possibility of a 

Gupta nomination as Surgeon General has 

often been misrepresented in various newspaper 

or online stories. As the organization 

representing an independent voice for the 

uniformed PHS Commissioned Corps officers, 

COA’s position on the selection of a 

Surgeon General has been, over the years, 

consistent, simple, and straightforward. We 

believe that any commander of a uniformed 

service should be selected from within the 

(See Galson, page 18)

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. 

PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLICATION 

DISCOUNTS 

COA members receive a 10% discount 

on subscriptions to Public Health Reports, 

the journal of the Public Health Service; 

and discounts of up to 50% on selected 

materials available from the Public Health 

Foundation. Visit the COA website for 

more information. 

AVIS & BUDGET RENTAL DISCOUNT 

Members enjoy discount rates on 

Avis and Budget rentals through 

COA’s website. 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 

A Brighter Future for Public Health? 

Anew Administration and a new 

Congress are now settled in. How will 

public health fare in this new environment? 

In the midst of a deepening recession, 

and after years of no real 

growth, in the small portion of the 

federal budget called discretionary 

spending, can the outlook 

for public health programs possibly 

be good? 

On January 20, as 

President Obama and the 

First Lady made the rounds 

of official inaugural balls, 

the new president took 

advantage of opportunities 

to sketch his 

vision for America. 

He mentioned “a public 

health system that works 

for everybody.” What did 

he mean, exactly? I have no idea. But I 

like the fact that at 10:35 on inauguration 

night, on the dance floor at the 

MTV Youth Ball, he would have on his 

mind “a public health system that works 

for everybody.” 

Economic recovery and public 

health. In Congress, the idea that economic 

recovery demands attention to 

public health is gaining traction. In mid- 

January, the House of Representatives 

finished its draft of a stimulus package. It 

includes proposed increases in funding 

for state health departments, prevention 

block grants, chronic disease programs, 

environmental and occupational health 

research, injury prevention, advanced 

biomedical research and emergency 

preparedness, and immunizations. 

At this writing, the Senate’s draft version 

of a stimulus package has yet to be 

released, but it is reasonable to expect 

that it will include similar one-time 

infusions of money for public health 

programs. 

Congressional Public Health 

Caucus. Months before the 2008 elections, 

three members of the U.S. House 

of Representatives formed a study group 

to explore public health needs that 

should be addressed in comprehensive 

health reform legislation. Representatives 

Jim McGovern (D-MA), Kay Granger 

(R-TX), and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D- 

CA) invited interested organizations to 

join the ongoing conversation, and nearly 

two dozen groups, including COA, 

accepted. 

These Capitol Hill discussions 

focused on chronic disease, infectious 

diseases, health disparities and 

minority populations, health 

diplomacy, global public 

health, strengthening the 

office of the Surgeon General, 

public health workforce 

issues, the business community’s 

interest in public health, 

and – a particular frustration of 

health policy wonks – the 

refusal of the Congressional Budget 

Office to recognize that health savings 

can result from effective prevention 

programs. 

It is not yet clear how items on the 

resulting “working list of public health 

priorities,” pulled together by the Campaign 

for Public Health, will be reflected 

in legislative proposals. At least there is a 

list. 

In the Senate, too, there is recognition 

that health care reform legislation should 

include public health. To that end, 

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) has been 

assigned responsibility for the public 

health part of comprehensive health care 

reform legislation. We hope to meet with 

his health appropriations staff, and we 

will be trying again to secure funding for 

the Health and Human Services Department’s 

proposed new Health and 

Medical Response (HAMR) teams. 

Although the Department repeatedly has 

sought modest funding ($30 million 

annually) to support emergency preparedness 

training for these teams of 

PHS officers, it has not been successful. 

(See Legislative Update, page 17) 

2 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

COA Meets with Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman 

On Thursday, January 15th, COA’s 

Executive Director, and COA life member, 

retired RADM Jerrold Michael, met 

privately with Senator Daniel Inouye, D- 

HI, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations 

Committee to discuss funding for the 

PHS Commissioned Corps. The meeting 

took place in the Senator’s private “hideaway” 

office just off the Capitol Rotunda. 

Admiral Michael and Executive Director 

Farrell reviewed the recent history of appropriated 

funding for the Commissioned 

Corps, stressing that the universally agreed 

upon need to transform and expand the 

Corps has not translated into the appropriated 

funds necessary to complete the job. 

Farrell pointed out that the Commissioned 

Corps is specifically tasked under 

ESF-8 of the National Response Framework 

as the primary federal public health 

emergency response force, but that tasking 

has not been accompanied by the funding 

required to outfit, train, and deploy Corps 

officers as required by the plan. Rather, that 

funding is provided to the office of the 

Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and 

Response. It is unreasonable, Farrell suggested, 

to expect the Corps to be able to fulfill 

its rapidly expanding responsibilities in 

public health emergency preparedness and 

response absent any resources to do so. 

RADM Michael and Executive Director 

Farrell also discussed the proposed Health 

and Medical Response (HAMR) teams that 

have been denied funding for the last two 

years. There appears to be some unofficial, 

but effective opposition to funding HAMR 

teams from within the National Disaster 

Medical System (NDMS) teams where 

some well-connected individuals believe the 

HAMR teams will displace NDMS. 

Farrell explained to Senator Inouye that, 

in fact, the Commissioned Corps has and 

continues to bear the brunt of public health 

emergency response. Over the last two calendar 

years, there have been a total of 47 

public health emergency responses requiring 

personnel deployment. Only four of 

these have been ESF-8 responses involving 

both the NDMS and Commissioned 

Corps. The remaining 43 have been solely 

the responsibility of the Commissioned 

Corps, placing a difficult, unfunded burden 

Left to Right - Senator Inouye, RADM Michael, CAPT Farrell. 

on the Corps and straining the Corps’ relationships 

with the many agencies and operating 

divisions from which the deploying 

officers are routinely drawn. 

Chairman Inouye was receptive to the 

WELCOME NEW COA MEMBERS 

LTJG Bernadyne A. Agan, White Mountain 

LTJG Kristen Coaty, White Mountain 

LCDR Adam L. Cohen, Atlanta 

LCDR Patricia D. Corbin, West Virginia 

LT Patrick B. Cunningham, Unaffiliated 

LTJG Melanie Drayton, Unaffiliated 

LT Kristina E. Estes, District of Columbia 

LT Mary E. Evans, New England 

LCDR Scott Filler, Atlanta 

LT Zhengqin Fu, District of Columbia 

LT Denise M. Gaughan, West Virginia 

LTJG Shanieka D. Gibson, Unaffiliated 

LT Arnell G. Gish, Southwest Oklahoma 

LTJG Zachary D. Grinnell, Southwest 

Oklahoma 

LTJG Craig A. Grunenfelder, Aberdeen 

LCDR John Halpin, Atlanta 

LT Michael Harrison, Southwest Oklahoma 

LTJG B. Joplin, Southwest Oklahoma 

LT Benjamin S. Kanten, Central Texas 

LT Joseph D. Kelly, District of Columbia 

arguments put forth on behalf of the 

Commissioned Corps and agreed to take up 

the matter with his committee. We remain 

optimistic that Corps funding will be a priority 

for the Committee in the future. 

LT Colleen Kerr, Atlanta 

LT Jesse Larson, Dallas 

LCDR Jerald L. Mahlau-Heinert, SoCal 

LT Tarissa Mitchell, Atlanta 

LCDR Ferrel V. Nelson, North Central 

LCDR Laveda Odom, Unaffiliated 

LCDR Christine K. Olson, Evergreen 

LT Alpa Patel-Larson, Atlanta 

LCDR John C. Pearson, Kodiak 

LT Kimberly Rains, District of Columbia 

LCDR Rose A. Riley, Unaffiliated 

LT Angela Spruill, North Carolina 

LCDR Robert J. Steelman, Portland 

LT Robert Titchener, Rio Grande 

CDR Jay K. Varma, Unaffiliated 

CDR Joseph W. Verge, Unaffiliated 

LT David Wheeler, New England 

LTJG Sherri Wheeler, New England 

LCDR Eileen L. Yee, Atlanta 

LCDR Fuyuen Y. Yip, Atlanta 

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 • COA FRONTLINE 3

Join COA’s Grassroots Campaign to Get PHS Included in 

New GI Bill; Member Support Deemed Critical 

Contributed By LCDR Jonathan Rash and CAPT Steve Rosenthal 

The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational and guidance about engaging in the political 

process as a member of a uniformed 

Assistance Act of 2008, a.k.a. the new 

G.I. Bill, became law on June 30, 2008, service. This information is posted on the 

and includes significant expansion of educational 

benefits. The Bill takes effect on lainitiatives.cfm. It is hoped that this infor- 

COA website at http://www.coausphs.org/ 

August 1, 2009, and is currently undergoing 

a process of technical corrections to have in participating in such efforts. 

mation will attenuate the reluctance people 

remove inconsistencies and obstacles to This is the first time that COA is 

implementation that were drafted in the attempting to mobilize its membership to 

original legislation. Most importantly, the participate in a legislative effort. With the 

new G.I. Bill, as passed, excludes PHS and 

NOAA officers from receiving the same 

educational benefits as other uniformed 

services; historically, the GI Bill program 

has always included PHS officers since its 

inception during World War II. 

Fixing the GI Bill has been COA’s top 

legislative priority for the past year. Our 

organization has done extensive lobbying 

to build support to make the technical corrections 

to include PHS officers. For example, 

COA has written to all the members of 

the Senate’s Committee on Veterans 

Affairs, has contacted their legislative directors, 

and has met personally with key decision-makers, 

including the chairman of the 

Senate Veterans Affair Committee, Sen. 

Daniel Akaka (D-HI). There have been 

indications that our message was heard, 

and that this was a technical error oversight 

not meant to slight the PHS. 

However, placed in the broader context 

the 111th Congress faces, including the 

economic crisis and the transition to a new 

administration, correcting the GI Bill to 

include PHS will assume a lower importance 

without extra effort from our 

members. 

To accomplish this goal, the COA 

Board of Directors, through its Legislation 

and Benefits Committee, is encouraging all 

PHS officers, active duty and retired, to 

contact their congressional representatives, 

asking them to support the technical correction. 

Well-written, thoughtful letters are 

one of the most effective ways Americans 

have of influencing law-makers. 

To assist officers, COA has prepared tips 

for effective letter writing, sample letters, 

ongoing Commissioned Corps transformation, 

and the new administration’s plan for 

health care reform, there will undoubtedly 

be other important issues affecting the 

strength of our public health infrastructure 

which we will want to influence. Combining 

COA’s lobbying activities with individual 

members’ civic participation to voice 

their concerns can be a powerful force to 

ensure success. 


FDA Names New Foreign Directors for Europe and Latin America 

January 7, 2009, was the official opening 

date of the new location of the FDA Latin 

America Regional Office. Costa Rica is the 

fifth new foreign FDA location, after Beijing, 

Guangzhou, and Shanghai, which were 

opened in November 2008, and Brussels, 

which was opened in December 2008. 

Further foreign locations scheduled for official 

openings in 2009 include New Delhi, 

Mumbai, Mexico City, London, Parma, 

Amman, Tel Aviv, and a yet to be finalized city 

in South America. With these new openings, 

RADM Linda Tollefson, USPHS was 

approved as the new Director of the FDA 

Europe Regional Office in Brussels and 

RADM Paul Seligman, USPHS as the new 

Director of the FDA Latin America Regional 

Office in Costa Rica. 

RADM Tollefson, a Veterinary Officer, is 

joining OIP as the Director of the FDA 

Europe Regional Office. She will report to 

the Associate Commissioner for International 

Programs. Admiral Tollefson is presently the 

Assistant Commissioner for Science in the 

Office of Science and Health Coordination. 

She also serves as Chair of the Research 

Involving Human Subjects Committee, the 

IRB for all research supported by FDA using 

human research subjects. RADM Tollefson is 

also the FDA representative to the Office of 

the Surgeon General, serving on the Surgeon 

General’s Policy Advisory Council and overseeing 

the implementation of Commissioned 

Corps policies and directives for FDA’s 800 

Commissioned Corps officers. 

RADM Tollefson is also involved in several 

FDA science issues, including serving as the 

FDA Co-Chair, with CDC and NIH, of the 

Federal Inter-Agency Task Force on 

Antimicrobial Resistance. The Task Force is 

responsible for coordinating cross-agency and 

department efforts to reduce and mitigate the 

effects of antimicrobial resistance. The Task 

Force is in the final stages of revising its 

Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial 

Resistance, which will serve as a blueprint for 

the federal government in addressing its 

efforts on resistance for the next 3-5 years. 

RADM Seligman, a physician, is joining 

OIP as the Director of the FDA Latin 

America Regional Office. He will report to 

the Associate Commissioner for International 

Programs. Admiral Seligman is presently the 

RADM Linda Tollefson, USPHS 

Associate Director for Safety Policy and 

Communication at CDER, where he directs 

the program responsible for the Drug Safety 

Board and plays a central role in implementing 

safety and communications initiatives that 

affect the drug regulatory enterprise. He previously 

served as the Director of the Office of 

Pharmacoepidemiology and Statistical 

Science in CDER where he directed FDA’s 

post-marketing drug surveillance, epidemiology 

and biostatistics programs that included 

providing the leadership, direction, planning, 

and policy formulation for many of the 

Center’s risk assessment, risk management, 

and risk communication programs. 

RADM Paul Seligman, USPHS 

Prior to joining the FDA in July 2001, 

Dr. Seligman served as the Deputy Assistant 

Secretary for Health Studies at the Department 

of Energy where he was responsible for 

occupational medicine, health surveillance 

and epidemiology related to nuclear weapons 

production nationally and internationally. 

From 1983-1993, he worked at the Centers 

for Disease Control (CDC)/ National 

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

(NIOSH) serving as an Epidemic Intelligence 

Officer, a Preventive Medicine Resident on 

assignment to the Ohio Department of 

Health, and as Chief of the Medical Section 

of NIOSH’s Surveillance Branch. 

RETIRED COLUMN 

TRICARE Premiums At Issue (Again) 

COA and other Military Coalition associations 

have been receiving inquiries from 

members expressing concern over language 

in recent Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) and Congressional Budget Office 

(CBO) proposals that appear to indicate significant 

increases planned for retirees who are 

enrolled in TRICARE Prime and TRICARE 

for Life (TFL). The proposals in question are 

not new. They regularly appear in OMB and 

CBO reports as options for reducing DoD 

healthcare costs. TMC and other veterans’ 

service organizations have been successful in 

convincing Congress that options to increase 

healthcare premiums for retired uniformed 

service personnel would be a violation of the 

contract between the government and the 

retirees. 

Past success in holding the line against any 

increase in retired members’ health insurance 

costs is not, however, a guarantee of future 

success. The fallout from the current financial 

and economic crisis is likely to be far 

reaching, and President Obama has made it 

clear that sacrifices will be required from all 

sectors. 

COA will work closely with The Military 

Coalition to ensure that retired service members’ 

health care is provided at minimum cost 

to the individual. 



Symposium Agenda Announced, Registration Open 

The planning committees for the 2009 

USPHS Scientific and Training Symposium 

have announced details regarding 

the agenda for the conference, which will 

be held June 1-4 in Atlanta. Registration 

for the event also is now open and Junior 

Officer scholarship applications are available 

(to cover the cost of registration fees 

only). Visit www.phscofevents.org for 

additional information or to register. 

Agenda Highlights 

The Symposium will begin on the 

morning of Monday, June 1 with the 

opening ceremonies and the Luther Terry 

Lecture. This year’s lecture will be delivered 

by Dr. Charles “Chip” Rice, 

President of the Uniformed Services 

University of Health Sciences. A variety 

of luncheon options will be available 

including the Minority Officers Liaison 

Council Awards Luncheon, the COA 

General Membership Luncheon and 

more. 

Monday afternoon will kick off with 

two panel discussions dealing with the 

challenges facing returning “Wounded 

Warriors.” The scientific program will 

conclude with more than 30 concurrent 

late breaker presentations on hot topics 

and recent developments in the field of 

public health. Monday night will feature 

a concert by the PHS Ensemble and the 

Anchor and Caduceus Dinner (open to 

all Symposium attendees) with keynote 

speaker VADM David Satcher, USPHS, 

(Ret), the 16th Surgeon General of the 

United States. 

Tuesday will be Category Day with 

each of the 11 categories meeting 

COA Seeks 

Board Nominations 

Check out the COA Website, 

www.coausphs.org, for 

information on the 

COA Board of Directors 

Nominations! 

individually. Details on the Category Day 

agendas are available on the Symposium 

web site. 

Wednesday and Thursday will include 

more than 40 concurrent track presentations 

on four tracks: 

• Leading the Public Health Workforce 

in America 

• Strategies for Ensuring a Viable and 

Effective Public Health Workforce 

• Partnerships to Improve Public Health 

• Preparing the Public Health Workforce 

for All Hazards 

Details on the track sessions can be 

found on the Symposium web site. 

Wednesday also will include a plenary 

panel discussion looking at public health 

workforce issues and the annual Awards 

Luncheon. The Surgeon General’s 5K 

Run/Walk is planned for Wednesday 

evening. Thursday will conclude at midday. 

As in the past the Surgeon General of 

the United States will be invited to deliver 

the closing keynote. 

Pre-Conference Sessions 

A number of “Critical Needs” preconference 

training sessions will be 

offered on Saturday, May 30 and Sunday 

May 31 including: 

• A workshop by the Office of 

Commissioned Corps Operations 

(OCCO) with OCCO subject matter 

experts (promotions, COERS, Assimilation, 

Training, etc) providing brief 

presentations and then allowing for 

question/answers. 

2009 USPHS Scientific & Training Symposium 

Call for Late Breaker Presentations & Posters 

The Scientific Program Committee 

for the 2009 USPHS Scientific & 

Training Symposium invites interested 

parties to submit an abstract for a 15- 

minute Late Breaker presentation. 

These presentations will be delivered 

on the opening day of the conference, 

Monday, June 1. Poster submissions 

are also being accepted at this time. 

Posters will be on display during the 

conference week. The Symposium is 

being held at the Atlanta Marriott 

Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia from June 

1-4, 2009. 

The theme for the 2009 symposium 

is “Leading a Strong Public Health 

Workforce for a Healthy America.” The 

deadline for Late Breaker submissions 

is 5 PM ET on February 23, 2009 

(deadline will not be extended). 

• Late Breaker Presentations: Approved 

abstract submissions will be 

grouped with similar material by 

(See Symposium, page 9) 

others with each presenter having 

15 minutes to provide an overview 

of their work and answer questions. 

Presentations will occur on Monday 

afternoon June 1. 

• Poster Sessions. Approved posters 

will be displayed during the conference 

on days and times to be determined. 

Approved submitters will have 

one side of a 4’ (height) x 8’ (width) 

poster board for their presentation. 

No additional space or materials may 

be used. 

Submissions are sought that provide 

an opportunity for those engaged in 

public health at all levels and settings to 

share innovative and effective practices 

and research that relate to the meeting’s 

overall theme. Visit, www.phscofevents. 

org for additional information or 

to submit an abstract, which is done 

on-line. 


(Executive Director, from p. 1) 

both institutions. It is my least favorite, 

but still critically important, topic with 

which I contend as your Executive 

Director. And the issue is – finances. 

Given the current economic and financial 

meltdown, this is probably your least 

favorite, but most frequent subject matter 

as well. 

I can almost hear the deep sighs and 

rustling paper as many of you, upon reading 

this far, decide to go no further and 

put this Frontline down – face down. 

Can’t say that I blame you, but I urge you 

to reconsider and please keep reading. 

This is important. 

COA and COF are both experiencing 

the same financial pinch that just about 

every citizen and every institution is right 

now – even Microsoft is in trouble! COA’s 

membership numbers are stagnating – at 

a time when the Corps is growing. We are 

faced with unanticipated expenditures to 

keep our IT systems current. And the 

Association’s reserve, fully invested in 

stocks and bonds, has lost about 25% of 

its value in the last year. 

Unrestricted donations to the 

Foundation are well behind where they 

were at this time last year and we are 

faced with some tough decisions soon 

about which projects we will be able to 

pursue and which ones must be shelved 

due to a lack of resources. The 

Foundation has two principal sources of 

income – the annual conference, and 

donations. Revenue from the annual conference, 

which is usually held in late 

spring, does not begin to accumulate until 

March or April, but conference expenses 

are with us throughout the year as we 

place deposits on conference sites, pay 

for on-going support services, etc. 

Association and Foundation finances 

are linked together in that we share office 

space, IT systems, and staff personnel. 

If the Foundation cannot meet its obligations 

to the Association, then COA must 

make up the difference and that, in turn, 

constrains our ability to accomplish the 

work of the Association – member support, 

communications, and advocacy for 

the Commissioned Corps. 

These financial challenges happen to 

coincide with a time of perhaps unparalleled 

opportunity to consolidate the gains 

made thus far in the Corps’ transformation 

and move forward to a new era of 

PHS Commissioned Corps leadership in 

public health. The potential for COA and 

COF to influence and participate in restoring 

the Commissioned Corps to prominence 

in public health is too important for 

us to stand aside. So, we must take 

some measured risks in order to position 

COA and COF to continue our efforts to 

promote the Commissioned Corps and 

advance the cause of public health information, 

education, and advocacy. 

COA will, as necessary, dip into the 

reserve investment portfolio to be sure 

we can meet our contractual obligations. 

This is not the best time to take money 

out of the stock market, but we will do 

what we must to continue and expand our 

work – especially in the area of government 

relations and legislative advocacy. 

At the same time, both COA and COF 

will review our operations and reduce 

expenses wherever possible. Some will 

recall that COA’s 2002 strategic plan had 

as its first priority the restoration of financial 

stability and balanced budgets. We 

enjoyed great success in that effort and 

have enjoyed five years of small budgetary 

surpluses since 2003. That will not 

likely be the case this year or perhaps 

even next. 

Staff and Association and Foundation 

Boards cannot solve this financial situation 

by ourselves. We need your help. 

You can help in many ways and many 

of you already have and do; but we need 

ALL of you to pitch in, grab an oar and 

help us row. The obvious – keep your 

COA membership current. We have, 

sadly, suspended more than 500 members 

in recent weeks for failure to pay 

dues. If you are among them, this will be 

your last issue of Frontline. Please seek 

out and encourage all your fellow active 

duty officers to renew, or join COA for the 

first time. If you are a retired or inactive 

reserve officer, reach out to your respective 

retired and inactive reserve networks 

and encourage them to join or rejoin COA. 

In an effort to make sure we are supporting 

members with questions or 

issues, I have directed staff to check the 

membership status of anyone who calls 

or corresponds with us seeking help. 

Since the beginning of the year, we have 

had requests for information and/or 

assistance from several officers, active 

duty and retired, who were not current 

COA members. Spending staff time to 

assist non-members is not fair to our 

dues-paying members and we will no 

longer respond to non-member inquiries 

except to invite those individuals to 

become current members of COA before 

we will assist them. Unless, of course, 

the inquiry is “How do I become a COA 

member?” We’ll always be happy to reply 

to that question – and promptly. 

COA members can help support the 

Association by patronizing our business 

partners – AGIA for insurance needs; and 

AVIS/Budget for car rentals. We receive 

small but sometimes significant royalties 

from our partners and every little bit 

helps. 

In addition to doing business with 

COA’s partners, you can help out by 

attending the annual conference, and if a 

junior officer, not seeking a registration 

fee grant unless you really need one. We 

will continue to award annual conference 

grants to any JO who requests one – it is 

a priority program of the Foundation 

Trustees. 

Help can also be provided by recruiting 

exhibitors to the annual conference, and 

by identifying potential sponsors and 

grant opportunities to us that staff may 

then pursue. 

Finally, you can support the Foundation 

by joining me as a Foundation donor. 

Many of COA’s members have already 

given generously to COF, and I take this 

opportunity to thank you all again. But 

we need ALL COA’s members to help support 

the Foundation as generously as your 

means will allow. The more financially 

secure the Foundation, the better able 

COA is to increase our legislative advocacy 

on behalf of the Commissioned Corps. 

We will be “penny-wise, but pound-foolish” 

if we let the present interest in the Corps 

and opportunity to effect positive legislation 

on the Corps’ behalf, pass us by for 

lack of resources. Donations to COF can 

be made on the Foundation’s website 

using a credit card. Please visit 

http://www.phscof.org/donate.html today. 

I don’t want this appeal to be overly 

alarmist – COA and COF are not about to 


fold our tents. What I hope to avoid at all 

costs, however, is having to reduce tent 

size when we really should be working on 

a larger tent to increase the scope of 

both Association and Foundation 

operations. 

All the analysts forecast that the economic 

and financial situations will eventually 

stabilize and begin to recover. They 

just cannot agree on when that might be. 

Unlike Microsoft, COA and COF cannot 

shed staff at this time of historic opportunity 

and still hope to compete. 

Thanks for your attention and consideration. 

Please help to do your part in 

supporting your association and 

foundation. 

Veterinary Professional Advisory Committee 

(VetPAC) Coin 

Yours Aye! 

(Symposium, from page 7) 

• Fundamentals of Leadership 

• Lean Six Sigma techniques 

• Advanced Cardiac Life Support 

Provider Certification 

• Environmental Health Training in 

Emergency Response 

• Preventive Services 

• Community Assessment for Public 

Health Emergency and Response 

• And more! 

Visit, www.phscofevents.org for additional 

information on these workshops 

or to register. 

Hotel Rooms 

The hotel room block at the Atlanta 

Marriott Marquis is selling quickly. 

Visit, www.phscofevents.org/location/ 

location.cfm to book your room online. 

Order Form 

Make checks or money orders payable to Wanda Wilson. 

Cost is $10.00 per coin, includes shipping and handling. 

Number of Coins: ________ x $10.00 = Cost: __________ 

Method of Payment: ■ Check ■ Money Order 

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

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Help Fix the G.I. Bill! 

Visit www.coausphs.org/ 

lainitiatives.cfm or e-mail 

jrensberger@coausphs.org 

to request our 

letter-writing packet 

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

Send your mail order to: 

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1830 Potomac Avenue SE 

Washington, DC 20003 

Questions? 

Contact CDR Wanda Finch Chair, SWPAG 

Email: wanda.wilson@fsis.usda.gov 



East Central University (ECU) Graduates Receive 

Commissions in USPHS in Ceremony at ECU 

Three graduates of East Central University’s 

Environmental Health Science 

program have each been commissioned as 

Lieutenant Junior Grade in the United 

States Public Health Service (USPHS) 

Commissioned Corps during a November 

ceremony at ECU. 

Zac Grinnell of Shawnee, OK, Dustin 

Joplin of Seminole, OK and Aaron McNeil 

of Ada, OK returned to ECU for the ceremony. 

East Central University has more 

graduates serving as Environmental Health 

Officers (EHOs) in the USPHS than any 

other college or university, said Dr. Patrick 

Bohan, ECU associate professor of environmental 

health science and a retired Captain 

in the USPHS Commissioned Corps. 

Taking part in the ceremony were Rear 

Admiral Richie Grinnell, Director of the 

Nashville Area of the Indian Health Service 

and a 1978 ECU graduate, Fan Robinson, 

Director of the Office of Environmental 

Health and Engineering in the Oklahoma 

City Area Indian Health Service, CAPT 

Kevin Meeks, SE Region Commissioned 

Corps Liaison, Dr. Richard Rafes, ECU 

President, Dr. Bruce Weems, Dean of the 

College of Health and Sciences, and other 

university officials. There were a total of 

nine active duty Commissioned Corps 

Environmental Health Officers present, 

eight of whom are ECU Alumni. There 

were also two civil service EHOs present 

who are ECU graduates. Prior to the ceremony, 

the Department of Environmental 

Health Science hosted a luncheon for the 

officers, their families, and the visiting 

dignitaries. 

All the new officers are Native American 

and all serve tribes in Oklahoma. Grinnell 

and Joplin are stationed in Lawton, OK and 

McNeill is stationed in Pawnee, OK. 

Additionally, all three officers are new members 

of the Commissioned Officers 

Association. 

Grinnell, a member of the Sac and Fox 

Nation of Missouri, graduated from 

Shawnee High School. He earned a 

Bachelor of Science degree in environmental 

health science at ECU in 2007. He was 

(Left to Right) RADM Richie Grinnell, CAPT Pat Bohan, (Ret.), LTJG Aaron McNeil, 

LTJG Justin Joplin, and LTJG Zac Grinnell 

a two-time all conference offensive tackle 

for the ECU football team and was a member 

of the Environmental Health Science 

Club. 

Grinnell previously was awarded a 

Commissioned Corps Training Ribbon 

and holds a license as a Registered Professional 

Sanitarian from the Oklahoma 

State Department of Health. His job 

responsibilities include delivering comprehensive 

environmental health service to the 

tribes within the Lawton Service Unit, 

which include the Apache, Caddo, 

Comanche, Delaware, Fort Sill Apache, 

Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, 

Kiowa, Wichita and affiliated tribes. 

Grinnell was pinned by his father, Ron 

Grinnell. He also is the nephew of Rear 

Admiral Richie Grinnell. 

Joplin, a member of the Choctaw 

Nation and a graduate of Seminole High 

School, received a Bachelor of Science 

degree in environmental health science 

from ECU in 2007. At ECU he was a 

member of Alpha Chi national honor society 

and the Environmental Health Science 

Club and participated in the Bridges to the 

Future Program. 

Before coming to ECU he served in the 

U.S. Army for three years, stationed in 

Korea, Iraq and Fort Carson, CO. He was 

discharged as an E-4 Specialist and received 

the Army Commendation Medal, the 

Army Achievement Medal and the 

Operation Iraqi Freedom Badge. 

Joplin recently was awarded the Commissioned 

Corps Training Ribbon. His job 

responsibilities include conducting environmental 

health and food service surveys 

and providing technical assistance and 

training, such as food handlers’ classes and 

training for blood borne pathogens. 

He serves the Apache, Caddo, 

Comanche, Delaware, Fort Sill Apache, 

Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, 

Kiowa, Wichita and affiliated tribes. 

Joplin was pinned by his father, Kelley 

Joplin. 

McNeill, a Chickasaw and Mississippi 

Choctaw, graduated from Byng High 

School and received a Bachelor of Science 

degree in environmental health science in 

December 2006. He was a member of 

(See Graduates, page 12) 


The Commissioned Corps Makes Its Presence Felt at South Pole 

By RADM Richard F. Barror 

It has been said often that the “sun never 

sets on the Commissioned Corps.” For a 

relatively small uniformed service, the 

Corps gets involved in a wide range of missions 

all over the world. Back in 1995, a 

new U.S. South Pole Station was under 

design. PHS engineer officers stationed in 

Alaska were called upon to assist the 

National Science Foundation (NSF) with 

the programming and design of the medical 

clinic in the new station. The programming 

aspect dealt with the anticipated 

type and number of medical procedures 

that would be conducted at the station, 

especially during the summer (wintertime 

in Antarctica) when the Station is isolated 

for several months and medical evacuations 

are nearly impossible. The design of 

the clinic was based on the program 

requirements. 

CAPT Jay Farmwald (now retired from 

the Corps and living in Anchorage) was 

selected to assist the NSF. CAPT 

Farmwald is a cold regions engineering 

expert who had Arctic health facilities 

experience with the Indian Health Service 

(IHS) in Alaska. The IHS has constructed 

several large hospitals and many smaller 

health clinics in harsh arctic environments 

in Alaska. 

CAPT Farmwald went to the South 

Pole in November 1995 to act as a consultant 

to the NSF per a cooperative agreement 

with the IHS. 

The new U.S. Amundsen-Scott South 

Pole Station, was completed in February 

2008 and replaced the original 1970’s-era 

facilities. The purpose of the Station is to 

conduct scientific research, primarily related 

to astronomy, meteorology, and climatology. 

The facility is 80,000 square feet 

and sits at elevation 9,300 feet above sea 

level. It has all its own utilities and is completely 

self-sufficient for up to six months. 

(Graduates, from page 11) 

ECU’s Environmental Health Science Club 

and Native American Student Association. 

He recently was awarded the Commissioned 

Corps Training Ribbon and 

holds a license from the Oklahoma State 

Department of Health as a Registered 

Professional Sanitarian. He performs environmental 

health and food service surveys 

for such facilities as health centers, restaurants, 

casinos, Head Starts and wastewater 

systems and for celebrations. He also provides 

technical assistance to facilities regarding 

hazard communication and emergency 

response and safety policy/procedure 

preparation. 

McNeill serves the Pawnee, Osage, 

Otoe-Missouria, Ponca, Tonkawa, Miami, 

Ottawa, Peoria, Quapaw, Seneca-Cayuga 

and Eastern Shawnee tribes. 

He was pinned by his mother, Debra 

McNeill. 

Left - Mr. Jerry Marty, the NSF Project Manager; Right - CAPT Farmwald holding the PHS 

Flag next to a ceremonial barber pole marking the geographic South Pole. The temperature 

was minus 73 degrees F when the photo was taken. 

The New U.S. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station 


U.S. Public Health Pharmacists Host National Career 

Development Month at Area Community College 

By LCDR Sandeep Saini and CDR William Bender 

During National Career Development 

Month, six United States Public Health 

Service (USPHS) pharmacists from the 

Washington, D.C. area volunteered their 

time on November 6, 2008 to educate students 

at Montgomery College in Takoma 

Park, MD regarding career opportunities 

within the USPHS. This was the third 

year that the USPHS attended this event, 

and the officers were very pleased with the 

increased knowledge the students displayed 

regarding the USPHS and public 

health issues such as smoking cessation, 

alcoholism, obesity, and immunizations. 

During our previous trips to 

Montgomery College in 2006 and 2007, it 

was unusual to find a student that had 

heard of the USPHS. However, this year 

there were many students acquainted with 

the USPHS, and they came armed with 

(See Pharmacists, page 16) 

Pictured from Left to Right are Commissioned Corps Public Health Service Pharmacists CDR 

Devvrat Patel, LCDR Sandeep Saini, CDR William Bender, CDR Nina Nwaba, LCDR Kofi 

Ansah, and CDR Nitin Patel, participating at the National Career Development Month event 

at Montgomery College in Takoma Park, MD. 


PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation 

for the Advancement of Public Health Acknowledges... 

Donations received November 1, 2008 - January 15th, 2009 

Leadership Society 

CAPT Martha Barclay-Giel, (Ret.) 

President's Society 

CAPT Thomas F. Lantry (IRC) 

Platinum 

RADM Leonard Bachman, (Ret.) 

RADM Suzanne Dahlman, (Ret.) 

RADM Dushanka V. Kleinman, (Ret.) 

CAPT Eugene A. Migliaccio, (Ret.) 

RADM Julia R. Plotnick, (Ret.) 

CAPT Astrid L. Szeto * 

Gold 

CAPT David A. Crain 

RADM James H. Erickson, (Ret.) 

Gerard M. Farrell 

CAPT Helen V. Foerst, (Ret.) 

RADM Ward B. Hurlburt, (Ret.) 

CAPT Arthur B. McIntyre, Jr., (Ret.) 

RADM Richard S. Walling, (Ret.) 

CAPT William J. Zukel, (Ret.) 

Silver 

CAPT Ulana R. Bodnar 

CAPT Pamela L. Brye, (Ret.) 

LTJG Christopher D. Dankmeyer 

CAPT Lila R. Davis, (Ret.) 

CAPT Jeffrey R. Fritsch 

CAPT G. Bryan Jones 

RADM Sandra L. Kweder 

CAPT Armando S. Ledesma 

CAPT William G. Lotz 

RADM William R. Maas, (Ret.) 

CAPT Bert W. Mitchell, (Ret.) 

CAPT Harold F. Newman, (Ret.) 

CAPT Sven E. Rodenbeck 

LCDR Brenda L. Stodart 

CAPT Timothy F. Svoboda, (Ret.) 

CAPT Charles P. White, (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 

Bronze 

CAPT David W. Alton, (Ret.) 

CAPT Ira Berkower 

CAPT Gary Blache 

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: __________________ 


CAPT Perry C. Brackett, (Ret.) 

CAPT David W. Callagy, (Ret.) 

CDR James F. Calvert (IRC) 

CAPT Michael A. Carome 

CAPT Bruce R. Chelikowsky, (Ret.) 

CDR Gary M. Cole 

CAPT Robert DeChristoforo 

CAPT Carol A. Delany, (Ret.) 

CDR Walter L. Fava 

CAPT James D. Felsen, (Ret.) 

CAPT David M. Frucht 

CAPT Stephen J. Garza, (Ret.) 

CDR Brockton J. Hefflin 

CAPT Charles G. Helmick, III 

LCDR Aldrin Joe Jaranilla 

LCDR Wilbert C. Jordan (IRC) 

CAPT Daniel M. Kavanaugh 

CAPT Donna M. Kenison 

LCDR Rory M. Laughery (IRC) 

CAPT Gene P. Lewis, (Ret.) 

RADM Boris D. Lushniak 

LCDR Anthony J. Massenzio, Jr. (IRC) 

CAPT Martin D. McCarthy, (Ret.) 

LCDR David J. Meehan (IRC) 

CDR Donald S. Miller (IRC) 

CAPT Ernestine Murray 

CDR Sue N. Newman 

LCDR Paul R. Pagel (IRC) 

Dr. John L. Parascandola 

LT Lisa M. Patterson 

CAPT Robert G. Raymond, (Ret.) 

CDR John T. Redd 

CAPT David E. Robbins 

CAPT John E. Roller (IRC) 

RADM John F. Sherman, (Ret.) 

CAPT Betty J. Shuler, (Ret.) 

CAPT Daniel D. Sprau 

LCDR James R. Strunk 

CAPT Wilnetta A. Sweeting 

RADM John G. Todd, (Ret.) 

CAPT Sumathy Vannarth, (Ret.) 

CDR Geoffrey T. Wachs 

Ellen S. Weiner ** 

CDR Thomas M. Weiser 

CAPT Holly A. Williams 

CAPT Steven S. Wolf 

CAPT Robert N. Zimmerman, (Ret.) 

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, 2009. 

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 2009. 

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 (www.phscof.org), by 

writing to the COF, 8201 Corporate 

Drive, Suite 200, Landover, MD 

20785, or e-mail to Brian McSheffrey at 

bmcsheffrey@coausphs.org. 

Friends 

LCDR Michelle E. Arena 

CAPT Charles P. Bachtel (IRC) 

LT Jennifer C. Bebo 

CAPT Ronald A. Berry 

CAPT Robert L. Bolin, Jr., (Ret.) 

CAPT Neil S. Buckholtz 

LCDR Michael R. Chard 

CDR Lana Y. Chen 

CAPT Joanne C. Chinnici 

CAPT William Cibulas, Jr. 

CAPT Arthur E. Cohen (IRC) 

CDR Gary M. Cole 

CAPT Peter J. Delany 

CDR Alison R. Dion 

CAPT Rosemary E. Duffy 

CDR George A. Durgin 

CAPT David M. Frucht 

CDR Judy R. Gaalswyk, (Ret.) 

LT Whitney Gadsby 

CAPT Joseph H. Gainer, (Ret.) 

CAPT Sharon K. Gershon 

CAPT Lorenzo G. Guzman, (Ret.) 

CAPT Michelle T. Hall 

CDR Paul W. Hamra 

CDR Dione M. Harjo 

CDR Charles S. Hayden, II 

CAPT Carl W. Huntley 

CAPT Jean H. Kajikawa, (Ret.) 

LTJG Kurt J. Kesteloot 

CDR Mariann Kocsis 

CAPT Carolyn V. Lee 

CAPT Charles E. Lee 

LCDR Michael C. Leo (IRC) 

CDR Fred V. Lief 

Little Colorado River COA Branch 

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

LT Aaron F. Long 

CAPT Jeffrey A. Lowell (IRC) 

RADM Fitzhugh S. Mullan, (Ret.) 

LCDR David B. Myers (IRC) 

Officer Basic Course Class 14 *** 

LT Lisa A. Palucci 

Faye Rexrode **** 

LCDR Morissa B. Rice 

CAPT Jack C. Robertson, (Ret.) 

CAPT Donald S. Robinson (IRC) 

CAPT David B. Sachar (IRC) 

CDR Kathy S. Slawson 

CAPT Charlotte A. Spires 

CDR Shonda M. Stacey 

LT Pieter S. VanHorn 

CDR Charles M. Weber 

Sandra K. Wilder **** 

CDR Diahann L. Williams 

LCDR Judy A. Williams, (Ret.) 

CAPT John A. Wolfe, (Ret.) 

CDR Gor Yee Lum 

* In Memory of Mrs. F. N. Luk 

** In Memory of CAPT Irving Herbert 

Schlafman, (Ret.) 

*** In Honor of CAPT Janet Dumont 

**** In Memory of Ray D. Crossley, II, (Ret.) 


Make a Gift to 

the Foundation 

through an IRA 

Charitable Rollover 

If you are over the age of 70½, you 

must take a required minimum distribution 

from your IRA. Normally, the 

amount of this distribution is taxed as 

ordinary income. However, federal 

legislation enacted on October 3, 

2008, extends the opportunity for you 

throughout 2009 to make a direct distribution 

from your IRA to a qualified 

charity, such as COF. Such distributions, 

while not subject to income tax, 

will still count toward fulfilling your 

required minimum distribution. For 

more information about how you can 

benefit from an IRA charitable rollover, 

contact your accountant or tax 

advisor. 

(Pharmacists, from page 13) 

plenty of questions. The genuine interest 

in the USPHS was much appreciated as 

students are becoming more aware of the 

USPHS and all that it has to offer. Many 

of the students inquired about internship 

opportunities, and we encouraged them to 

apply for the COSTEP and Residency 

programs. 

The USPHS pharmacists that attended 

this event also counseled students regarding 

important public health issues such as obesity, 

immunizations, depression, and suicide 

prevention. The officers came ready 

with many materials obtained free of 

charge from government resources. 

Pharmacists obtained this high-quality 

public health information from government 

agencies such as the CDC, NIH, 

SAMHSA, and FDA. Since Montgomery 

College - Takoma Park is a diverse campus 

with students from around the world, it 

was helpful that these materials were available 

in different languages so that the students 

could share this important information 

with their family members. 

COA Congratulates Flag Officer Selectees 

RADM Scott 

Deitchman, USPHS 

The Assistant Secretary for Health and 

Acting Surgeon General announced 

the results of the flag officer promotion 

board on January 16th. COA extends its 

congratulations to the officers selected 

for promotion to the Commissioned 

Corps’ most senior leadership positions. 

Selected for promotion from O-7 to 

O-8 are: 

RADM Deborah Parham-Hopson, 

Associate Administrator, HIV/AIDS 

Bureau, HRSA; 

RADM Thomas McGinnis, Pharmaceutical 

Operations Directorate, TRI- 

CARE Management Activity, DoD; 

RADM Sam Shekar, Senior Advisor to 

the Assistant Secretary for Health, OS. 

Selected for promotion from O-6 to 

O-7 are: 

All of the USPHS officers that volunteered 

for this event wore their uniforms 

with pride and distinction As the 

Career/Transfer Center Coordinator, 

Ms. Roberta Buckberg, stated in an appreciation 

letter that she sent to each officer, 

“Many of our students want public service 

careers and many more in the health field - 

the Public Health Service is a perfect marriage 

of the two and your visits provide some talented 

students who face financial challenges with 

a path to continue toward their dreams. You 

gave them valuable information and insights 

that will impact not only their professional 

goals, but their personal lives and health as 

well.” Statements such as these make us 

proud to be part of the Commissioned 

Corps. 

RADM Sam Shekar, 

USPHS 

RADM Stephen Redd, 

USPHS 

CAPT Theresa Cullen, Chief Information 

Officer and Director, Information 

Technology, IHS; 

CAPT Scott Deitchman, Associate 

Director, Terrorism Preparedness & 

Emergency Response, Coordinating 

Center for Environmental Health & 

Injury Prevention, CDC; 

CAPT Peter Delany, Director, Office of 

Applied Studies, SAMHSA; 

CAPT Stephen Redd, Director, Influenza 

Coordination Unit, CDC; 

CAPT Ann Knebel, Deputy Director for 

Preparedness Planning, ASPR/OS; 

CAPT Isabel Garcia, Deputy Director, 

National Institute of Dental and 

Craniofacial Research, NIH. 

COF Donation 

Campaign 

The 2008-09 COF campaign is in 

full swing, and we wanted to remind 

you that February is the next month to 

contribute. 

These are tough times - for institutions 

like the Foundation – as well as 

for individuals. If you would like to 

help the Foundation, any contribution 

will make a difference. 

Thank you again for your past 

generosity and for your help again at 

this time of opportunity. 


(Legislative Update, from page 2) 

A New Surgeon General. COA had 

high hopes that the “change” theme of 

the new Administration would include 

selecting a U.S. Surgeon General from 

among career physicians in the PHS 

Commissioned Corps. As all COA members 

know, that has not happened. The 

apparent choice is Dr. Sanjay Gupta, an 

Atlanta neurosurgeon turned CNN star 

medical reporter. As Frontline goes to 

press, Dr. Gupta’s nomination has not 

been publicly confirmed, but he reportedly 

has told associates that he has, in 

fact, been offered the job. According to 

news reports, the job would be redefined 

so that Dr. Gupta could serve the White 

House as advocate for the President’s 

health reform proposals. 

Dr. Gupta would not be the first surgical 

specialist with slim public health 

credentials to win the post of Surgeon 

General. Dr. C. Everett Koop, among the 

most charismatic and courageous U.S. 

Surgeons General in history, was a pediatric 

thoracic surgeon when nominated 

by President Reagan in 1981, and, as a 

social conservative, his nomination was 

opposed by liberal critics. 

Once installed, however, Dr. Koop 

charmed Congress, enthusiastically 

embraced the PHS Commissioned 

Corps, and showed himself to be an 

inspired leader. In response to an epidemic 

of a frightening new disease later 

named AIDS, Dr. Koop calmed the 

nation. He wrote a blunt, honest and 

informative brochure about the disease 

and ordered it mailed to every single household 

in the United States. 

Koop’s shoes are large, and it’s fair to 

ask if they can possibly be filled by any 

Surgeon General who must also serve 

as White House publicist and policy 

advocate. 

Health care reform, no matter how 

long overdue and no matter how ardently 

desired by just about everybody, is bound 

to be politically contentious and fiscally 

worrisome regardless of the shape it takes 

when reduced to specific policy proposals. 

Selling the President’s plan, when it’s 

finally unveiled, is sure to be an all-consuming 

job. 

— Judy Rensberger 

Junior Officer of the Year Award 

JOAG Excellence Award 

VADM Richard H. Carmona Inspiration Award 

The Junior Officer Advisory Group 

(JOAG) is requesting nominations for 

three awards to be presented at the annual 

USPHS Scientific and Training 

Symposium 1-4 June 2009 in Atlanta, 

Georgia. 

The Junior Officer of the Year Award 

recognizes a Junior Officer at temporary 

grade O-1 through O-4 in the United 

States Commissioned Corps that has 

made a significant contribution to the 

overall mission of the Public Health 

Service. (Self-nominations welcome.) 

The JOAG Excellence Award recognizes 

a non-voting, active member of the 

JOAG for demonstrating outstanding, 

dedicated effort, and commitment to 

JOAG through active committee participation. 

(Self-nominations welcome.) 

The VADM Richard H. Carmona 

Inspiration Award recognizes a retired 

or active duty Senior Officer at temporary 

grade O-5 or above who exemplifies 

outstanding leadership by example, 

mentorship and empowerment of junior 

officers, unwavering support of the 

Commissioned Corps and its mission, 

and overall inspiration and motivation 

to the PHS community. (Nominations 

only accepted from Junior Officers.) 

Call for Nominations 

If you know any outstanding officer 

deserving recognition of theses awards, 

please contact JOAG Awards Chair, 

LCDR Dianne Paraoan at 

dianne.paraoan@fda.hhs.gov or one of 

the JOAG Award Leads listed below for 

the nomination forms, awards guidelines, 

and companion documents. 

Nominations due no later than 27 

February 2009. 

Send nominations for Junior Officer of the 

Year to: 

LCDR L. Jane Preston 

lesley.preston@ihs.gov 

phone: 928-737-6127 

fax: 928-737-6001 

Send nominations for JOAG Excellence 

Award to: 

LCDR Melissa Robb 

melissa.robb@fda.hhs.gov 

phone: 301-827-1516 

fax: 301-443-9718 

Send nominations for VADM Richard H. 

Carmona 

Inspiration Award to: 

LCDR Melissa Burns 

Melissa.burns@fda.hhs.gov 

Phone: 240-276-0268 

Fax: 240-276-0129 


(Galson, from page 1) 

career ranks of that service. The Navy 

would not, for example, pick a civilian 

naval architect, make that person an instant 

admiral, and appoint him or her as Chief of 

Naval Operations. Why should the uniformed 

Commissioned Corps be treated 

differently? 

There is a set of core competencies 

desired of any Surgeon General. They 

include a certain experience, broad exposure 

to and in depth knowledge of public 

health issues and practice. Additionally, 

recent studies and reports as well as legislative 

initiatives have called for greater independence 

and authority for the Office of 

Surgeon General. These characteristics can 

best be found where the Armed Services 

find them – in the career officer corps. 

Appointing a Surgeon General who is 

not a career officer is fraught with problems. 

Such action sends a clear signal of 

no-confidence to the Corps. It creates a 

credibility gap between the new Surgeon 

General and the Corps he or she commands. 

From the perspective of COA, the 

organization that leads the way in defending 

the Corps’ entitlement to full parity 

with its sister uniformed services – it makes 

that task more difficult. A consistently 

repeated pattern of creating instant admirals, 

whether as Surgeon General or 

assistant secretary, does not enhance the 

professional reputation of the Commissioned 

Corps – especially among its sister 

uniformed services. Indeed, it even 

opens the door to question the need for a 

uniformed Corps in the first place. 

There has been much written about Dr. 

Gupta’s rumored nomination and the role 

of the Surgeon General as the nation’s 

health educator, “top doc,” and chief health 

spokesperson. Most often overlooked however, 

is the fact that the only statutory 

responsibility of the Surgeon General is to 

administer the Commissioned Corps. 

Existing law and regulation are silent on the 

functions of the Surgeon General as anything 

other than the Corps’ commander. 

One could reasonably argue then, that 

experience in the Corps ought to be the 

first qualification of the office. 

A legitimate question often raised is 

what about Dr. C. Everett Koop, who is 

likely to go down in history as the most 

popular and well-known Surgeon General 

ever? Or the Corps’ deep respect and affection 

for Dr. Rich Carmona? Neither Koop 

nor Carmona were career Corps officers 

when appointed Surgeon General. Their 

success as the Corps’ commander, and perhaps 

even to some degree as Surgeons 

General, was because they embraced the 

Corps both in its essential mission, and in 

the Corps’ identity as a uniformed service. 

Surgeons General Koop and Carmona each 

recognized the Corps’ potential in securing 

the nation’s public health and understood 

the unique aspect of uniformed service 

ethos in fully realizing that potential. They 

committed their years as Surgeons General 

to reinvigorating the Commissioned 

Corps’ identity and sense of pride and professionalism 

as a uniformed service. And 

they are the first to endorse the selection of 

future Surgeons General from within the 

career Commissioned Corps. 

To be clear, COA has never opposed or 

endorsed any nominee for Surgeon 

General, especially one from outside the 

Commissioned Corps. The Association 

will, however, continue to express its disappointment 

whenever a Surgeon General is 

named who is not a career officer. Should 

Dr. Gupta emerge as the President’s nominee 

and win Senate confirmation, COA 

will do all in its power to ensure his success 

as the next Dr. Koop. 

We remain concerned, however, by 

reports that the next Surgeon General will 

also be given a role in the White House 

Office of Health Reform that will be 

headed up by HHS Secretary-Designate 

Daschle. Our understanding is that the 

Administration seeks to use the Surgeon 

General as the principal spokesperson for 

health reform. This appears to underscore 

a serious misunderstanding by the 

Administration of the role of the Surgeon 

General as it has evolved. 

The Surgeon General cannot, on the 

one hand, be an independent arbiter and 

interpreter of public health science for the 

American people; and, on the other hand, 

be a policy advocate for what is sure to be a 

controversial subject – regardless of where 

you stand on the health care reform debate. 

Such a situation will inevitably compromise 

the integrity of the Office of Surgeon 

General, regardless of who occupies it. 

Where things stand 

As this is written, the pace of filling the 

political positions in HHS has slowed to 

a crawl. Secretary-Designate Daschle 

remains the only formally nominated official 

in HHS requiring Senate confirmation 

and his nomination has yet to be acted on 

by the Senate Finance Committee. It is 

unclear when that will happen or when the 

full Senate will vote on the Daschle nomination. 

It appears that the new Administration 

may be holding other formal HHS 

nominations until Daschle is confirmed. 

The situation is further complicated by a 

family emergency for Mr. Daschle which 

may have him unavailable for involvement 

in the process of selecting individuals for 

appointment. 

Dr. Gupta remains the much rumored 

candidate for Surgeon General, although 

there has been neither official confirmation 

nor denial of this. 

The Good News 

Recent developments surrounding the 

rumored nomination of Dr. Gupta as 

Surgeon General are not without positive 

aspects for the Commissioned Corps and 

COA. This is the first time in memory 

when the Office of Surgeon General has 

come into play so early and so prominently 

in a presidential transition. If that reflects 

a renewed sense of importance for the position, 

then that is a good thing. The public 

discussions about the role of the Surgeon 

General have also provided an opportunity 

to promote the Commissioned Corps. It is 

likely no accident that inquires into 

OCCO about a commission in the Corps 

increased during January. All publicity is 

good. 

Lastly, COA has been sought out as a 

source of information and opinion about 

the Office of Surgeon General and the 

Commissioned Corps by a significant 

number of reporters and journalists. The 

Association and Commissioned Corps 

have been cited in articles circulating 

around the world, on the internet and in 

print media. If one of COA’s goals is to 

increase the visibility of the Corps, January 

has been an exceptionally productive 

month! 


NOMINATION DEADLINE 

March 17, 2009 Close of Business 

Nominations Sought for Health Services PAC’s 2009 Kissel and Garcia Awards 

The Health Services Professional Advisory 

Committee (HS-PAC) to the Surgeon 

General of the U.S. Public Health Service 

(PHS) is pleased to announce a call for 

nominations for the “Stanley J. Kissel, Jr. 

Award for Outstanding Health Services 

Professional of the Year.” The nominee 

must have made a significant impact on 

public health, on either a national level or 

local population. Nominations must also 

include evidence of leadership in the 

achievement(s) being cited, and must 

describe how the officer serves as a role 

model to others. Furthermore, the nominations 

must demonstrate how the accomplishments 

are above and beyond their 

usual duties and responsibilities of the 

Call for Nominations 

nominee per their billet or job description. 

The HS-PAC is also inviting nominations 

for the “Joseph Garcia, Jr. Award for 

Outstanding Junior Officer of the Year.” 

This award will go to a junior health service 

professional who made a significant 

contribution to the advancement of the 

nation’s publicly demonstrated leadership 

in their work, and show involvement in 

health-related professional or community 

organizations or activities. 

Commissioned Corps officers from the 

Health Services category and equivalent 

civil service professionals, excluding current 

voting members of the 2009 HS- 

PAC, are eligible for these awards. 

Nominations must be received by March 

17, 2009. The award will be presented in 

June at the 2009 U.S. Public Health 

Service (USPHS) Scientific and Training 

Symposium in Atlanta, GA. 

Nominations that do not follow the 

correct format will not be reviewed. 

Award criteria and nominations forms for 

either of these awards may be obtained 

from the HS PAC webpage at http:// 

www.usphs-hso.org or contacting: LCDR 

Travis Fisher at travis.fisher@ihs.gov 

[(406)275-4904] 

Current voting members of the HS PAC are 

not eligible to receive this award. All Nominees 

must meet and maintain Readiness 

Standard throughout the year. 


BRANCH NEWS 

Cincinnati COA Officers Awarded Unit 

Commendation for 2007 Symposium Efforts 

By CDR Chuck Hayden 

Cincinnati COA officers were awarded the 

USPHS unit commendation award for 

their superb collaborative efforts in the 

planning, organizing, and execution of 

activities related to the 2007 USPHS 

Scientific and Training Symposium held in 

Cincinnati, OH in June 2007. A maximum 

of 250 officer’s attendance at government 

expense was put in place in April 2007. This 

limit had the potential to severely affect 

attendance, participation, and many other 

aspects of the symposium and its related 

activities as some person’s key to facilitating 

and executing the symposium were not able 

to attend. This placed a higher level of 

responsibility on local PHS officers to move 

into various symposium activities to ensure 

the symposium’s success. This extra level of 

responsibility was readily picked up by the 

highly organized group of Cincinnati COA 

officers. The group consisted of more than 

30 officers from four different agencies 

located in and around the Cincinnati/ 

Northern Kentucky area. The officers provided 

vital assistance in planning and carrying 

out activities associated with general 

symposium logistics, category day, the SG 

5K Run Walk, evening social, and golf outing. 

Additionally, many served as Aide-de 

Camps. Along with setting up meetings 

with local city and county health department 

heads and university officials in preparation 

for the pre-symposium’s Global 

Health Summit, they even organized a presymposium 

Red’s ballgame outing during 

COA National’s advance planning committee’s 

visit to Cincinnati. During the symposium, 

local officers moderated panel sessions 

and discussions, chaired numerous 

technical sessions and gave more than 15 

scientific presentations. They provided category 

specific representation for planning 

and logistics, worked in many of the category, 

branch, and JOAG exhibit booths to 

include exhibit setup and breakdown. The 

local officers planned and coordinated a 

fund raising raffle and for the first time 

(Front Row, Left to Right) CAPT Teresa Seitz, CDR Kevin Hanley, CAPT Rick Davis, LCDR 

Sarah Luckhaupt, LCDR Margo Riggs, CAPT Doug Thoroughman; (Back Row, Left to 

Right) CDR Chuck Hayden, CDR Dave Byrne, CDR Christine West, CDR Rob McCleery, 

CAPT Bill Murphy, LCDR Duane Hammond, LT John Gibbons 

developed a symposium challenge coin 

along with continuing their tradition of 

making available PHS logo crystal ware to 

conference attendees. The Cincinnati COA 

officers promoted information sharing and 

conference attendance through periodic 

updates on their local branch website and 

provided support and encouragement to 

local universities and schools to attend the 

symposium. 

The effects of the 250 cap were mostly 

transparent to the over 900 conference 

attendees. Diligent efforts to seek out and 

review bids from qualified run/walk race 

coordinators led to the SG 5K Run/Walk 

being held at a cost less than half that paid 

in previous years. Over 300 persons participated 

in the event at a cost savings of over 

$5,000. Funds earned from the golf outing, 

the social evening, coin and crystal ware 

sales, and the local COA branches raffle 

resulted in a donation of $500 to the 

Commissioned Officer’s Foundation. Their 

coordinated fund-raising efforts brought in 

over $7,000 from local agencies. 

Except for the closing dinner, all typical 

symposium activities were held successfully 

and were appropriately attended. While the 

Thursday evening closing dinner was cancelled 

due to cost concerns associated with 

the 250 cap, the Wednesday evening social 

provided an ample opportunity to strengthen 

professional ties and serve as the pseudo 

“closing dinner.” With over 400 in attendance 

at the Wednesday evening social, 

Commissioned Corps and Commissioned 

Officer’s Association leadership used the 

event to give final thanks and make their 

closing remarks to the attendees. In spite of 

all challenges, the officer’s efforts resulted in 

the 2007 USPHS Scientific and Training 

Symposium experiencing a flawless exchange 

of scientific, technical, and professional 

information that served to enhance 

both individual officer’s development and 

Esprit de Corps of the USPHS. 


Fort Defiance (Tse’hoot’soi’) AZ COA Branch Activities 

Submitted By CDR Susan Warren and LCDR Joe Christ 

Although the Tse’hoot’soi COA Branch in 

Fort Defiance, AZ has not received notification 

of its “official status,” officers have 

been meeting monthly since June 08 to 

plan activities to benefit the community. 

This group has a total membership of 21 

officers, several of which maintain collaborations 

with various tribal programs. One 

such collaboration is with the Fort Defiance 

Office of the Navajo Nation WIC Program, 

who sponsored a “Coat Donation Drive” to 

help community members. 

Under the enthusiastic leadership of 

President Joe Christ, not only fellow CO’s, 

but other hospital staff was inspired to 

donate new or gently used coats during the 

months of November and December. The 

large quantity of donated coats filled the 

back seat of a 1950 Chevy. Before winter 

weather hit with vehemence, the collected 

coats were delivered to the local WIC office. 

The WIC staff was very appreciative of our 

support and contribution. 

decorated, and manned floats for this event 

Another community oriented activity to spread holiday cheer. This night parade 

planned and sponsored by the Tse’hoot’soi started at the Fort Defiance Hospital and 

COA Branch was the 2nd Annual Christmas 

Parade. Several CO’s donated props, Tse Bonito, NM in quite cold 

traveled a round trip distance of 20 miles to 

temperatures. 

(Left to Right) LCDR Joe Christ, CDR Susan Warren with Navajo Nation WIC Staff 

With a huge publicity campaign, participation 

(cars & floats) increased ten-fold from 

last year’s parade. The parade lit up the faces 

of young and old, and added to the joy of 

the season! 

Heart of America Committed to Public Health via Community Service 

The Heart of America Commissioned 

Officers Association partnered with the 

Don Bosco Community Center to help 

bring joy and cheer to a family this holiday 

season. Members of the Heart of America 

COA opened their hearts and gave generously 

so three children could experience 

Christmas morning with new toys, art supplies, 

and clothing. Additionally the branch 

made a financial contribution to the Center 

so that families may benefit from Don 

Bosco services all year-round, including 

rent, utilities, food, clothing and other 

necessities. 

“No child should grow up cold or hungry. 

As public health professionals we felt it 

was our duty to address the most basic public 

health issue in our community,” said 

Community Service Chair, CDR Dana 

Hall. “Childhood hunger is a real issue in 

the Kansas City area. Of the 60,000 people 

receiving assistance through feeding programs 

in our city, 43% of them are children. 

It is our desire to continue our efforts not 

only at Christmas, but throughout the 

year.” 

The Don Bosco Community Center 

was created and built by residents of 

Northeast Kansas City who wanted a safe 

place for their children. Don Bosco officially 

opened its doors on September 8, 1940 

to begin a long tradition of providing a nurturing 

environment through recreational 

and educational programming. The 

agency's decades of service has led to its purpose, 

"Helping People Build Better Lives." 

Today the Don Bosco Community Center 

is a comprehensive social service agency that 

works to address the daily issues and needs 

of the residents of Northeast Kansas City. 

(Left to Right) LCDR Jill Shugart and CDR 

Dana Hall 


IN MEMORIAM 

CAPT Sylvan B. Green, USPHS, (Ret.) 

Captain Sylvan B. 

Green, USPHS, 

(Ret.), 62, of Tucson, 

AZ, and an active 

member of COA, 

passed away on 

December 13, 2008 of 

pancreatic cancer. 

CAPT Green received a Bachelor of Arts 

degree in Natural Science and his Medical 

Doctor degree from the University of 

Pennsylvania, from which he also held a certificate 

in Molecular Biology. He served his 

medical internship at the State University of 

New York Upstate Medical Center in 

Syracuse in 1972-1973. He had a 24-year 

career at the National Cancer Institute at 

Bethesda, MD, where he was involved in 

methodological and applied research. He 

was the Lead Research Investigator in the 

Clinical and Diagnostic Trials Section, 

Biometry Branch. In 1997, he joined the 

faculty of the Case Western Reserve 

University School of Medicine in Cleveland 

as Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics; 

Professor of Biomedical Ethics; 

Professor of Oncology and Cancer Center 

Associate Director (Biostatistics and 

Informatics). 

CAPT Green joined the Arizona Cancer 

Center in 2002, where he led the center's 

methodological and applied research activities. 

He played a major role in the Cancer 

Center's translational research efforts 

through participating in several major 

grants in study design, project development 

and biostatistical analyses. His research 

interests were in design and analysis of clinical 

trials, prevention trials, and epidemiologic 

studies, and applying biostatistical and 

computer methodologies to medical and 

public health problems. 

CAPT Green was elected a Fellow of the 

American College of Epidemiology in 

1983. He served as the President of the 

Society for Clinical Trials in 1994-1995 and 

was elected a Fellow in 2007. He was also a 

member of the American Society of Clinical 

Oncology, the American Statistical Association 

and the American Association for 

Cancer Research. He was also the Director 

of Biometry and the inaugural Linda 

McCartney Breast Cancer Endowed Chair 

in Biometry at the Arizona Cancer Center, 

and Professor of Epidemiology and 

Biostatistics in the College of Public Health 

at The University of Arizona. CAPT Green 

was a retired officer in the U.S. Public 

Health Service Commissioned Corps. He 

was acknowledged by his research colleagues 

both nationally and internationally 

to be one of the most outstanding cancer 

clinical biostatisticians worldwide. 

CAPT Green is survived by his wife, 

Angela Lyn Redlingshafer Green, of 

Tucson, AZ. 

He was buried at Roosevelt Cemetery in 

Philadelphia following graveside services 

December 17, 2008. A memorial service 

for Dr. Green will be held in Tucson at the 

Arizona Cancer Center Kiewit Auditorium 

in January. 

CDR Yvonne I. Johns, USPHS, (Ret.) 

Commander Yvonne 

I. Johns, USPHS, 

(Ret.), 65, of Silver 

Spring, MD, and an 

active member of 

COA passed away on 

December 28, 2008 of 

kidney cancer. 

CDR Johns was a 23-year kidney cancer 

survivor. She was a retired Commissioned 

Officer of the United States Public Health 

Service (USPHS). She had over 20 years of 

experience in health service administration, 

health planning communications, community 

outreach, and health disparities. CDR 

Johns believed all things were possible 

through faith, knowledge, access to care, 

and hope. 

In an interview about cancer survivorship 

given in May of 2007, CDR Johns was 

asked about her foundation goals. She 

stated she wanted to leave a legacy and a 

scholarship fund. Her goals were to focus 

on minorities and kidney cancer; support 

the network of survivors, caregivers and 

advocates; raise funds to support investigators 

who will research the cure for kidney 

cancer and provide community education 

on high risk behavior, clinical trials and 

treatment options. Asbury United 

Methodist Church (Washington, DC) has 

established a cancer survivor support 

group. 

Her family would like to thank those 

who played a major role in helping her with 

her fight against cancer. They also request 

that if you wish to make donations, please 

make them to the Cancer Fund of your 

choice in her name, or to the Yvonne Johns 

Kidney Foundation. 

Her internment took place on January 8, 

2009 at the Quantico National Cemetery. 

CAPT George E. Prime, USPHS, (Ret.) 

Captain George E. Prime, USPHS, 

(Ret.), 80, of Llano, TX, and a COA 

Life Member passed away on December 18, 

2008 of cancer. 

CAPT Prime left high school at age 17 

to join the United States Navy, then 

returned to complete high school and went 

onto Tarkio College, where he graduated 

with his B.S. degree in Biology. He later 

went on to complete his M.S. in Sanitation 

at the University of Minnesota. 

Starting in 1960, CAPT Prime served 

for over two decades in the United States 

Public Health Service, including serving as 

the Deputy Director of the Indian Health 

Service, before retiring with the rank of 

Captain. He spent several of his early service 

years and time with the milk and food 

section. During these days he recruited and 

became a mentor to many sanitarians 

entering the Commissioned Corp of the 

(See CAPT Prime, page 23) 


How to Publish a 

Brief Obituary 

NIOSH Dedicates CAPT Derek E. Dunn 

Conference Room in Washington Office 

COA encourages our members to 

write obituaries for publication in 

Frontline. COA staff does not have 

the resources to compile a well written 

obituary, and this is where we need 

your help. An obituary for Frontline 

should honor their memory, and tell 

their story as a Commissioned Corps 

officer. The obituary should be an 

inspiration to junior officers and help 

explain the legacy of the Commissioned 

Corps through them. A 

photo to accompany the obituary is a 

great way to remember the deceased 

member. 

If you have an obituary you would 

like to share with COA, please e-mail 

Julia Veeder at jveeder@coausphs.org. 

(CAPT Prime, from page 22) 

public health service. George was an individual 

of outstanding commitment, he was 

a very personable individual and one who 

maintained the highest of both personal & 

professional integrity plus a high degree of 

work ethics. 

RADM John G. Todd, USPHS, (Ret.), 

looked back on when he first met CAPT 

Prime, “I first met George in the late 1960’s 

when he was stationed with the Indian 

Health Service in Aberdeen, S.D. where he 

was a special assistant to Dr. E.S. (STU) 

Rabeau. Dr. Rabeau later became the 

Director of the Indian Health Service and 

CAPT Prime came to Headquarters with 

Dr. Rabeau as a deputy special assistant 

where they remained for a number of years. 

In the 1970’s Dr. Rabeau stepped down as 

the Director of the Indian Health Service 

and transferred to Tucson, AZ where he 

developed and established the Office of 

Research and Development. CAPT Prime 

also transferred to Tucson with Dr. Rabeau 

where he became a major asset to the development 

and establishment of many of the 

programs and activities of this office. These 

programs and activities over the years have 

CAPT Derek E. Dunn, USPHS 

(1945–2002), a NIOSH research scientist 

and administrator and past 

national president of the Commissioned 

Officers Association, was respected for 

his professionalism, leadership, and 

integrity. At a dedication ceremony held 

on December 5 in the Washington 

office, NIOSH was honored to host 

CAPT Dunn's family as well as many of 

had a major impact on not only the health 

of the American Indians and Alaska 

Natives but health care and delivery 

throughout the world. CAPT Prime 

remained associated with the Tucson office 

until his retirement in the mid 1980’s.” 

Many of his articles, published by The 

Public Health Journal, established food 

handling processes and procedures that are 

still followed today. 

RADM Todd stated in an e-mail about 

CAPT Prime, “Having personally known 

and on many occasions worked with 

George he was indeed an individual that 

you liked and enjoyed being associated 

with from the very minute you met him. I 

know there are many PHS Officers of all 

his PHS colleagues. Acting Deputy 

Surgeon General, RADM Robert 

Williams, spoke warmly of CAPT 

Dunn’s humanity and his dedication to 

excellent science in the service of worker 

health and safety. Also present was 

RADM Boris Lushniak. A plaque honoring 

CAPT Dunn is inscribed with a 

question he often posed: "What have 

you done for the worker today?" 

categories of this age vintage 70--80 years 

plus retired and some still working that will 

remember Sanitarian Director George 

Prime with fond memories.” 

CAPT Prime married Armella Rae 

(Toby) Thompson on June 25, 1950, and 

together they had one daughter, Susan 

Lynn (Prime) Robinson. Armella preceded 

him in death on June 25, 1987. CAPT 

Prime married Glenna Sue Prime on 

August 23, 1991 and they relocated from 

Hemphill, TX to Llano, TX. CAPT Prime 

was preceded in death by his sister, 

Geraldine Prime Hopkins. He is survived 

by his wife, daughter, son-in-law, Glenn 

Robinson, four grandchildren, and his two 

step-sons. 


Do you have enough life insurance? 

Is your family adequately protected in the event of 

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AGIA, COA’s third party insurance administrator can help 

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that's right for your family. Coverage in amounts more 

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• Family benefits: Life insurance coverage is also available 

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Visit the COA website or 

http://www.coainsurance.com/index.htm 

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The COA Frontline (ISSN 10937161) is published monthly 

except a combined issue January/February and July/August 

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 

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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 

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gfarrell@coausphs.org 

Director of Administration 

Teresa Hayden 

thayden@coausphs.org 

Government Relations 

Director 

Judith Rensberger 

jrensberger@coausphs.org 

Development Director 

Brian McSheffrey 

bmcsheffrey@coausphs.org 

Membership Coordinator 

Malissa Spalding 

mspalding@coausphs.org 

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Coordinator & Database Mgr. 

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jveeder@coausphs.org 

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© 2009 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

Galson Named Acting ASH - Commissioned Officers Association

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