Misplaced Pages

#419580

65-483: Researchers and statisticians began to suspect a link between smoking and lung cancer as early as 1900. The first medical studies linking smoking to this and other illnesses began to appear in the 1920s. Between 1920 and 1960 over 7,000 studies established a link between smoking and health problems. In 1962, with this ever-expanding body of medical research as a backdrop, Dr. Luther L. Terry, the Surgeon General of

130-423: A four-star admiral in the commissioned corps, and serves as the principal advisor to the secretary of health and human services on public health and scientific issues. The surgeon general is the overall head of the commissioned corps, a 6,500-member cadre of uniformed health professionals who are on call 24 hours a day and can be dispatched by the secretary of HHS or by the assistant secretary for health in

195-652: A clinical care provider on one of these teams are often in support roles, such as logistics, administration/finance, or planning. Tier 2 teams are composed of a smaller, more specialized workforce. Other rapid deployment units include the Applied Public Health Team (APHT), the Mental Health Team (MHT), and the Services Access Team (SAT). PHS officers not already assigned to one of the rapid deployment units are used to augment

260-410: A four-year term of office and, depending on whether the current assistant secretary for health is a commissioned corps officer, is either the senior or next-most senior uniformed officer of the commissioned corps, holding the rank of vice admiral . The current surgeon general is Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy . The surgeon general reports to the assistant secretary for health (ASH). The ASH may be

325-731: A seventh branch of the United States Armed Forces . The commissioned corps is often deployed as part of the National Response Framework Emergency Support Function No. 8 – Public Health and Medical Services, but can be deployed outside of the Framework for various needs to other federal agencies, states, local governments, or even to aid foreign governments. Like all other federal-level responses, commissioned corps officers are deployed only upon request, and upon

390-585: A team, when large-scale responses are needed. The commissioned corps organizes PHS officers into units for rapid deployment. PHS officers are either assigned to a pre-configured rapid deployment unit (RDU) or a group augmenting those units. PHS officers must be prepared to deploy within 48 hours of receipt of deployment orders. Rapid deployment units include Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) teams that are made up of over 100 officers with multiple specialties, and are focused on providing acute clinical care of disaster-exacerbated chronic conditions. Officers who do not work as

455-1446: A technical error, the ACA failed to include statutory authority for pay and benefits, preventing the Ready Reserve Corps from being activated. Efforts to pass legislation to correct these errors picked up in late 2019. Funding was finally approved through the CARES Act , passed on 18 March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic . The first officers were expected to be commissioned in the first half of 2021. The Ready Reserve has three main components. The Selected Ready Reserve (SELRES) consists of officers who are required to train periodically and must be prepared for voluntary or involuntary active duty mobilization within 24 hours to respond to an urgent or emergency public health care need. The Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) consists of officers who have had military and/or USPHS Commissioned Corps training; they are not required to participate in training or other USPHS Commissioned Corps activities, but are subject to involuntary recall to active duty under certain circumstances. The Retired Reserve consists of members who accumulate 20 or more years of qualifying service and have reached age 60. The Commissioned Corps adopted naval ranks to impose military discipline on

520-756: A two-star rank flag. Other Commissioned Corps rear admirals use a two-star assistant surgeon general flag, and Commissioned Corps officers at the rank of rear admiral (lower half) use a one-star assistant surgeon general flag. The members of the Commissioned Corps number over 6,000 officers in 11 professional categories: The Health Services Officer (HSO) category comprises over 50 allied health specialties, including audiology , social workers, physician assistants , optometrists , statisticians, computer scientists , dental hygienists , medical records administrators, medical technologists and others. Commissioned Corps officers wear uniforms similar to those of

585-608: A two-week officer basic course (OBC) before entering active duty. Commissioned corps officers receive the same pay and benefits as other members of the uniformed services . They cannot hold a dual commission with another uniformed service but inter-service transfers are permitted via 10 U.S.C.   § 716 . The commissioned corps is authorized to use warrant officer ranks W-1 to W-4 but does not currently use these ranks. Unlike their United States Armed Forces counterparts, Commissioned Corps officers do not require their rank appointments and promotions to be confirmed by

650-549: A wide range of specialties to include veterinarians, dentists, occupational therapists , physical therapists, engineers, pharmacists, nurses, environmental health specialists, scientists, dietitians, and other allied health professionals . Today, the commissioned corps is under the United States Public Health Service (PHS), a major agency now of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), established by Congress in 1979 and 1980. It

715-538: Is a Commissioned Corps admiral, he or she is authorized use of the flag of the Assistant Secretary for Health as a four-star rank flag. The Commissioned Corps vice admiral serving as Surgeon General of the United States uses the flag of the Surgeon General as a three-star rank flag, while the Commissioned Corps rear admiral serving as deputy surgeon general uses the deputy surgeon general's flag as

SECTION 10

#1732782479420

780-578: Is an Interagency Committee on Smoking and Health, composed of members appointed by the Secretary, that helps the Secretary fulfill some of the responsibilities, and the Secretary must publish a biennial report to Congress. Section 4 of the Comprehensive Smoking Education Act discusses cigarette warning labels, stating that any person manufacturing, packing, or importing the sale or distribution of cigarette packages within

845-629: Is confidential, and with the help of an authorized agent who serves as a custodian of such information, it is the Secretary's responsibility make sure such information remains confidential. Surgeon General of the United States The surgeon general of the United States is the operational head of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in

910-559: Is often called upon by other federal, state, and local agencies to aid and augment in times when those agencies' resources are overwhelmed. These responses are designated as deployments by the Commissioned Corps, if the deployment is outside of the officer's normal duties, and coordinated through the Commissioned Corps's Readiness and Deployment Branch (RDB) in Commissioned Corps Headquarters (CCHQ). Deployments may be for technical needs in standard settings, or in

975-663: The Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service ) is the uniformed service branch of the United States Public Health Service and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States (along with the Army , Navy , Marine Corps , Coast Guard , Air Force , Space Force , and NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps ). The commissioned corps' primary mission is the protection, promotion, and advancement of health and safety of

1040-473: The Department of Health and Human Services , serving as a liaison with agencies in regards to activities related to health risks from smoking, developing improved information programs related to smoking and health, compiling and disseminating information on legislation related to cigarette use, and undertaking any other additional information or action that may seem appropriate in furthering the program. There

1105-664: The Food and Drug Administration , and then the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . The increased benefits and pay of commissioned corps officers is considered especially beneficial for the Indian Health Service, where recruitment is difficult due to the remote locations of many of its jobs. In addition, the commissioned corps provides officers (medical officers, dental officers, therapists, environmental health officers, etc.) to other uniformed services, primarily

1170-633: The Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act of 1969, which banned cigarette advertising on television and radio as well as slightly changed the health warning to "Warning: The Surgeon General Has Determined That Cigarette Smoking is Dangerous to Your Health." However, in a 1981 report to Congress, the Federal Trade Commission concluded that the health warning labels were not effective enough on public knowledge and peoples' attitudes towards smoking. This led to

1235-500: The Secretary of Health and Human Services must establish and carry out a program that will inform the public of any human health risks caused by cigarette smoking. In order to do so, the Secretary must perform tasks such as conducting and supporting research on human health risks from cigarette smoking, informing the public of the effects of smoking, coordinating anything related to the effects of cigarette smoking on human health within

1300-617: The United States Coast Guard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps), which do not commission their own medical or dental officers. The Commissioned Corps provides a number of officers to support the Coast Guard throughout the country, including within the Coast Guard's senior leadership: The Coast Guard's chief medical officer is a rear admiral in

1365-549: The United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard with special Public Health Service insignia. Their service dress blues, summer whites, and service khakis are modeled after the Navy's, and their operational dress uniform was modeled after the Coast Guard's. When attached to another uniformed service, a Commissioned Corps officer is subject to the grooming standards of that service for uniform appearance. Because of

SECTION 20

#1732782479420

1430-537: The United States Senate , and only require approval from the president. Officers serving as assistant secretary for health and the surgeon general however, do require senatorial confirmation due to their status as senior federal officials. Flag officers of the Commissioned Corps are authorized to use rank flags. When the Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Health

1495-510: The federal government of the United States . The surgeon general's office and staff are known as the Office of the Surgeon General ( OSG ), which is housed within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health . The U.S. surgeon general is nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate . The surgeon general must be appointed from individuals who are members of

1560-468: The military by the president or detailed to a service branch of the military. Members of the commissioned corps wear uniforms modeled after the United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard , with special Public Health Service Commissioned Corps insignia, and hold naval ranks equivalent to officers of the Navy and Coast Guard, along with corresponding in-service medical titles. Commissioned corps officers typically receive their commissions through

1625-494: The regular corps of the U.S. Public Health Service and have specialized training or significant experience in public health programs. However, there is no time requirement for membership in the Public Health Service before holding the office of the Surgeon General, and nominees traditionally were appointed as members of the Public Health Service and as surgeon general at the same time. The surgeon general serves

1690-463: The 2020 CARES Act . According to 5 U.S.C.   § 8331 , service in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps after 30 June 1960, is considered military service for retirement purposes. Under 42 U.S.C.   § 213 , active service in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is considered active military service for the purposes of most veterans' benefits and for anti-discrimination laws. The stated mission of

1755-469: The American public about health issues and advocating healthy lifestyle choices. The office also periodically issues health warnings. Perhaps the best known example of this is the surgeon general's warning label that has been present on all packages of American tobacco cigarettes since 1966. A similar health warning has appeared on alcoholic beverages labels since 1988. In 1798, Congress established

1820-516: The Comprehensive Smoking Education Act of 1984. As shown in Sections 3, 4, and 7 of the Comprehensive Smoking Education Act, the Act addresses and affects smoking research, education, and information, cigarette labels, and the ingredients added to tobacco in cigarettes. Section 3 of the Comprehensive Smoking Education Act covers the subject of smoking research , education, and information, stating that

1885-681: The Marine Hospital Fund, a network of hospitals that cared for sick and disabled seamen. The Marine Hospital Fund was reorganized along military lines in 1870 and became the Marine Hospital Service —the predecessor to today's United States Public Health Service . The service became a separate bureau of the Treasury Department with its own staff, administration, headquarters in Washington, D.C., and

1950-624: The Marine Hospital Service herald of a fouled anchor and caduceus . Later that year of 1889, President Grover Cleveland signed an Act into law that formally established the modern Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (then the Marine Hospital Service ) under the Supervising Surgeon (later Surgeon General). At first open only to physicians, over the course of the 20th century, the Corps expanded to 11 careers in

2015-467: The Navy's commissioned hospital ships ( USNS  Mercy  (T-AH-19) and USNS  Comfort  (T-AH-20) ), though other ships, such as the amphibious assault ship USS  Bataan  (LHD-5) , have also been used. The command staff of the PHS deployed team(s) is deployed for the entire mission duration (often three months), while operational personnel serve one month aboard, meeting and departing

Comprehensive Smoking Education Act - Misplaced Pages Continue

2080-717: The President, be subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice , 10 U.S.C.   § 801 et seq., and (c) shall continue to operate as part of the Service except to the extent that the President may direct as Commander in Chief. Major militarization of the Commissioned Corps occurred during World War II (1941–1945) and the Korean War (1950–1953). Should it be called into active duty again, it would constitute

2145-400: The President, he may by Executive order declare the commissioned corps of the Service to be a military service. Upon such declaration, and during the period of such war or such emergency or such part thereof as the President shall prescribe, the commissioned corps (a) shall constitute a branch of the land and naval forces of the United States, (b) shall, to the extent prescribed by regulations of

2210-643: The Public Health Service Commissioned Corps include: In addition to disaster response, the commissioned corps frequently partners with the United States Navy on health diplomacy missions. Commissioned Corps officers have been part of the Navy's Pacific Partnership (in the Pacific basin ) and Operation Continuing Promise (in the Caribbean and western Atlantic ) since 2007. Such missions are often carried out on one of

2275-710: The Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Commissioned corps officers also may be detailed to other U.S. Government agencies, including the Department of Defense , TRICARE , the Department of Justice ( Federal Bureau of Prisons ), the State Department , the Department of Homeland Security , and the Department of the Interior ( National Park Service ). Commissioned Corps officers may develop individual memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with other organizations, including state and local health agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The commissioned corps

2340-623: The Public Health Service and presented it to the PHS during their centennial.  At the Washington gala celebrating the event in January of 1989, the Coast Guard Band played and Senior Musician King conducted, for the premier of the fanfare. The only Coast Guardsman so honored, Senior Musician King was presented the PHS Citation by Surgeon General Koop for his special service. The lyrics are as follows: The mission of our service

2405-471: The U.S. Public Health Service, convened an advisory committee to examine the issue of the link between smoking and illness. Though there were a few restrictions during the 17th century, significant anti-smoking legislation was not enforced until later in the 19th century. According to the first Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health published in 1964, the Surgeon General reported not only that

2470-468: The United States , and by law holds the rank of vice admiral . Officers of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps are classified as non-combatants, but can be subjected to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and the Geneva Conventions when designated by the commander-in-chief as a military force or if they are detailed or assigned to work with the armed forces . Officers of

2535-414: The United States must have one of the four labels mentioned above. Any manufacturer or importer of cigarettes advertising cigarettes in the United States through the use of any medium besides outdoor billboards must also make sure that the advertisement contains one of the four previously listed labels, and those advertising cigarettes in the United States through the use of outdoor billboards must have one of

2600-415: The close relationship between the Commissioned Corps and the Coast Guard, a Commissioned Corps officer on assignment with the Coast Guard is required to wear the same service uniforms as commissioned Coast Guard officers, although still wearing the insignia of the Commissioned Corps to identify them. Senior Musician George King III, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired) composed the "U.S. Public Health Service March" in

2665-562: The commissioned corps of the U.S. Public Health Service is "Protecting, promoting, and advancing the health and safety of the Nation" in accordance with the commissioned corps's four Core Values: Leadership, Excellence, Integrity, and Service. Officers execute the mission of the commissioned corps in the following ways: As of 2019, the most common agency for commissioned corps officers was the Indian Health Service , followed by

Comprehensive Smoking Education Act - Misplaced Pages Continue

2730-576: The commissioned corps's direct commissioning program . As with its parent division, the Public Health Service, the commissioned corps is under the direction of the United States Department of Health and Human Services . The commissioned corps is led by the surgeon general , who holds the rank of vice admiral ( O-9 ). The surgeon general reports directly to the Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Health . The assistant secretary for health may be appointed to

2795-456: The commissioned corps, including the surgeon general, wear uniforms that are modeled after uniforms of the United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard , except that the commissioning devices, buttons, and insignia are unique. Officers in the U.S. Public Health Service wear unique devices that are similar to U.S. Navy staff corps officers (e.g., Navy Medical Service Corps , Supply Corps , etc.). The only surgeon general to actually hold

2860-553: The doctors of the service, and their medical titles correspond with their service rank and pay grade . The service uses officer ranks and service titles interchangeably when referring to the grades of its officers. The commissioned corps uses the same commissioned officer rank structure as the United States Navy and Coast Guard : from ensign to admiral (O-1 through O-10). Commissioned corps officers are typically appointed via direct commission and must complete

2925-519: The event of a public health emergency. The surgeon general is also the ultimate award authority for several public health awards and decorations, the highest of which that can be directly awarded is the Surgeon General's Medallion (the highest award bestowed by board action is the Public Health Service Distinguished Service Medal ). The surgeon general also has many informal duties, such as educating

2990-415: The event of disasters, in austere environments. The commissioned corps may be militarized by an act of Congress or by executive order by the President of the United States, not only in time of war, but also in "an emergency involving the national defense proclaimed by the President." . 42 U.S.C.   § 217 states: In time of war, or of emergency involving the national defense proclaimed by

3055-483: The ever-expanding mission of the service. The Marine Hospital Service soon began taking on new expanding health roles that included such health initiatives that protected the commerce and health of America. One such role was quarantine . John Maynard Woodworth , a famous surgeon of the Union Army who served under General William Tecumseh Sherman , was appointed in 1871 as the Supervising Surgeon. Woodworth's title

3120-450: The following labels on the advertisement: Section 4 continues to elaborate on the visual requirements of the warning labels, listing the regulations on the size, wording, and implementation of the warning labels. For example, Section 4(b)(1) states "The phrase "Surgeon General's Warning' shall appear in capital letters and the size of all other letters in the label shall be the same as the size of such letters as of such date of enactment. All

3185-827: The former Reserve Corps, which had active and inactive components. All former Reserve Corps officers who were serving on extended active duty on 23 March 2010 were converted to Regular Corps officers. The same legislation also abolished the Inactive Reserve Corps (IRC) on 23 March 2010, and consequently the commissions of the existing 10,000 commissioned corps IRC officers. The IRC had consisted of inactive reservists voluntarily activating to provide over 3,000 active-duty days annually for routine and public health emergencies including during Hurricane Katrina and other emergency response missions, and in providing surge capacity for numerous shortages in isolated and hardship underserved areas. Inactive reservists also played roles in

3250-513: The general public. Along with the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps , the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is one of two uniformed services that consist only of commissioned officers and has no enlisted or warrant officer ranks, although warrant officers have been authorized for use within the service. Officers of the commissioned corps are classified as noncombatants , unless directed to serve as part of

3315-565: The humanitarian shipboard training missions with other uniformed services . A Ready Reserve Corps Working Integrated Project Team was convened in April 2010 to propose policy concepts, a strategic framework, and a budget. It submitted its final report in June 2010. As of late 2010, the directives and policies to implement the Ready Reserve awaited Secretarial decisions. However, due to

SECTION 50

#1732782479420

3380-688: The late 1980s, and presented the copyright to the PHS Surgeon General, by whom it is still held. The PHS is the only one of the uniformed services in which the copyright is held by the titular head of the Corps. In addition, King composed the Centennial Fanfare, "Anchor and Caduceus", for the PHS Corps Centennial event in 1989. The U.S. Coast Guard Band recorded both the PHS March and Centennial Fanfare for

3445-477: The letters in the label shall appear in conspicuous and legible type in contrast by typography, layout, or color with all tore printed material on the package." In addition, as stated in Section 7 of the Comprehensive Smoking Education Act, the cigarette industry must provide the Secretary an annual list of the ingredients added to cigarettes manufactured in, packaged in, or imported into the United States. The list

3510-600: The nicotine and tar in cigarettes caused lung cancer, but also that smoking was the most important cause of chronic bronchitis, increased risk of dying from chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and caused coronary disease. As a result, Congress enacted the Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act in 1965, which created the first cigarette warning label in the United States by requiring health warnings on all cigarette packages saying "Caution: Cigarette Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health." A few years later, Congress passed

3575-443: The other teams in the event of staffing shortages due to availability, or the need to scale up a response. Commissioned Corps personnel are trained and equipped to respond to public health crises and national emergencies, such as natural disasters, disease outbreaks, or terrorist attacks. The teams are multidisciplinary and are capable of responding to domestic and international humanitarian missions. Some notable deployments involving

3640-496: The position of supervising surgeon, later surgeon general. After 141 years under the Treasury Department, the Service came under the Federal Security Agency in 1939, then the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) in 1953, and finally the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) . Prior to 1970, the surgeon general was traditionally selected from career uniformed officers. Today,

3705-415: The rank of admiral (O-10) if they are also a serving uniformed officer of the commissioned corps. The Public Health Service Commissioned Corps had its beginnings with the creation of the Marine Hospital Fund in 1798, which later was reorganized in 1871 as the Marine Hospital Service . The Marine Hospital Service was charged with the care and maintenance of merchant sailors, but as the country grew, so did

3770-523: The rank of a four-star admiral was David Satcher (born 1941, served 1998–2002). This was because he served simultaneously in the positions of surgeon general (three-star) and assistant secretary for health (which is a four-star office). John Maynard Woodworth (1837–1879, served 1871–1879), was the first holder of the office as "supervising surgeon." United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps ( USPHSCC ; also referred to as

3835-557: The recommendation of the surgeon general and permission of the Assistant Secretary for Health . During deployments, commissioned corps officers may report to regular office spaces, such as coordinating responses at state-of-the-art emergency operations centers, or into the field in extremely austere environments, such as when responding to a natural disaster. In addition, deployments may either be on an individual basis, such as when specific skill sets are needed, or as part of

3900-660: The ships at the ports of call during the mission. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), signed by President Barack Obama on 23 March 2010, established the Ready Reserve Corps of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps as the new surge capacity for the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. The ready reserve corps is intended to fulfill the need for additional commissioned personnel on short notice to assist Regular Corps personnel for both routine public health and emergency response missions during involuntary calls to active duty. The Ready Reserve Corps replaced

3965-495: The surgeon general is usually selected from the civilian community, who aligns more closely with the president's political party. The office is not a particularly powerful one, and has little direct statutory impact on policy-making, but surgeons general are often vocal advocates of precedent-setting, far-sighted, unconventional, or even unpopular health policies. The U.S. Army , Navy , and Air Force also have officers overseeing medical matters in their respective services who hold

SECTION 60

#1732782479420

4030-503: The title Surgeon General, of their respective services, while the surgeon general of the United States is surgeon general of the entire nation. The insignia of the surgeon general, and the USPHS, use the caduceus as opposed to the Rod of Asclepius . The surgeon general is a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps , one of the eight uniformed services of

4095-472: The uniform while on duty, although he allowed individual agencies to determine their own requirements. In 2004, Surgeon General Richard Carmona made uniforms compulsory whenever officers were on duty. The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act established a Ready Reserve Corps for the PHSCC, but technical errors in the legislation prevented it from being implemented until the errors were corrected in

4160-436: Was later changed to "Supervising Surgeon General", which later became the surgeon general . Woodworth is credited with the formal creation of the commissioned corps. Woodworth organized the Marine Hospital Service medical personnel along Army military structure in 1889 to facilitate a mobile force of health professionals that could be moved for the needs of the service and country. He established appointment standards and designed

4225-454: Was previously established in 1953 as the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW), and it is still led by the surgeon general . The commissioned corps allocates officers to all of the other uniformed services depending on the health or medical needs of each service. By the 1980s, the wearing of uniforms on a day-to-day basis was not consistently practiced. In 1987, Surgeon General C. Everett Koop advocated for consistent use of

#419580