January/February 2022 COA/COF Monthly Update

I wish each of you a belated Happy New Year and my hope that 2022 is off to a good start for you and your family. It’s my pleasure to share the January/February combined issue of Frontline. There is considerable excitement around our ramp up for the 55th Annual USPHS Scientific & Training Symposium, May 23-27, 2022, in Glendale, Arizona. Registrations and sponsor/exhibitor sign-ups are well ahead of past meetings which reflects your desire to be together again. Our speaker lineup is impressive, including Dr. Leana Wen (George Washington University and Washington Post columnist), RADM Richard Childs as the 2022 Luther Terry Lecturer, along with your USPHS senior leaders. Pending COVID restrictions and deployments we hope to continue the tradition of the Surgeon General’s Ensemble performance and are in the process of selecting a t-shirt vendor for the Surgeon General’s 5K Run/Walk apparel. The PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation is giving an unprecedented number of Junior Officer scholarships for officers at the rank of O3 and below. I hope to meet many of you in a few short months in Glendale, Arizona. 

Jacqueline Rychnovsky, PhD, CAE
Captain, USN (Retired) 

BYLAWS REVISION
Please don’t forget to vote yea or nay on the proposed bylaws changes. Notably, these proposed bylaws changes create a new position on COA’s Board of Directors for a Ready Reserve officer. This vote will close on February 15, 2022. A COA member with a very sharp eye pointed out a technical change that needs to be made so there will be an additional bylaws vote sent soon.

NOMINATE A DESERVING INDIVIDIAL OR GROUP: DEADLINE MARCH 1, 2022

COA is announcing nomination opportunities for the following awards. 

• Health Leader of the Year (civilian, retired active duty, or active duty) 
• Civilian Outstanding Support of the USPHS (civilian, contractors) 
• Retiree of the Year (retired civilian or retired active duty) 
• Local Branch of the Year
• Local Branch Member of Year Award 
• Local Branch Leader of the Year Award

Application details can be found soon on the COA website under the Awards tab. The award nomination deadline is 5 pm ET on Monday, March 1, 2022. Please consider nominating deserving individuals and COA Branches for a COA award! 

HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT SERVING ON THE COA BOARD OF DIRECTORS?

If you’ve ever thought about serving on COA’s Board of Directors, this could be your year! Full and partial terms are open in the following categories: Field Representative, Pharmacist Officer, Ready Reserve Officer, Retired Officer, HSO Officer, and Veterinarian Officer. The Retired Officer members also serve as appointed Trustees of the PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation (COF) for the Advancement of Public Health. The deadline is March 15, 2022. Apply here.

INTERESTED IN SERVING ON THE COF BOARD OF TRUSTEES?

Do you want to make a difference and “Forge Leadership for Generations?” If so, there are several openings on the PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation Board of Trustees for a term beginning July 1, 2022. The Board of Trustees is a mix of retired USPHS officers and other professionals. The Board of Trustees provides strategic guidance to the Foundation. To self-nominate please complete the application here. Questions? Reach out to RADM (Retired) Steve Solomon.

JUNIOR OFFICER SYMPOSIUM SCHOLARSHIPS

Don’t miss out on the array of opportunities available to you at the 2022 USPHS Scientific and Training Symposium (May 23-27) in Phoenix, AZ.  Recognizing the challenging times, the PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation is planning to make available an unprecedented number of Junior Officer Scholarships to cover registration for officers 0-3 and below.

Register for a Junior Officer Scholarship
Conference Brochure
Agenda-at-a-Glance

FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY FOR JUNIOR OFFICERS
The PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation (COF) will soon be accepting applications for the 2022 RADM Michael Fellowship. Funding to obtain a certificate in Global Health or Data Analytics at the University of Maryland School of Public Health is open to COA members at the rank of 01-04 in the USPHS Commissioned Corps. For more details, visit https://www.phscof.org/scholarships/radm-michael-fellowship/