Health Service Officer

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
The Health Services category was established in 1959 to meet the staffing requirements of a changing PHS. At the time, officers who were trained in a single discipline, e.g. physicians in the medical category and nurses in the nurse category staffed most of the PHS categories. Health professionals whose qualifications distinguished them from the existing PHS categories were needed.

The first two social workers were commissioned in the PHS in 1950, and assumed key leadership positions in the NIH. In 1966, the first optometrist was commissioned and assigned to the Indian Health Service. Podiatry was added as a Corps specialty in 1978 with the commissioning of a National Health Service Corps podiatrist. The latest additions to the Health Services category include computer scientists and physician assistants in 1989. Medical technologists and dental hygienists were added in 1991. In 2001 the computer science discipline was expanded to include information technology.

The Health Services category continues to grow and change to fulfill new health leadership roles. Many new health disciplines have emerged since the category was formed in 1959. Today, HSOs perform a variety of functions including direct clinical practice, program development, health planning and administration, and research. The category has grown from a small nucleus of a few officers to its present level of about 800 active duty officers. The HSO motto: “Strength Through Diversity” attests to the wide range of skills and experience possessed by this multi-disciplinary team of officers and to their pride and commitment to serving in the Commissioned Corps.



LOGO DESCRIPTION:
The reverse rim inset is colored red as historically used by the military medical services, and included raised letters “Health Services Category”, from the 8 to 4 o’clock position. Inside the rim at the top is a yellow rising sun with rays which represents the eternal day of our professional Public Health Service presence anywhere in the world, and our commitment to bringing light to the darkness of disease and pestilence. Inside the rising sun is the date 1959, the year the Health Services category was established.

In the center of the seal is a dark blue shield which signifies national service. In the center of the shield is a gold caduceus signifying our central role in nation health. The shield is flanked on the left by a burning Lamp of Learning in bright yellow which symbolizes the Health Services Category clinical and research officer’s commitment to further man’s knowledge and education in health. On the right is a lighting bolt across a white feathered quill. The lightening bolt represents the Health Services category participation in Disaster Medical Assistant Team (DMAT) and Office of Force Readiness Deployment (OFRD), and swiftness to act in protecting the public health. The feathered white quill denotes the administrative disciplines in the category and our commitment to creating national policy and professional publications. The white scroll at the bottom of the shield signifies the higher ethical standard of officers and our mission. The scroll contains the words “Strength by Diversity”, truncated for coin use from the actual Category motto of “Strength through Diversity” as authorized by the Health Service Professional Advisory Committee (HS-PAC).

The design of the logo was created in 1999 by LT Elizabeth Pierce, supported by CDR Doreen Melling, HS-PAC Chair, and CAPT Vivian Chen, 1999-2001 HS CPO.