Committed to the Mission of the Commissioned Corps of the USPHS:
Protecting, promoting, and advancing the health and safety of the Nation


Updated Basic Readiness checklist. Please click to download the latest Basic Readiness checklist. It also have the new phone numbers and links. Posted on 12-7-2011. 

The Compensation Branch (CB) and the Medical Affairs Branch (MAB) have relocated to a new location. Below is the new contact info for Compensation. MAB’s new phone and fax numbers are on the attachment. You will need this information when you fax your immunization information to MAB and when you mail medical records to MAB. Posted on 11-14-2011.

The Dental Category Newsletter Summer 2011 Edition is now available. The Dental Category Newsletter is Hot Off the Press!!! Read Yours Today!!! This newsletter is packed full of category updates, COA Meeting highlights, DePAC updates, Officer Spotlights and much more. Posted on 9-20-2011

USPHS Dental Category Resource Manual.   This manual contains comprehensive information to assist dental officers in maximizing their career potential from employment to retirement. Every dental officer is encouraged to use this manual and to share the information with his or her colleagues. Posted on 7-20-2011.

Congratulations USPHS Dentists! Congratulations to the following USPHS Dentists recognized with awards on Dental Category Day during the 2011 USPHS Scientific and Training Symposium held in New Orleans, Louisiana. Posted on 6-29-2011.

Dental Category Promotion Benchmarks for 2012.   Guidance Regarding Promotion Precepts and Benchmarks for Commissioned Corps Officers. Posted on 5-25-2011.

Dental Category Coin is now available. Order your coin today. Posted on 3-28-2011.

Online Oral Health Resources and CE opportunities.   It is a compilation of online resources and continuing education opportunities for dental category members. Posted on 2-2-2011.

2010 Dental Professional Advisory Committee White Papers. It is hoped that our white papers will provide badly needed information relative to the dental category’s many past accomplishments and successes, its current issues of concern, as well as future directions, in terms of planning for the future needs of the dental category. Posted on 2-2-2011.

Billets for Dental Officers and Tutorials are available. The Commissioned Corps billets system is in the process of transformation. Two versions of the same tutorial (video and text) have been created to guide officers through this process. Posted on 6-28-2010.

Direct Access: Information for Commissioned Corps Officers.   Self Service in Direct Access makes the officer an active participant in helping meet public health needs and keeping his or her information current. Posted on 12-11-2009.

Post 9-11 GI BILL. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is now accepting applications for enrollment in the new Post-9/11 GI Bill. If you were on active duty on or after September 11, 2001, and have served at least 90 days on active duty after that date, then you are eligible to enroll in the new Post-9/11 GI Bill. Posted on 7-20-2009.

Dental Category Approved CV Format and instructions. The Curriculum Vitae (CV) may be used to apply for positions with the Commissioned Corps and for documentation in your Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF). Posted on 6-18-2009.

 


Welcome to the home of the Dental Category of the United States Public Health Service(USPHS).  The USPHS is the major health component of the Federal Government and the world´s foremost authority on public health issues.

The USPHS is composed of approximately 6,000 Commissioned Corps Officers and 50,000 Civil Service employees.  The USPHS Dental Category is comprised of over 600 Commissioned Corps and Civil Service dentists.  As one the seven Uniformed Services of the United States, the USPHS Commissioned Corps is a specialized career system designed to attract, develop, and retain health professionals who may be assigned to Federal, State or local agencies or international organizations to accomplish its mission.


Compensation Branch (CB) and
the Medical Affairs Branch (MAB) have relocated

Compensation Branch (CB) and the Medical Affairs Branch (MAB) have relocated from the Parklawn Building in Rockville, to a new location in Silver Spring. See Google map: http://g.co/maps/gh9su.

Below is the new contact info for Compensation. MAB’s new phone and fax numbers are on the attachment. You will need this information when you fax your immunization information to MAB and when you mail medical records to MAB.

NOTE: When using regular mail, the zip code to be used is the Parklawn Building’s zip so that mail will reach them (we have been told there is no delivery to their new building, so we should NOT use the new building’s zip, 20910, for general mail as it will be returned to you).

Commissioned Corps Compensation Branch Contact Information

Medical Affairs Branch Contact Information


Seeking Motivated Officers for
the 2012 Dental Category Day Planning Committee

The Commissioned Officers Association (COA) will host the 2012 USPHS Scientific and Training Symposium from June 19-21 in the Washington D.C. area. The Dental Professional Advisory Committee (DePAC) is seeking Dental Officers to assist with the planning and execution of the 2012 Dental Category Day program including agenda, speakers, topics, guests, awards, and activities.

Interested Officers should send an e-mail to the Dental Category Day Co-Coordinators: LCDR Vicky Ottmers (Vicky.Ottmers@dhs.gov) and LCDR William Lopez (William.Lopez@phs.dhs.gov)by September 16th. Please include a brief statement that explains why you are interested in volunteering and what you feel you can contribute to the group.

Committee members must be available for up to two conference calls monthly and available for outside tasks. Please ensure supervisory approval to participate. While not mandatory, it is preferable for committee members to be present at the 2012 Dental Category Day to assist with events of the meeting.

This is a great opportunity to serve your category!

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE 2012 DENTAL PROFESSIONAL
ADVISORY COMMITTEE AWARDS NOMINATION CYCLE

The Dental Professional Advisory Committee (DePAC) is pleased to announce the 2012 DePAC Awards Cycle. Nominations for the Dental Category awards are now being accepted. The DePAC requests that you nominate a fellow dentist, either Commissioned Corps or Civil Service. Please pass this information along to colleagues and to supervisors from all categories so they can recognize deserving candidates.

Additionally, this is the inaugural year for the John P. Rossetti Mentor of the Year Award. This award was created to recognize and honor a USPHS dentist serving in an exemplary mentoring role who has enhanced the professional growth and career development of junior Commissioned Corps or equivalent level general schedule dentists. CAPT Rossetti completed a stellar career in the USPHS, helping many fellow officers and making lasting contributions to public health. CAPT Rossetti will be remembered for his generous nature, willingness to help others, and desire to make the world a better place. Countless PHS officers, state oral health directors, students, and others have benefited from his insight and guidance. Each year the John P. Rossetti Mentoring Award will be given to a PHS dental officer who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to fellow officers and an ability to help others with their professional performance and careers.

Detailed nomination instructions including nomination form, checklist, and example narratives can be found on the Dental Professional Advisory Committee Awards web page at: http://www.phs-dental.org/depac/awards.html

Important points to remember:

  • Deadline for submission is September 16, 2011
  • Submit early to ensure all documents have adequate review time
  • Maintain OFRD readiness status throughout the nomination process
  • Submit all documents electronically in Microsoft word rich text format
  • Supervisor's approval required (e-mail from supervisor with signature block)
  • If you have questions, contact Awards Workgroup Chair CAPT James Sullivan (jxsullivan@bop.gov ).
  • Anyone can nominate! Recognize your colleagues!!!

Congratulations USPHS Dentists

Congratulations to the following USPHS Dentists recognized with awards on Dental Category Day during the 2011 USPHS Scientific and Training Symposium held in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Dental Category Day - June 21, 2011

  • Dental Professional Advisory Committee Awards

    • LCDR Vicky Ottmers - Ernest Eugene Buell Dental Award
    • CAPT Coleman Palmertree - Ruth Lashley Mid-Career Dental Award
    • CAPT Michael Korale - Senior Clinician Dental Award
    • CAPT Jeff Gaskin – Dental Responder of the Year Award (Co-Recipient)
    • CAPT James Schaeffer – Dental Responder of the Year Award (Co-Recipient)
    • CAPT Susan Runner - Hershel S. Horowitz Oral Health and Policy Award
    • CAPT Lynn Price - Jack D. Robertson Dental Award

  • Chief Professional Officer Exemplary Service Award

    • CAPT Todd Tovarek
    • CDR Shani Lewins

  • USPHS Special Assignment Award

    • CAPT Steven Johnson, USPHS (Ret.)
    • CAPT Mark McDowell
    • CAPT Bob Smith
    • CAPT Darla Whitfield
    • CAPT Tameka Lewis-Baker
    • CAPT Phillip Woods
    • LCDR Nathan Mork

  • JOAG Junior Officer of the Year Award

    • LCDR Mahyar Mofidi

  • Please take time to congratulate and thank the recipients for their career dedication and exemplary service to the Dental Category

2010 Dental Professional Advisory Committee White Papers

Our DePAC Bylaws provide for the development of white papers from time to time. Last year each DePAC work group or subcommittee developed such a document. A white paper is defined as an authoritative report or guide that often addresses issues and how to solve them. White papers are often used to educate readers and help people make decisions. They are often used in politics and business, and technical subjects.

All too often our dental category’s institutional knowledge is lost with the changing of each DePAC administration. It is hoped that our white papers will provide badly needed information relative to the dental category’s many past accomplishments and successes, its current issues of concern, as well as future directions, in terms of planning for the future needs of the dental category. The white papers, created by the various work groups and subcommittees, will seek to provide objective measures of our efforts. This is useful, in terms of justification of our utility as a category, and more importantly, as USPHS Commissioned Corps officers. Later in 2011 we will update the DePAC bylaws; information gleaned from the 2010 white papers should prove helpful in this process as well.

Information available regarding billets training..
on behalf of Transformation Officer

As you are probably aware, the Commissioned Corps billets system is in the process of transformation. By late fall of this year (2009), an electronic process will be launched whereby all officers will be requested to initiate the creation of new billets for the positions they currently encumber. Two versions of the same tutorial (video and text) have been created to guide officers through this process. The video version takes less than 15 minutes to complete.

ALL COMMISSIONED CORPS OFFICERS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO COMPLETE THE NEW BILLETS CREATION TUTORIAL LOCATED HERE: http://dcp.psc.gov/Billets_Tutorial.aspx

Additionally, there is a billets transformation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page located here: http://www.usphs.gov/transformation/billet.aspx

If you do not have access to Microsoft Office (Excel) you should complete the video version of the tutorial. The text version requires you to be able to open an Excel spreadsheet within Excel. A similar tutorial will soon be available for supervisors and reviewing officials (both civilian and Corps) to guide them through the review process described in the officer tutorial. If you have any questions regarding the tutorial or the upcoming billets transformation process, please contact: CAPT Byron P. Bailey, MPH Transformation Officer - Billets U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Public Health and Science 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 100, Room 117 Rockville, MD 20852 (240) 453-6101 (voice) (240) 453-6141 (fax) byron.bailey@hhs.gov

   Billets for USPHS Officers

The Mission of the Commissioned Corps
Protecting, promoting, and advancing the health and safety of the Nation

As America's uniformed service of public health professionals, the Commissioned Corps achieves this mission through:

  • Rapid and effective response to public health needs
  • Leadership and excellence in public health practices, and
  • The advancement of public health science