History of the PHS OHCC

Difference Between the PHS OHCC and the DePAC

Operations of the PHS OHCC

History of the PHS OHCC

The PHS OHCC was created in 1990 in response to recommendations made by a report that critically reviewed the dental programs in the Department.  This report recognized the diversity and complexity of the dental programs that are spread throughout the agencies and called for support for a central office and staff to coordinate oral health activities.  The Department’s response resulted in the creation of the PHS OHCC that reports to the Surgeon General and to the Assistant Secretary for Health.

Difference Between the PHS OHCC and the DePAC

Unlike other categories in the Commissioned Corps, the Dental Category has two chartered committees, the Dental Professional Advisory Committee (DePAC) and the PHS Oral Health Coordinating Committee (OHCC).  These two committees allow the dental category to explore specific oral health and dental profession topics within and beyond the federal government and give the category a voice directly to the Surgeon General and Assistant Secretary for Health. 

The DePAC reports to the Surgeon General and places a heavy emphasis on addressing issues of relevance to the Commissioned Corps workforce.  The OHCC focuses on oral health of the American public and facilitates collaborations and leveraging among programs within and beyond the Federal government.  As expected, there are overlapping activities between the DePAC and the PHS OHCC. 

Operations of the PHS OHCC