History of the Health Services Category

The Health Services category is the third largest category in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. The professional disciplines comprising the Health Services category provide public health leadership and service across the sfull spectrum of healthcare including delivery of care, after care and follow-on care.

The traditional clinical categories were formally established in 1956, through a Federal Register Notice, to improve the promotion process for eligible officers to be considered in their discipline rather than as a single commissioned corps. Unfortunately, at the time there was no category for social and allied health services. Its noteworthy to mention in the early 1950’s two social workers were commissioned, not as social workers, but as "psychiatric nurses". Through a Federal Register Notice in 1959, the Health Services category was established to fulfill a critical need not only for social and allied health services, but for future services that haven’t yet evolved.

Today, Health Services Officers 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 over 1200 active duty officers. The category continues to grow and change to fulfill new health leadership roles. The Health Services motto: "Multidisciplinary in Approach, Connected by Service, Advancing Public Health" 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.

HSOs who have served as CPOs: