PHS Overview:The Public Health Service is entrusted with safeguarding the health of the American public. It oversees several key health agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).Historical Background:In 1798, the U.S. Marine Hospital Service was founded by Congress to care for ailing and wounded merchant seamen, laying the groundwork for what would become today's U.S. Public Health Service. By 1870, the Marine Hospital Service evolved into a national healthcare system under centralized management by a medical officer known as the Supervising Surgeon. This position was later renamed Surgeon General.The Role of the Surgeon General:Dr. John Woodworth became the first Supervising Surgeon in 1871, and he established a group of medical staff to run the Marine Hospital System. On January 4, 1889, Congress formally recognized this system by approving the Commissioned Corps, designed as a flexible, military-style group of professionals ready for reassignment according to Service needs. Initially, the Corps only included physicians, but as the responsibilities of the PHS expanded, so did the range of health professionals in the Corps.Organizational Changes:Until 1968, the Surgeon General led the PHS, with all programmatic, administrative, and financial authority channeling through this position, which reported directly to the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. In 1968, responsibility for the PHS shifted to the Assistant Secretary for Health, and the position of Surgeon General transitioned to a deputy role, focusing on advising and assisting on medical matters. The Surgeon General also became a key spokesperson on specific health issues. In 1987, the Office of the Surgeon General was reinstated within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, with the Surgeon General resuming oversight of the Commissioned Corps personnel system. The Surgeon General reports to the Assistant Secretary for Health, who serves as the chief advisor to the Secretary on public health and scientific matters.Current Operations:Currently, there are over 6,100 active-duty officers. These officers serve not only within PHS agencies but also in various external organizations, such as the Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency, Health Care Financing Administration, and the Commission on Mental Health of the District of Columbia.
