HEALTH SERVICES OFFICERS

Dedication Opportunity Challenge Impact Rewards

Health Services Officers (HSOs) in the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) can choose from a variety of challenging opportunities in the eight PHS agencies and several other Federal programs. Clinical care, health promotion, research, and administration are among the many public paths to pursue.

A wide range of professional disciplines is embraced within the Health Services category, encompassing many different qualifying degrees from accredited clinical, technical, and administrative programs. Professions include: health educator, health care administrator, social worker, health record administrator, optometrist, physician assistant, podiatrist, computer scientist, dental hygienist, medical technologist, psychologist, epidemiologist, and biological, environmental, and radiological health scientists.

Health services professionals can join the PHS through the Commissioned Corps, a uniformed service consisting of health professionals, or the Civil Service, the Federal civilian personnel system. In either case, they earn competitive salaries and generous benefits and can work in several PHS or PHS-affiliated agencies during their careers. Approximately 10 percent of all PHS commissioned officers are Health Services Officers (HSOs).

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

To become a Health Services Officer in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, a health professional must meet one of the following requirements:

* a master's degree in a health-related specialty,

* a baccalaureate degree in computer science, dental hygiene, medical (health) record administration, medical technology, and physician assistant,

* a doctorate in optometry or podiatry.

In addition, HSOs must be licensed and/or board certified in their disciplines, if applicable, within a specified period from time of commissioning.

AVAILABLE ASSIGNMENTS

Indian Health Service (IHS)

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

Bureau of Prisons (BOP)

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Other Assignments

AVAILABLE PROFESSIONS

Computer Scientists

Dental Hygienists

Medical Technologists

Physician Assistants

Optometrists

Medical Record Administrator

Social Workers

AGENCIES PROGRAMS

Agencies Programs and Contacts