PHS Proud Blog — commissioned corps

If you love Public Health Service history like I do, then you're in for a treat! I had the pleasure of discussing what is likely one of the last remaining PHS relics in the United States: the Columbia River Quarantine Station at Knappton Cove. Background  In 1889 the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps was established. Back then, it was the Marine Hospital Service. In 1891 U.S. law mandated that all immigrants coming into the U.S. received a health inspection by a Service physician. This was the era of "Manifest Destiny" and Americans were spreading Westward and more immigrants were...

The senate held a hearing for Surgeon General nominee Vivek Murthy on February 25th, 2021. Should he be confirmed, Dr Murthy would return as Surgeon General for a second time. That would be a first in the entire history of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps’s 132 year existence. Interestingly, Murthy achieved many “firsts” while serving as the Surgeon General. Murthy was with the Corps for notable accomplishments like the Ebola and Zika responses. The former earned the Corps its first ever Presidential Unit Citation. Dr. Murthy sent out a historic letter campaign to thousands of prescribers in the...

The U.S. Public Health Service quarantine tugboats or "boarding tugs" were well-known to travelers crossing into American waters during the 1930's through the 1970's. Incoming ships would report to the PHS tugboats any illness or sick passengers aboard. If there were any, a PHS physician officer would board the ship to assess the passenger and safely transport him or her to medical care. This was all in attempt to prevent unknown diseases abroad from entering the U.S. Here is a brief 13 min video on USPHS medical officers inspecting incoming ships and crew members: The Public Health Service tugboats are...