Dear Commissioned Corps Members:

In this time of great national need, the US Public Health Service is being called upon like never before to fulfill our mission to protect, promote and advance the health and safety of our nation. Our Operating Divisions, Staff Divisions and non-Health and Human Services agencies have done everything possible to support our Corps.

As members of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, you are the foundation of that response -- and it has been a tremendous response. There are more than 1,000 Public Health Service officers currently deployed in hurricane response activities across the country. For example, those officers have been working:

• In federal medical shelters
• In special needs shelters
• In private hospitals
• At federal and state operations centers
• As members of environmental health teams
• As members of civil engineering teams
• As members of veterinary teams
• As members of mental health teams
• As members of pharmacy teams with the Strategic National Stockpile
• As field commanders for all Health and Human Services assets involved in the response.
• In coordinating efforts with the American Red Cross
• In coordinating efforts with civilian volunteers, and
• As members of large public health teams

Additionally, I joined Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt and several senior staff members Sunday and Monday (September 4-5) as we visited operations in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas. During the visit, Secretary Leavitt installed public health representatives in each city to ensure that the health and medical needs of the evacuees are met. He specifically appointed Commissioned Corps officers to serve as those liaisons between each city and the Department of Health and Human Services, providing ready access to the Department and its resources.

So far, those liaisons combined with teams from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been assessing hospitals and nursing homes to determine what is needed to get those facilities back up and running. The liaisons have also been involved in a number of activities such as setting up immunization programs for the residents and evacuees in the affected areas.

This is just a sample of the great work the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is doing in the field. Your support has been exemplary and very much appreciated at all levels of the Department.

Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S.
VADM, USPHS
United States Surgeon General