Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service

Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service

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Abbreviation	COA
Formation	1951; 73 years ago (1951)
Type	Professional organization
Headquarters	Landover, Maryland
Region	United States
Membership	5,000
Executive Director	Jacqueline Rychnovsky[1]
Board of directors	22 elected/voting members 1 non-voting member
Website	coausphs.org

The Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service, often referred to as the Commissioned Officers Association (COA), is a professional association of officers of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps. It is a nonprofit organization that advocates for the interests of the USPHS Commissioned Corps. COA describes itself as a "nationally recognized member-based organization" formed to "protect and enhance the public health and safety of the United States by supporting and advancing the interests of the Commissioned Corps and its officers." It describes itself as the only organization "that works exclusively on behalf of active, inactive, and retired" USPHS Commissioned Corps officers.^[2]

COA describes itself as serving as "a legislative aid, a media consultant, and a career development specialist to its members" which provides "representation and advocacy, education and training for health professionals, collaboration with related organizations, and dissemination of public and professional information."^[2]