2023 Agenda At-a-Glance

  • Sunday, May 7 (Pre-Conference)

    8:00 am – 5:00 pm Pre-Conference Workshops

  • Monday, May 8 (Pre-Conference)

    8:00 am – 5:00 pm Pre-Conference Workshops

    11:00 am – 4:30 pm Blood Drive

    6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Anchor & Caduceus Dinner Reception (cash bar) (*widely attended gathering)

    7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Anchor & Caduceus Dinner: Guest speaker RADM (ret.) Charles W. Grim, D.D.S., M.H.S.A., Secretary of Health, Chickasaw Nation Department of Health

  • Tuesday, May 9 (Opening Day)

    5:30 am – 9:00 am APFT and Surgeon General’s 5K Run/Walk

    9:00 am – 3:30 pm Exhibit Hall Open (Breakfast at 9 am)

    10:00 am – 10:45 am Opening Ceremonies

    10:45 am – 11:00 am Break

    11:00 am – 4:30 pm Blood Drive

    11:00 am – 12:00 pm Luther Terry Lecture: Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, PhD, MPH, “Your Local Epidemiologist”

    12:00 pm – 1:00 pm COA General Meeting and COA Awards Ceremony

    1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Exclusive Exhibit Hall Time

    3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Leadership Keynotes: ADM Rachel Levine, Assistant Secretary for Health; VADM Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General; RADM Denise Hinton, Deputy U.S. Surgeon General; and RDML Richard Schobitz, Director of Commissioned Corps Headquarters

    5:15 pm – 6:15 pm Reception* (Cash Bar), (*widely attended gathering)

    6:30 pm – 7:30 pm Surgeon General’s Ensemble Concert featuring Guest Conductor George King III, MUCS, USCG (Retired), composer of the PHS March

    7:30-8:45 World Premiere PBS Documentary “Invisible Corps: In Officio Salutis”

  • Wednesday, May 10 (Category Day)

    8:00 am – 11:00 am Category Day (breakfast in category rooms)

    8:30 am-10:30 – am Leadership Walkthroughs

    9:00 am – 1:30 pm Exhibit Hall Open

    11:00 am – 1:00 pm Exclusive Exhibit Hall Time

    1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Category Day

    5:00 pm-6:00 pm -VIP Industry Reception and Retired Officers Social (invitation only)

  • Thursday, May 11 (Closing Day)

    7:00 am – 8:30 am JOAG Breakfast and Awards Ceremonies

    8:40 am -9:45 am Chief Professional Officer Updates

    10:00 am – 12:00 pm Scientific Track Sessions​

    12:00 pm – 1:30 pm MOLC Honor Awards Luncheon

    1:30 pm – 4:30 pm Scientific Track Sessions

Pre-Conference

  • Sunday, May 7, 2023 8 am-5 pm

    8:00 am – 5:00 pm Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Training

    8:00 am – 12:00 pm Basic Life Support (BLS) Training

    1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Opioid Overdose Response and Naloxone Training

  • Monday, May 8, 2023 8 am-5 pm

    8:00 am – 5:00 pm Retirement Seminar

    8:00 am – 5:00 pm Health Equity Seminar

    8:00 am – 5:00 pm CPH Exam Review Session

    8:00 am – 12:00 pm Promotion Preparation Workshop

    8:00 am – 12:00 pm Opioid Overdoes Response and Naloxone Training

    1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Implementing the Workplace Mental Health and Well- Being Framework

    1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Basic Life Support (BLS) Training

    1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Military Customs, Courtesies, and Culture

    Registration fee for pre-conference courses covers Cox Business Convention Center catered meal and convention center provided audio-visual services and support. Fee is not attributable to CCHQ.

Category Day

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Category Day is a full day dedicated to each of the 11 professional categories of the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. Non-PHS officers are also encouraged to attend and earn continuing education credits. Symposium category agendas are formed in conjunction with symposium leadership through committees led by Category Representatives appointed by each Chief Professional Officer (CPO). Please find the 2022 agendas below. The 2023 agendas will be posted as they become available.

2023 Category Agendas

Scientific Program

Thursday, May 11, 2023

The Symposium’s Scientific Track Sessions focus on the measurable impacts achieved by USPHS Commissioned Corps officers and our public health partners and how these efforts advance the health and safety of our nation. These sessions of the COF Symposium are distinct in that selected presentations must demonstrate adherence to scientific methodology. While any topic relevant to the Symposium theme is welcome, all submitted abstracts must include a background section, structured methodology, and include clear results (or lessons learned), and conclusions or recommendations for future policy, programs, clinical practice, or research. The 2023 agenda is coming soon.

medic wearing PPE and drawing a solution into a needle

The Surgeon General’s 5K Run/Walk

Tuesday, May 9, 2023 5:30 AM – 9:00 AM

Join us for the Surgeon General’s 5K!

The in-person SG5K race, location to be determined, will occur on Tuesday, May 9 at 6:15 am. There is no cost to participate and all participants in Tulsa will receive a free T-shirt for participating in the run.  Check back later for registration information.

APFT – Officers will be given the opportunity to perform their annual physical fitness test during this time. Upper body, core endurance, and flexibility will be scored before the SG 5K commences. Your run score will be recorded at the 1.5 mile mark along the 5K.

Sign up for the Surgeon General’s 5K!

Event Details:

Date: Tuesday, May 9th

Start Time: 6:45 am

Location: River West Festival Park (Transportation will be provided from the Cox Convention Center)

Continuing Education

Claiming Credit:

Anyone wishing to claim continuing education will need to:

Sign into and out of their sessions using the QR code in the room. Please sign in and out within 5 minutes of the start and end of each session to be counted as present for it.

Fill out a Symposium Evaluation and include your name and email address. View your specific instructions below for the type of credit you are claiming to make sure you fill out the correct evaluation form.

– Fill out all required forms within 30 days of the end of the conference. Deadline: Monday, June 12, 2023

If you are not claiming credit, but would like to provide feedback on the conference, please fill out this Conference Evaluation form.

Dental – A maximum of 27.5 Dental CE credits may be claimed by attendees. The program has been certified via the BOP

At the completion of the symposium, please fill out the Conference Evaluation form. The accrediting body will review your input and provide you with a certificate at the completion of the event.

Conference Evaluation

View approved sessions here

DietitianIn support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Partners for Advancing Clinical Education (PACE) and PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation. PACE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

This program offers 16.0 CPEUs for dietitians.

Read full announcement here: Approval Announcement

At the completion of the symposium, please fill out the Conference Evaluation form. The accrediting body will review your input and provide you with a certificate at the completion of the event.

PACE Conference Evaluation

View approved sessions here

If you wish to evaluate individual sessions, please fill out the Conference Evaluation form as a non-credit claiming evaluator to help us improve future symposiums.

Engineer – Up to 7.75 hours of continuing education were approved for 2023.
– Please remember to scan in at the beginning and end of each session
– You must answer your two questions correctly for each half hour session attended to receive credit for that session. Sessions that are an hour or longer require participation in the session.

At the completion of the symposium, please fill out the Conference Evaluation form. The accrediting body will review your input and provide you with a certificate at the completion of the event.

Conference Evaluation

View approved sessions here



Environmental Health – Up to 8.25 hours of continuing education were approved for 2023.
– Please remember to scan in at the beginning of each session
– You must answer your two questions correctly for each half hour session attended to receive credit for that session. Sessions that are an hour or longer require participation in the session.

At the completion of the symposium, please fill out the Conference Evaluation form. The accrediting body will review your input and provide you with a certificate at the completion of the event.

Conference Evaluation

View approved sessions here

NurseIn support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Partners for Advancing Clinical Education (PACE) and PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation. PACE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

The maximum number of hours awarded for this Nursing Continuing Professional Development activity is 19.5 contact hours.

Read full announcement here: Approval Announcement

At the completion of the symposium, please fill out the Conference Evaluation form. The accrediting body will review your input and provide you with a certificate at the completion of the event.

PACE Conference Evaluation

View approved sessions here

If you wish to evaluate individual sessions, please fill out the Conference Evaluation form as a non-credit claiming evaluator to help us improve future symposiums.

Pharmacist – In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Partners for Advancing Clinical Education (PACE) and PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation. PACE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

PACE designates this continuing education activity for 4.5 contact hour(s) (0.45 CEUs) of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.

(Universal Activity Number – JA4008073-9999-23-138-L99-P)

Type of Activity: Knowledge

Upon completion of the online evaluation, your credit will be submitted to CPE Monitor. Pharmacists have up to thirty (30) days to complete the evaluation and claim credit. Please check your NABP account within thirty (30) days to make sure the credit has posted.

Read full announcement here: Approval Announcement

At the completion of the symposium, please fill out the Conference Evaluation form. The accrediting body will review your input and provide you with a certificate at the completion of the event.

PACE Conference Evaluation

View approved sessions here

If you wish to evaluate individual sessions, please fill out the Conference Evaluation form as a non-credit claiming evaluator to help us improve future symposiums.

Physician – In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Partners for Advancing Clinical Education (PACE) and PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation. PACE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

PACE designates this live activity for a maximum of 21.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Read full announcement here: Approval Announcement

At the completion of the symposium, please fill out the Conference Evaluation form. The accrediting body will review your input and provide you with a certificate at the completion of the event.

PACE Conference Evaluation

View approved sessions here

If you wish to evaluate individual sessions, please fill out the Conference Evaluation form as a non-credit claiming evaluator to help us improve future symposiums.

Physician Assistant – In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Partners for Advancing Clinical Education (PACE) and PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation. PACE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

PACE has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 21.75 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Read full announcement here: Approval Announcement

At the completion of the symposium, please fill out the Conference Evaluation form. The accrediting body will review your input and provide you with a certificate at the completion of the event.

PACE Conference Evaluation

View approved sessions here

If you wish to evaluate individual sessions, please fill out the Conference Evaluation form as a non-credit claiming evaluator to help us improve future symposiums.

Social WorkIn support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Partners for Advancing Clinical Education (PACE) and PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation. PACE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Partners for Advancing Clinical Education is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 16.0 Clinical continuing education credits.

Read full announcement here: Approval Announcement

At the completion of the symposium, please fill out the Conference Evaluation form. The accrediting body will review your input and provide you with a certificate at the completion of the event.

PACE Conference Evaluation

View approved sessions here

If you wish to evaluate individual sessions, please fill out the Conference Evaluation form as a non-credit claiming evaluator to help us improve future symposiums.

Therapist – 2023 Approved Program CEUs

– Maryland Department of Health Board of Occupational Therapy Practice approved 7.25 CEUs

– New Mexico Board of Physical Therapy Examiners approved 7.25 CEUs

– Oklahoma Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology approved 7.25 CEUs

– Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision Respiratory Care approved 7.25 CEUs

View approved sessions and claiming instructions here

Fill out the Conference Evaluation form to help us improve future symposiums.

Veterinary – Up to 21.5 credit hours were approved by RACE for this program in 2023.

Race program approval number: 20-907624

Veterinarian Technician participants may receive a Max # of 21.50 hours.

Medical : 7.00

Non-medical : 45.00

Veterinarian participants may receive a max Max # of 21.50 hours.

Medical : 7.00

Non-medical : 45.00

Please fill out the Conference Evaluation to claim your credit.