When you join the Commissioned Corps, you become part of a dedicated team of professionals who work to improve the health of individuals, communities, and the Nation.

Meet some of the allied clinical care officers in the Commissioned Corps below, or visit the Health Services Professional Advisory Committee Web site.

Lieutenant Commander Jeri Coats
Medical Technologist, Indian Health Service

Raising awareness and helping others
For most young professionals, a challenging work environment that provides opportunities to grow professionally while making a real difference in the community is an ideal that they strive to realize. For LT Weatherly, a medical technologist, this goal is achieved every day through her work among American Indians in Pawnee, OK. Two problems that have been growing among the American Indian population in the area are diabetes and obesity. Through her efforts, LT Weatherly helps to aid in the diagnoses of diabetes, with the hope of treating and fighting the disease. She also supports efforts to promote children’s health, such as encouraging children to lead an active life in which physical exercise is a priority. “I believe that my work does make a real impact on people who often would not have been able to receive any other form of health care,” says LT Weatherly.

Captain Dawn A. Kelly
Optometrist, Indian Health Service

An optometrist, Cherokee, and community leader
While growing up in Muskogee, OK, CDR Kelly never heard of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, much less thought about joining a uniformed service. Today, as a commander in the Corps, she serves in the Indian Health Service (IHS) as the district chief of optometry in Parker, AZ. Her responsibilities include overseeing a team of eye doctors, nurses, and technicians at five IHS health clinics. Nearly 5,000 clinical visits and 500 patient consultations per year keep these clinics busy. As a Cherokee, CDR Kelly views her job of caring for the eye health needs of American Indians living in five communities—two of which are designated as isolated hardship locations—as "taking care of family." Being a commissioned officer of the U.S. Public Health Service opened a rewarding career path for CDR Kelly. Because of her unique experiences within the Corps serving American Indian communities, she has grown beyond her specific medical training to become a community leader.