Name
#184 One Health, One Mission: The Interoperable Role of Civilian and Uniformed Health Education in Federal Nurse Readiness
Content Presented On Behalf Of:
USPHS
Services/Agencies represented
Defense Health Agency (DHA), US Public Health Service/Health Human Services/Indian Health Service (USPHS/HHS/IHS), Uniformed Services University (USU), Veterans Health Administration/Veterans Affairs (VHA/VA)
Session Type
Poster
Date
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Start Time
5:00 PM
End Time
7:00 PM
Location
Prince Georges Expo Hall E
Focus Areas/Topics
Clinical Care, Policy/Management/Administrative
Learning Outcomes
1. Describe the role of civilian and uniformed healthcare educators in sustaining continuity within federal health education systems.
2. Examine interagency roles and contributions of DoD, VA, and USPHS educators to mitigate turnover-related disruptions, supports national defense, public health, emergency response capacity and enhances long-term readiness.
3. Discuss interagency models that integrate DoD, VA, and USPHS educators to strengthen workforce stability, accreditation, and mission capability.
4. Discuss strategies to support the readiness, continuity, and overall well-being of the federal health educator workforce, while also preventing change fatigue in the face of rapid shifts in work environments.
Session Currently Live
Description
This poster draws on policy analysis, workforce data, and interagency experience to underscore the interoperable role of civilian and uniformed healthcare educators in ensuring continuity, readiness, and educational excellence within the nation’s defense and public health missions. Civilian faculty and commissioned officers from the and U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and Department of Defense (DoD) form an integrated federal learning health network that sustains the nation’s healthcare readiness infrastructure through education and deployability. Within the Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps provides a deployable cadre of uniformed health professionals who reinforce federal readiness across domestic and global missions. USPHS officers serve as subject matter experts and public health educators within VA and DoD institutions, bridging clinical and operational competencies that sustain surge capacity during national emergencies. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), serves as the nation’s largest healthcare training system, advancing both Veteran care and national readiness. As a primary training site for more than 70% of U.S. physicians and host to over 40 health profession’s education programs. The VA serves as a cornerstone for health workforce development in safeguarding Veterans, and strengthening the VA’s 4 th mission duties to public emergency health demands. The Department of Defense (DoD) integrates uniformed and civilian educators to ensure operational readiness by maintaining a global network of academic and training institutions, such as the Uniformed Services University and Army Medical Center of Excellence, which deliver rigorous, competency-based education across nursing, medicine, and allied health professionals. These programs emphasize the translation of evidence-based practice into austere and operational environments, preparing the joint medical force to deliver care in both peacetime and conflict. The educational infrastructure is exemplified by the U.S. Army Practical Nurse Course (PNC), which underscores the indispensable role of civilians in sustaining military medical education and operational readiness. Civilian instructors provide essential stability within an instructional environment characterized by high military turnover and preserving curriculum continuity, accreditation standards, and student success. The PNC produces Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) who are technically proficient, adaptable, and mission ready. Distinct from Registered Nurses and medics, LPN occupies a vital middle ground continuum of military healthcare delivery, especially in preparation for Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO). LPNs skills, competency, and capacity to provide acute long-term care make them a cornerstone of the wartime medical mission ensuring that care can be delivered effectively when evacuation may be limited. A sustained civilian instructional workforce is therefore critical to protecting the integrity of training pipelines, maintaining readiness across fluctuating force conditions, and ensuring the continued production of skilled LPNs who directly enhance the force’s capacity to save lives and sustain operations in any environment. Together, DoD, VA, and USPHS form a resilient, interoperable learning health ecosystem linking education, prevention, and response to embody the joint force’s “One Health, One Mission” approach. Through sustained civilian engagement and interagency collaboration, this continuum will continue to strengthen national readiness and the capacity to heal, at home and abroad.