Federal Occupational Health

Federal Occupational Health (FOH) is a non-appropriated agency within the Program Support Center (PSC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). FOH works in partnership with federal organizations nationally and internationally to design and deliver comprehensive occupational health solutions exclusively to federal employees.

FOH was created in 1946 by an amendment to the Public Health Service Act and provides services exclusively to federal agencies and the Department of Defense. FOH is the largest provider of occupational health services in the Federal Government, serving more than 360 federal agencies and reaching 1.8 million federal employees.

It has 300 health centers throughout the U.S. and a network of over 700 private-provider physicians and nurses through which it provides clinical services, including emergency response, physical exams, immunizations, vision and health screenings, and health risk appraisals. It also maintains more than 200 counseling offices in federal buildings as well as a network of affiliate counselors in approximately 1,000 locations across the country.

History
Old official logo of Federal Occupational Health from 2013

Federal Occupational Health's earliest predecessor was created in 1946.[1] The Federal Employee Health Division was established in 1947 within the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) Bureau of Medical Services. It was absorbed by the Division of Hospitals in 1949, but was split out again in 1966 as the Federal Employee Health Program.[2] After the PHS reorganizations of 1966–1973, it was placed in a different Bureau of Medical Services within the Health Services Administration.[3][4]

In 1982, the Health Services Administration merged with the Health Resources Administration to form the Health Resources and Services Administration.[5] As part of the merge, the Bureau of Medical Services merged with the Bureau of Community Health Services to form the Bureau of Health Care Delivery and Assistance.[6] As of 1985, the Division of Federal Occupational Health and Beneficiary Health Services remained within the merged bureau.[7]

In 1992, the Bureau of Health Care Delivery and Assistance was renamed the Bureau of Primary Health Care.[8][9] By 1997, the division had been renamed the Division of Federal Occupational Health.[10]

By 2003, Federal Occupational Health was transferred to the Program Support Center, part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration.[1][11]

References
  1. "About FOH". Federal Occupational Health. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  2. "Records of the Public Health Service [PHS], 1912-1968". National Archives. 2016-08-15. Section 90.8. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  3. History, mission, and organization of the Public Health Service. U.S. Public Health Service. 1976. p. 22.
  4. Ederma, Arvo B. (1977). An Administrative Guide for Federal Occupational Health Units. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
  5. Erickson, Anna. "A Policy History of the Community Health Centers Program: 1965-2012" (PDF). University of Michigan. Retrieved 2020-08-30.
  6. 47 FR 38409
  7. Availability of Occupational Health Services for Federal Employees in GSA Buildings-1985: A Chart Book. 1986.
  8. "HRSA Reorganizes Component Program Bureaus for 'Clarification'". Public Health Reports. 107 (6): 737. 1992. JSTOR 4597258.
  9. Erickson, Anna. "A Policy History of the Community Health Centers Program: 1965-2012" (PDF). University of Michigan. Retrieved 2020-08-30.
  10. United States Congressional Serial Set. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1999.
  11. "Program Support Center". Program Support Center. 2003-08-04. Archived from the original on 2003-08-04. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
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