AMSUS – Society of Federal Health Professionals
AMSUS was founded in 1891, and later chartered by the US Congress in 1903. That charter outlined the objective the organization to “advance the knowledge of military surgery, medicine, and sanitation in the medical departments of the Army, the Navy, the Marine-Hospital Service and of the militia of different States, and to increase the efficiency of the different services by mutual association and the consideration of matters pertaining to the medico-military service of the United States in peace and war.” Since its inception, it has sponsored annual educational and networking meetings, brought together industry and government leaders, and provided a forum for federal healthcare agencies to interface with one another. AMSUS initially stood for the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States, but was later changed to The Society of Federal Health Professionals, although the acronym AMSUS still stands. Beginning as far back as the early years of the organization, international military medical personnel have been invited to participate. In fact, it was at the 28th meeting of AMSUS after World War I (1920 that US Navy Captain William S. Bainbridge, MD and Belgian Commander Medical Officer Jules Voncken
suggested the creation of an international organization of armed forces medical services that ultimately led to the formation of the International Committee of Military Medicine on 21 July 1921, with Belgium, Brazil, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States comprising the founding members. In the years since then, both organizations have flourished independently, but have always remained closely tied in spirit and purpose, with AMSUS having a more prominent US presence based on its support to the US Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security. AMSUS sponsors Military Medicine, a journal dedicated to research and articles of important to the military medical community, as well as several continuing education events throughout the course of each year. Each year the annual educational meeting draws in senior leaders and participants from all of the US federal healthcare agencies, as well as an international audience that often includes surgeons general or deputy surgeons general of several nations, to discuss current topics and exchange ideas and lessons learned. Membership is open to members of all military health services; active, reserve or retired. See www.amsus.org for additional information.