UNITES STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
OFFICE OF MEDICAL SERVICES
DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND THE FOREIGN SERVICE
2401 E St NW SA-1
Washington, D.C 20522-0102
202-663-1611

  Foreign Service Medical Practice

Mission Statement:
The mission of the Office of Medical Services of the Department of State is to promote the health of all under its care by encouraging prevention of illness and facilitating access to care.

            The Foreign Service medical program is responsible for approximately 37,000 people living and working around the world.  In addition to the Department of State there are approximately 200 additional federal agencies participating in the Medical Program.

            The health care delivery system is two tiered.  The Office of Medical Services, in Washington has overall administrative and programs responsibility.  Overseas health units deliver care to our employees and their families while serving overseas.  There are approximately 165 health units staffed with locally engaged personnel or with Foreign Service medical providers. The Foreign Service medical Corps is comprised of 43 physicians, 53 Health Practitioners, 10 Psychiatrists and 10 Laboratory Technologists.  Approximately 100 missions have no on-site health units at all.

 The overseas health units deliver primary care services to posts that range in size from 60 to 3,000 persons.  In order to provide direct care and oversight of care received, all Foreign Service providers have regional responsibilities.

Regional responsibilities mean that a provider has primary responsibility for a home-post, and regional responsibility for other embassies and consulates in a geographic area.  The oversight is comprised of direct care, provided via telephone consultation and other distant communication methods such as Tele-medicine.   Physicians and Psychiatrists regularly travel up to70% of the time.  Health Practitioners  (NPs and PAs) and Medical Technologists travel from 30 to 50% of the time.  In the event of an emergency or other critical need in another post, Foreign Service medical personnel must be prepared to travel on short notice.

             In general, health units are well equipped for family practice needs. There are a wide variety of Health Unit office configurations ranging from rather extensive outpatient units with overnight capabilities and minor emergency rooms, to more modest settings of one room with an exam area and some storage space.

            Practice locations can be in developed world settings with specialty consultants and tertiary care centers nearby to remote sites with local facilities to be used only in extreme situations as a last resort or till out of country transport can be accomplished.

            The Department operates five medical evacuation centers, located in Washington, DC, Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. London, England, Pretoria, South Africa and Singapore.  The Medevac Centers are established in those sites because of western standard medical care, ease of access to professionals and facilities and long standing experience with the medical community in these locations.

            In addition to providing direct care to our community, Foreign Service health professionals identify local resources, evaluate the breadth and depth of the facilities and providers, learn the local public health profile, endemic disease patterns, seasonal variations and participate in global reporting to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

            All personnel and family members living abroad have medical clearance examinations in order to determine if the post of assignment has the necessary personnel and institutions to care for the individual’s particular medical condition.  The practice is primarily family practice, monitoring chronic diseases, providing health information and health education, disease surveillance and emergency care.

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