ing ▁program . ▁ ▁As ▁with ▁its ▁parent ▁division , ▁the ▁Public ▁Health ▁Service , ▁the ▁commission ed ▁corps ▁is ▁under ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Department ▁of ▁Health ▁and ▁Human ▁Services . ▁The ▁commission ed ▁corps ▁is ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁Sur geon ▁General , ▁who ▁holds ▁the ▁grade ▁of ▁vice ▁adm iral . ▁The ▁Sur geon ▁General ▁reports ▁directly ▁to ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Health ▁and ▁Human ▁Services , ▁Ass istant ▁Secretary ▁for ▁Health ; ▁the ▁Ass istant ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Health ▁may ▁be ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁adm iral ▁if ▁he ▁or ▁she ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁serving ▁uniform ed ▁officer ▁of ▁the ▁commission ed ▁corps . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁Public ▁Health ▁Service ▁Commission ed ▁Corps ▁had ▁its ▁beg inn ings ▁with ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Marine ▁Hospital ▁Fund ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 8 , ▁which ▁later ▁was ▁re organ ized ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 1 ▁as ▁the ▁Marine ▁Hospital ▁Service . ▁The ▁Marine ▁Hospital ▁Service ▁was ▁charged ▁with ▁the ▁care ▁and ▁maintenance ▁of ▁merchant ▁sail ors , ▁but ▁as ▁the ▁country ▁grew , ▁so ▁did ▁the ▁ever - expand ing ▁mission ▁of ▁the ▁service . ▁The ▁Marine ▁Hospital ▁Service ▁soon ▁began ▁taking ▁on ▁new ▁expand ing ▁health ▁roles ▁that ▁included ▁such ▁health ▁initi atives ▁that ▁protected ▁the ▁commerce ▁and ▁health ▁of ▁America . ▁One ▁such ▁role ▁was ▁quar antine . ▁ ▁John ▁May n ard ▁Wood worth , ▁a ▁famous ▁sur geon ▁of ▁the ▁Union ▁Army ▁who ▁served ▁under ▁General ▁William ▁T ec um seh ▁Sh erman , ▁was