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AF Surgeon General visits RAF Lakenheath

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Madeline Herzog
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Lt. Gen. Dorothy Hogg, U.S. Air Force Surgeon General, and Chief Master Sgt. G. Steve Cum, Chief, Medical Enlisted Force and Enlisted Corps Chief, visited the 48th Medical Group, Feb. 28, 2019.

The visit included a roundtable discussion, meetings with Airmen, and tours of various hospital facilities.

During the roundtable discussion, Hogg was briefed on the medical group’s mission, answered questions, and received an update on the current partnership with the U.K. National Health Service.

“The role of the 48th Medical Group is making sure Airmen are medically ready to do the mission they need to do,” said Hogg. “The other part of that is making sure their medics are mission-ready.”

The partnership with the NHS gives Airmen the opportunity to work on different types of medical cases off base. Experience Airmen gain from partnering alongside their British counterparts prepares them for potential deployment situations, and it ensures they get the training they need on a routine basis.

“Our beneficiary population is a relatively healthy population, but what I need my medics to do when they go down range is more trauma cases,” said Hogg. “Partnerships with our international partners, and also our civilian partners, allows us to have some more specialized medics practicing their skill each and every day. Without that they wouldn’t be ready to do the mission they’re required to do.”

While touring the Ambulatory Procedures Unit/Operating Room, Obstetrics/Gynecology Clinic, and the Education and Training Simulation Center, Airmen talked about best practices, processes, and readiness.

The APU/OR continue to establish and maintain readiness through the NHS partnership, the MDG’s simulation center training, and other joint operations.

The OB/GYN is the largest women’s health clinic within U.S. Air Forces in Europe, and medics deliver an average of 400 babies each year. The clinic also capitalizes on the NHS partnership by providing joint care for high-risk pregnancies.

The Education and Training Simulator Center is USAFE's Tier 1 simulation center. It provides oversite for all USAFE simulation centers.

“Our medics are maintainers of the human weapon system,” said Hogg. “Our job as medics is to make sure that human weapon system is ready to go and do the mission, whatever that may be.”