March 7, 2012 Air Force "Doc" moonlights as Spokane "SWAT" He's dual-hatted, serving his country as an Air Force doctor and his community as a member of the Spokane County Sheriff's Department Special Weapons and Tactics team.Simply known as "Doc" to his SWAT team colleagues, Lt. Col. Thatcher Cardon, a 92nd Medical Group doctor, has been a SWAT doctor for
March 7, 2012 Innovations in eye care So which is really better, "1" or "2"? That question can cause a lot of anxiety for 21st Medical Group optometry clinic patients. Many patients are fearful that they will be stuck with a bad pair of glasses if they give the wrong responses during their exam. The truth is often that neither "1" nor
March 7, 2012 Heads Up! March is Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month Traumatic brain injury is defined as a blow, jolt or other injury to the head that disrupts the functioning of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. A TBI can occur from exposure to blasts, falls, gunshot wounds, and motor vehicle accidents. Blasts are the leading cause of
March 6, 2012 Keesler genetics lab helps doctors, patients fight Many times, medicine is a war - doctors helping patients or parents of patients fight against whatever disease or condition they may be up against. If that's true, geneticists would be your CIA operatives, your undercover agents providing valuable intelligence on the adversary.And here at Keesler,
March 6, 2012 Air Force expands drug testing program to include abused prescription drugs The Air Force and other military services will expand their drug testing to include testing for commonly abused prescription drugs beginning May 1, 2012.On Jan. 31, 2012, the Secretary of Defense gave a 90-day advance notice of the drug testing expansion which aims to counter the nation's growing
March 5, 2012 48th MDG makes it three in a row The 48th Medical Group continued its winning streak for the third consecutive Air Force Surgeon General's Best Hospital of the Year award, a feat some among the group thought was unlikely."It is unheard of that a hospital could win three years in a row," said Col. Joseph Legan, 48th MDG commander.
Feb. 28, 2012 Major receives German award for moral courage "There was no time to think; I just did it ... it was about helping someone out and doing the right thing."Maj. Deron Warren, an emergency room physician for the Landstuhl Regional Medical Facility in Germany, stopped a robbery at a restaurant in Kaiserslautern, Germany, in April 2011. For his
Feb. 27, 2012 Air Force is Worsham family business It's not unusual for a married active-duty Air Force couple to be assigned together. But there are three Worshams wearing blue at Keesler, all members of the 81st Medical Operations Squadron.First Lt. Angelica Worsham is a physician assistant in the family health clinic. Her husband, Tech. Sgt.
Feb. 23, 2012 EMT 'rodeo' sharpens emergency response skills Being deployed overseas can sometimes be challenging for an emergency medical technician, especially since there could be situations that one wouldn't normally see on city streets in the U.S.This is why the 386th Expeditionary Medical Group developed the EMT Rodeo, which creates various challenges
Feb. 21, 2012 First African-American woman to earn commercial pilot's license challenged racism head-on A Chicago registered nurse would go on to become the first African-American female to hold a commercial pilot's license.Janet Bragg was born in March of 1907 in Griffin, Ga., and after graduation from an Episcopal school, attended college at Spelman Seminary in Atlanta where she earned a registered
Feb. 21, 2012 Nurse faced hurdles for military acceptance Retired Army Maj. Nancy C. Leftenant-Colon, the first black nurse in the Reserve or active-duty Army nurse corps, didn't expect it to be easy.
Feb. 21, 2012 AF flight surgeon makes mark during historic space flight The American public remembers John Glenn for his solo orbit around Earth. They remember Neil Armstrong for his walk on the moon.But few remember how Col. (Dr.) Vance H. Marchbanks Jr., one of the first black flight surgeons in the Army and the first in the Air Force, made it possible for them and
Feb. 21, 2012 Award-winning Medical Group reopens Team Patrick clinic Team Patrick and visiting dignitaries cut the ribbon Feb. 9 to commemorate the completion of the 45th Medical Group's extensive renovation project.The 45th Medical Group officially opened its 74,000-square-foot clinic that has been undergoing renovation and modernization since last August, thanks to
Feb. 21, 2012 New JBER Fisher House hosts first guests Senior Airman Joshua Crawford and his wife, Rachael, were the first guests to stay at the Alaska Fisher House on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson until they were finally able to take their newborn girl, Devi, back home to Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks, Feb. 2. While in Fairbanks, the Crawford
Feb. 21, 2012 Mobile Web app makes personnel accountability easier Software developers have created a new mobile Web application that allows total force Airmen the ability to account for themselves and family members from their smartphone during a crisis or natural disaster.During a crisis, the Air Force uses the Air Force Personnel Accountability and Assessment
Feb. 21, 2012 Healing the injured brain: VA, DoD join forces on research to combat TBI, PTSD In recent years, collaboration has increased between Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) researchers, especially in the areas of traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychological health topics. As many as 229,000 service
Feb. 16, 2012 Travis scientist fights on the microscopic front lines in the battle against disease, injury From her tidy research laboratory, Sarah Torres, 60th Air Mobility Wing civilian and 349th AMW Reservist, contemplates big ideas by focusing on the microcosm of living matter.Half a world away, a soldier on patrol in Afghanistan is briefly knocked unconscious by the blast of a roadside bomb. His
Feb. 16, 2012 Medical squadron personnel best in Air Force Two Airmen from the 66th Medical Squadron were recently selected as the best in their specialties by the Air Force.Selected as the 2011 Outstanding Air Force Diagnostics Imaging Noncommissioned Officer of the Year was Staff Sgt. Jamie M. Red. Also selected was Senior Airman Richard L. Riley as the
Feb. 16, 2012 Two from 17th MDG earn AF level awards The 17th Medical Group recently garnered two Air Force level award winners.Staff Sergeant Stephanie Thompson, 17th Medical Support Squadron and Senior Airman Grant Homan, 17th Medical Operations Squadron, were recognized for their above and beyond achievement in the workplace. Thompson was awarded
Feb. 16, 2012 Mike O'Callaghan Treatment Facility Upgrades to Expand Care Mike O'Callaghan Federal Medical Center has begun adding new services and a larger capacity for care. The former federal hospital was redesignated in this year's defense authorization bill, clearing it for the expansion.Maj. James Combs of the 99th Medical Dental Support Squadron, head of patient