Sept. 6, 2011 The last cry: "Big Willie'' says goodbye to labor and delivery Baby Laurel Perez made history on Aug. 28.She was the last baby born at Wilford Hall Medical Center and is now an important part of the 60-year history of labor and delivery here.The Hauth Birthing Center, located on the 5th floor of the nine story hospital known as "Big Willie," closed Aug. 29 and
Sept. 1, 2011 Community College of the Air Force Accreditation Team Visits METC In a significant step forward to providing degree-credit programs to military students attending the Medical Education and Training Campus (METC), an accreditation team from the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) spent three days Aug. 23-25 reviewing affiliation candidacy status for several
Aug. 30, 2011 Walter Reed closes, legacy lives on, commander says An ambulance carrying the last inpatient from Walter Reed Army Medical Center here slowly made its way out of the Georgia Avenue gate Aug. 27, pausing briefly for the crowd of flag-waving troop supporters and shouts of "Thank you for your service! We love you!"As the ambulance turned north on
Aug. 30, 2011 Caring for People Survey results provide insight More than 100,000 total force Airmen voiced their opinions in the online Caring for People survey conducted from Dec. 1, 2010 to Jan. 3, 2011. After experts performed a comprehensive analysis, officials have released results to force support leadership. The survey allowed active duty, Guard and
Aug. 30, 2011 Battlefield acupuncture offers alternative pain relief for deployed service members Officials from the Malcolm Grow Medical Center Acupuncture Clinic held a battlefield acupuncture course Aug. 11 for military medical and other healthcare professionals to learn the innovative pain relief technique.Rather than service members opting for pharmaceutical drugs with possible adverse side
Aug. 30, 2011 Hospital consolidation going smoothly, commander says A large-scale realignment of military health care facilities is nearing culmination, and officials recently said they are pleased with the progress.Joint Task Force National Capital Region Medical was created in 2007 to oversee a base realignment and closure law mandate to close Walter Reed Army
Aug. 26, 2011 Hurricane Irene Prompts TRICARE Waiver of Health Care Referral and Prescription Requirements The Department of Defense (DoD) has approved a waiver of the primary care manager (PCM) referral requirement for beneficiaries in eastern North Carolina. Hurricane Irene is anticipated to make landfall there Saturday morning.TRICARE beneficiaries in need of urgent medical care following the storm
Aug. 26, 2011 9/11: Former AF surgeon recalls Pentagon post-attack response The Air Force surgeon who led the medical response after the Pentagon attack 10 years ago said a couple of readiness firsts in the months before mitigated what could have been a much worse outcome.
Aug. 25, 2011 The 2011 Asia-Pacific Military Nursing Symposium highlighted a common culture In early August, we had a wonderful opportunity to co-host the Asia Pacific Military Nursing Symposium (APMNS) with our colleagues from Thailand. The event took place in the magnificent city of Bangkok known as the "City of Angels." My counterpart, Maj. Gen. Somjai Supyapoung, Director of the Royal
Aug. 25, 2011 Battlefield acupuncture offers alternative pain relief for deployed service members Officials from the Malcolm Grow Medical Center Acupuncture Clinic held a battlefield acupuncture course Aug. 11 for military medical and other healthcare professionals to learn the innovative pain relief technique.Rather than service members opting for pharmaceutical drugs with possible adverse side
Aug. 24, 2011 Specialized skin cancer surgery available again The Keesler Hospital again offers Mohs surgery, a specialized technique for removing various types of skin cancer.Maj. (Dr.) Oliver Wisco arrived in July to restart the treatment that hadn't been available here for a year.Wisco, a member of the Air Force for 10 years, earned a bachelor of science in
Aug. 24, 2011 Family liaison officers change lives Family liaison officers provide support and professional assistance to the families of active-duty members and wounded warriors when they've lost a loved one. "The FLO provides several services depending on family needs or the needs of the wounded warrior," Chaney Ferguson, 902nd Force Support
Aug. 24, 2011 Hospital earns 89 out of 100 in rating A Health Services Inspection conducted by the Headquarters Air Force Inspection Agency, Directorate of Medical Operations has left the medical staff at David Grant USAF Medical Center in high spirits. In addition to successfully passing a no-notice inspection, the 60th Medical Group also received
Aug. 23, 2011 Art that heals: Fairchild Hall exhibit features relics of Vietnam Medicine is sometimes referred to as the healing arts. People walking through Fairchild Hall in the next few weeks may gain a more full appreciation of both components of that term.Dr. Carl Bartecchi unveiled his exhibit, "Curing, Caring, and Healing: Vietnam Then and Now," at the Permanent
Aug. 23, 2011 Immunizations or Vaccinations: What's the story? The terms immunization and vaccination are both derived from Latin, and while many people use the words interchangeably, it is important to know that there is a slight difference between the two.Immunization is derived from the word immunis, which means free from or exempt. Ancient Romans originally
Aug. 19, 2011 Deployed medics care for, bond with Soldiers When Soldiers go on missions outside the wire, they are susceptible to any number of threats, ranging from extreme weather conditions and rocks being thrown at them, to small-arms fire and roadside bombs. Having well trained medical professionals attached to Army units ensures a quick response in
Aug. 19, 2011 Reusing or sharing prescription medications? Don't risk it! Have you checked your medicine cabinet lately? You may have unwanted antibiotics from a recent infection, surplus pain medication from when you had your wisdom teeth removed or extra sleeping pills from a recent bout of insomnia. There are several reasons you may have leftover medications: you may
Aug. 18, 2011 Resilience study can help DOD officials strengthen programs The military has a plethora of programs aimed at building resilience in service members and their families, but needs a better system in place to measure their success, a study has revealed.Commissioned by officials from the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain
Aug. 18, 2011 Program supports military families with special needs About a year ago, Maj. Nicholas Sabula received word of an upcoming assignment following his deployment in Afghanistan.He became concerned, however, when he learned that his new duty station and the local area didn't have adequate services for his son, who was diagnosed with autism in 2006. But
Aug. 15, 2011 VA quality data released to public on CMS Hospital Compare website Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers are now included in the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services Hospital Compare website, which measures hospital quality based on what matters most to patients, the outcomes of care. "VA is committed to providing veterans and their family members