Jan. 15, 2010 Paktya Regional Hospital cares for Afghan National Army's families Afghanistan National Security Forces and their dependants are entitled to free military health care throughout the country. This service is not often used by families due to lack of awareness or proximity to a military facility. The Paktya Regional Military Hospital is a 50-bed inpatient facility
Jan. 15, 2010 Surgery, lifestyle changes charge man's massive weight loss Mike Porter is about half the man he used to be.His weight reduction is due in large part to an Air Force bariatric surgery program, plus eating healthy, weightlifting and running. Surgery changed the retired master sergeant's life."I'd been trying to lose weight for about four years," said Mr.
Jan. 15, 2010 Airmen transition into new fitness program As Airmen begin transitioning into the new testing cycle in January, officials worked to publish the new Air Force instruction to the Air Force Publications Web site Jan. 12, with an effective date of July 1.Air Force officials unveiled the new fitness program in August while still completing a
Jan. 15, 2010 Air Force seeking athletes for warrior games The deadline for submitting applications to compete in the inaugural Warrior Games at Colorado Springs, Colo. is Jan. 15.Approximately 200 wounded active duty members and military veterans will compete in the Warrior Games May 10 to 14. Air Force officials are seeking approximately 25 wounded
Jan. 15, 2010 Provincial reconstruction team expands hospital for Afghans A cornerstone ceremony for a new, modern wing of the Zabul Provincial Hospital took place Dec. 26, in Qalat, Afghanistan.The International Security Assistance Forces Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul is partnering with local community leaders to complete this project. Contractors have
Jan. 15, 2010 Caring Airmen, American citizens clothe wounded warriors When the crewmembers of 451st Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight first deployed to Kandahar Airfield in August, they knew they would be transporting many wounded warriors throughout Afghanistan. What they didn't expect was to be transporting some of those patients in nothing but their
Jan. 15, 2010 Air Force officials study brain injuries Compression chambers used to treat divers who experienced "the bends" after ascending too quickly may offer clues to treating wounded warriors suffering traumatic brain injuries. An Air Force study at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio hopes to determine if hyperbaric oxygen therapy shows
Jan. 15, 2010 From Vietnam to America: Airman fulfilling dream Senior Airman An Phan, 81st Medical Operations Squadron, has been selected for commissioning as a second lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps.Her squadron commander, Lt. Col. Jane Denton, surprised her with the news Nov. 30 in her duty section, Keesler Medical Center Emergency Department.Airman
Jan. 15, 2010 Keesler medic among inductees for Rust College's Sports Hall of Fame Barbara Knox-Seymour, 81st Diagnostics and Therapeutics Squadron pharmacy flight, and other members of the 1984 Rust College "Lady Bearcats" basketball team were honored recently as they and their coach were the first athletes to be inducted into the school's Sports Hall of Fame.The event was held
Jan. 15, 2010 DoD and VA Discuss Environmental Exposure Challenges On Nov. 13, an assembly of some of the top physicians, epidemiologists, and researchers from across the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and even the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense gathered in a day long workshop to discuss the challenges of environmental
Jan. 15, 2010 Tricare officials expanded benefits and customer service in 2009 The past year has been a busy one for Tricare officials with the introduction of a new web-based counseling program and major enhancements to several other Tricare benefits.Introduced Aug. 1, the Tricare Assistance Program uses today's constantly evolving web-based technologies to bring short-term
Jan. 15, 2010 Three vaccines now available at Tricare network pharmacies Tricare beneficiaries can now receive select vaccines with no out-of-pocket expense at retail pharmacies.For the first time, beneficiaries can visit Tricare retail network pharmacies to receive seasonal flu, H1N1 flu and pneumonia vaccines at no cost. This expanded coverage is available to all
Jan. 15, 2010 New program helps Tricare beneficiaries battle lung diseases Even after quitting, smoking can lead to serious health problems including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but Tricare officials are committed to helping beneficiaries quit smoking and stay smoke-free.Smoking is the leading cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and exposure to
Jan. 15, 2010 Toolkit helps answer servicemembers' health care questions One in five servicemembers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffers from major depression or post traumatic stress disorder, according to officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.To help servicemembers affected by a behavioral or other
Dec. 22, 2009 Aviano Air Base hospital receives ENERGY STAR rating The Aviano Air Base hospital has received the Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR rating, the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection. The base hospital is the first U.S. facility overseas to receive this distinction, and joins 96 other hospitals in the
Dec. 22, 2009 Doctors perform groundbreaking surgery at Walter Reed Doctors from Walter Reed Army Medical Center here and the University of Miami collaborated to perform the first pancreas islet cell transplant Thanksgiving Day on an Airman whose pancreas was injured so severely in Afghanistan that it had to be removed.While serving with an Army unit in Afghanistan,
Dec. 22, 2009 Traumatic stress response team helps Fort Hood victims An Air Force medical team trained in helping people recover from traumatic events returned from Fort Hood, Texas, after responding to the Nov. 5 shootings, which left 13 people dead and dozens injured.The Traumatic Stress Response team, led by Maj. Sheila Beville, a 59th Mental Health Squadron
Dec. 22, 2009 A holiday message from Lt. Gen. Green and Chief Cole As we conclude 60 years of Air Force medicine in 2009, it is time to honor where we've been as we look ahead. The Air Force Medical Service played pivotal roles in early space exploration, contingency responses and caring for our nation's warriors. Our efforts have preserved freedom and fostered
Dec. 17, 2009 Air Force's largest NICU staff cares for tiniest patients In the midst of life saving machines, sensors and IVs is a swaddled, sleeping baby girl who weighs little more than 2 pounds. Forty times a minute a ventilator pumps about a teaspoon of air into her tiny lungs to keep her alive. Each breath is closely monitored by Cheryl Collicott, the baby's
Dec. 17, 2009 Doctor able to help on flights "Is there a doctor on board?!" This is a plea an 81st Medical Group surgeon has responded to on three occasions while traveling aboard passenger aircraft.Maj. (Dr.) Yekaterina Karpitskaya's most recent in-flight emergency occurred Sept. 28. The major, an orthopedic surgeon with the 81st Surgical