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
Dec. 17, 2009 Retired first sergeant leaves special legacy When Senior Master Sgt. Clayton French was honored at his Nov. 20 retirement ceremony, most of the guests in attendance learned the 81st Medical Operations Squadron first sergeant would leave a significant legacy to the service to which he devoted more than 28 years of his life: Sergeant French had
Dec. 17, 2009 USAFSAM: The Air Force's medical educators Flight surgeons, aerospace physiologists, public health and bioenvironmental officers, flight nurses and enlisted specialists - every year, the Air Force and its partners need thousands of skilled medical professionals to fill critical positions.Where does the Air Force find enough people with the
Dec. 17, 2009 Medical logistics: Lives in the balance Surgical and survival records are being broken by doctors and nurses at the Craig Joint Theater Hospital here daily - but without critical supplies, medications and equipment, the skilled surgeons and caring nurses can't continue to do their job of saving lives.That's where the masterful work of the
Dec. 17, 2009 USAF Nurse Transition Program celebrates first anniversary with University Hospital Cincinnati Fourteen Air Force nurses participated in the fifth graduation ceremony for the Nurse Transition Program Friday, Dec. 4 at University Hospital in Cincinnati. The ceremony marked the completion of the first year of the program.University Hospital Cincinnati and the U.S. Air Force established the
Dec. 17, 2009 Iron-distance triathlon tests colonel's mettle "I never thought of it as being crazy," said Lt. Col. James Barber, commander of the 42nd Medical Support Squadron, of his recent completion of his first iron-distance triathlon, a combination of running, swimming and biking for 140.6 miles of endurance-challenging sport.Colonel Barber took up the
Dec. 17, 2009 Air Force colonel beats cancer, soars high Col. Michael Stapleton, 49th Fighter Wing Operations Group commander at Holloman AFB, N.M., has come a long way since being diagnosed with cancer in 2006."I was diagnosed with cancer when I was the 43rd Fighter Squadron commander at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida," said Colonel Stapleton. "I had