April 29, 2009 Keesler neonatal ICU reclassified as a special care nursery Keesler Medical Center reclassified its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to a Special Care Nursery April 1. According to Lt. Col. Jeannine Ryder, 81st Inpatient Operations Squadron deputy commander, loss of the NICU is the result of a decrease in admissions and patient population. A Special Care Nursery
April 29, 2009 Wright-Patterson Medical Center takes its Health News Briefing on the Road The Wright-Patterson Medical Center has launched a Health News Road Show, purposed to introduce various groups to the benefits and programs afforded them through the health care programs here.The undertaking establishes a two-way flow of information and is intended to build and maintain a strong
April 29, 2009 Wilford Hall doctor performs first robot-assisted surgery in the Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Kyle Weld performed the first robot-assisted surgery in the Air Force at Wilford Hall Medical Center, April 10. The surgery was a laparoscopic prostatectomy, or the surgical removal of prostate cancer. "The procedure went great," said Dr. Weld, director of endourology at Wilford Hall.
April 29, 2009 Wilford Hall team trains with Chilean air force medics An 11-man team of Air Force medics from the 59th Medical Wing participated in a Medical Readiness Training Exercise, or MEDRETE, with 31 Chilean air force medics in March 2009. "This was clearly different from a routine 'humanitarian mission' as surgical subspecialty care was provided to a
April 29, 2009 AFMS history: The AFMS badges and medical service seal The AFMS seal and all Air Force medical badges have a central design -- a single snake coiled around a staff. This was the ancient Greek symbol for the healing arts, known as the snake and staff of Aesculapius, a mythological Greek physician who inspired a popular medical cult in ancient times. For
April 29, 2009 Busy BEEs keep base buzzing The "BEEs" here aren't as concerned with honey as they are the chemicals that could potentially be found on base. While the 379th Medical Group bioenvironmental engineering, or BEE, flight is responsible for many things, their primary concern here is the base water supply. "In the deployed
April 20, 2009 Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Green nominated to be next AF surgeon general President Barack Obama has nominated Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Charles Bruce Green to become the next Air Force surgeon general. General Green is currently the Air Force's deputy surgeon general, a position he has held since August 2006. Pending approval by the Senate, General Green would become the Air
April 14, 2009 Reading program reaches out to military families Through the program's military initiative, doctors and nurses at 20 military hospitals, including one in Germany, soon will receive training on how to promote early literacy for children. They also will be provided with free books to present to parents with children ages 6 months to 5 years when
April 14, 2009 711 HPW looking forward to first classes Fresh off the first anniversary of the unit's standup, the evolution of the 711th Human Performance Wing at Wright-Patterson continues with the announcement of the first classes here. The U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine supports the Air Force with research, consultation, and academic
April 14, 2009 Family care forum kick starts Year of the Air Force Family Senior Air Force officials and family care professionals set the direction for the Year of the Air Force Family April 2 here. More than 200 Air Force behavioral specialists, chaplains, family advocacy personnel and other family support members separated April 1 into five groups and focused on
April 14, 2009 Sexual assault: Understanding recovery For most survivors, a sexual assault, particularly rape or sodomy, is probably the most traumatic event to ever touch their life. How you react and recover will be dependent upon many factors including the relationship with the perpetrator, the level of violence and duration of the attack, other
April 14, 2009 Medics, volunteers help servicemembers recover for duty The 379th Expeditionary Medical Group nurses and technicians here join forces with base volunteers in a program to help servicemembers with non-debilitating injuries or non-urgent surgical needs to fully recover and get back in the fight. The In-Theater Care Program was established to treat patients
April 14, 2009 Don't call him a hero Tech. Sgt. Christopher Frost raised his right hand and re-enlisted here March 1 knowing full well the sacrifice he was committing to -- he has already given his right leg in the line of duty. In Iraq in May 2008, Sergeant Frost, was planning to do his laundry when he got a call about an improvised
April 14, 2009 Wilford Hall officials to participate in smoking cessation study Air Force smokers who want to kick the habit may benefit from a smoking cessation study and program that will be conducted from Wilford Hall Medical Center here. The National Institutes of Health recently awarded a $3.6 million grant to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis to
April 14, 2009 Advanced field hospital put to test in Puerto Rico The earthquake and tsunami that struck here left a streaming mass of civilians requiring medical attention, and Arizona Air National Guard members flew here to render assistance. Or, at least, that's the scenario. In exercise Vigilant Guard, Airmen from the 161st Medical Group of the Arizona
April 14, 2009 Keesler medical genetics lab earns two-year accreditation The Air Force Medical Genetics Laboratory at Keesler Medical Center has been awarded two-year accreditation by the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists. The genetics flight commander, Capt. Mona Nelson, was congratulated for the "excellence of the services
April 14, 2009 WHMC Air Force graphic illustrator wins DoD award Master Sgt William Vance was named Military Graphic Illustrator of the Year March 10 for the second year in a row, an accomplishment that has never happened before. The award will be presented May 29 at the Defense Information School at Fort Meade, Maryland. The Visual Information Awards Program is
April 14, 2009 Yokota lab earns prestigious accreditation You're in good hands when it comes to the service provided by the 374th Medical Group clinical laboratory, and they have the paper to prove it. The College of American Pathologists awarded an accreditation, based on a recent on-site inspection, to the medical group laboratory. The lab, noted for
April 14, 2009 Wilford Hall Nurse wins USA Power Lifting Competition A nurse consultant for the Critical Care Air Transport Team at Wilford Hall Medical Center won the USA Power Lifting Military Nationals competition in Killeen, Texas, on March 14. After only three years in competitive power lifting, Andre Gholson has won the USAPL Texas State Championship for the
April 1, 2009 Airmen reflect on 6th anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom Airmen in the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing here took a moment to reflect on previous deployments here and the progress that's been made since 2003 to mark the six-year anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom March 19. Some take note of the physical changes in the base, the hardened facilities and the