Dec. 28, 2007 Patient safety checks at Air Force hospital scores top DoD Award The 59th Medical Wing leads the Department of Defense in patient safety for significantly reducing the chances for inpatient suicides among high risk people. The 59th Mental Health Squadron's winning initiative, "Nurse/Mental Health Technician Change of Shift Safety Checks," led by Capt. Jose
Dec. 28, 2007 Immobility, injury place thousands at risk A difficult-to-detect ailment kills 200,000 people in the U.S. each year -- more than AIDS and breast cancer combined, according to Tricare officials. Yet few have heard of Deep Vein Thrombosis. DVT has been dubbed the "economy class syndrome" because of its association with long flights in cramped
Dec. 28, 2007 Tricare beneficiaries save with mail-order pharmacy Nearly 20,000 Tricare beneficiaries are saving money on their prescriptions after making the switch to mail order through the new member choice center. After only two months of operation, beneficiaries saved approximately $600,000 on prescriptions by switching from retail to the Tricare Mail Order
Dec. 28, 2007 DOD, VA begin disability evaluation program The Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs recently implemented a test program for disability cases originating at the three major military treatment facilities and the VA hospital in the national capital region. The leadership of DOD and VA will review the program's progress over
Dec. 28, 2007 Air Force ophthalmology team saves government big bucks Two 59th Medical Wing team members are recipients of the Air Education and Training Command's 2007 Air Force Exceptional Innovator Award. Ms. Pamela A. Singleton and Lt. Col. Richard G. Lane's implementation of a new drug project has saved the U.S. government $990 per unit dose of a drug used to
Dec. 28, 2007 AF accepting physician assistant applications The Air Force is taking applications from active duty enlisted Airmen for Physician Assistant Phase I training classes beginning January, April and August 2009. Completed applications must arrive at HQ AFPC/DPAMW, 550 C Street West, Suite 27, Randolph AFB TX 78150-4729 no later than Jan. 25. The
Dec. 28, 2007 Air Force provides Army burn flight team with critical care training American combat casualties conceivably have a greater chance to survive life-threatening burn and inhalation injuries as a result of the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine's initiative to train U.S. Army burn flight professionals in Critical Care Air Transport Team operations. In December,
Dec. 28, 2007 Task Force Shares Military Health Care Recommendations A Congressionally-appointed group of military and health care experts today released its findings after a year-long diagnosis of the military's health care system. The comprehensive report by the 14-member group makes a dozen recommendations for improving the world's largest military health program.
Dec. 28, 2007 Airman supports burn clinic for Iraqi children When Army Cpl. Joseph Barzeski invited Staff Sgt. Tracy Davidson to tour the Convoy Support Center's burn clinic in Scania, Iraq, he didn't think she would be back. But she did come back, again and again. "I didn't think she was going to want to stay, but she wanted to help," said the corporal. "She
Dec. 7, 2007 Aircraft dedicated to Purple Heart recipients One of the Air Force's most modern cargo aircraft was named after the nation's oldest military decoration Nov. 20 in a ceremony attended by Medal of Honor and Purple Heart medal recipients. The Mississippi Air National Guard's 172nd Airlift Wing named one of its C-17 Globemaster IIIs "The Spirit of
Dec. 7, 2007 3rd Medical Group ready for Soldiers' return The 3rd Medical Group here is ready to provide treatment to the more than 3,700 Soldiers of Fort Richardson's 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, who have returned or are preparing to return from deployment. "The men and women of the 3rd Medical Group have been making the
Dec. 7, 2007 2 Warbirds receive AF Combat Action Medal Two Warbirds were awarded the Air Force Combat Action Medal here during ceremonies Nov. 13. Lt. Col. Jimmy Sterling, 5th Medical Support Squadron commander, and Staff Sgt. Scott Lilley, 5th Security Forces Squadron, both received the award for their courageous efforts while deployed to Iraq. The
Dec. 7, 2007 Bush Visits Wounded in Texas, Salutes Their Courage President Bush today saluted wounded troops recovering at the Center for the Intrepid, in San Antonio, for their courage."The spirit of America is strong in facilities like this," Bush told a group of servicemembers being treated at the center. "Our country is a remarkable country, that has produced
Dec. 7, 2007 New legislation affects Tricare supplements Many Tricare beneficiaries are getting letters from their employer stating they will no longer offer Tricare supplements as an employer-sponsored medical option effective January 1, 2008. Tricare beneficiaries should look closely at their health care options. A provision of the John Warner National
Dec. 7, 2007 Defense Department, VA to Share Electronic Health Records The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs are building a system to allow the inter-department sharing of servicemembers' electronic health information. The departments, which in 2001 began efforts to combine their data resources, are the world's leaders in crafting a system to streamline
Dec. 7, 2007 Officials offer programs for domestic violence awareness While stress is not the sole cause, it can be a major contributor to domestic violence among Air Force members and their families, according to Air Force family advocacy experts. In 2006, there were 3,914 reports of domestic abuse involving Airmen as either the victim or offender. Of those, 50
Dec. 7, 2007 Revamped Health Care Web Site Allows Information Sharing The Defense Department's military health care system is using its interactive, revamped Web site -- http://mhs.osd.mil -- to share information between U.S. military medical personnel and other government agencies and organizations outside the government. "It's a way to create a partnership for
Nov. 7, 2007 Airmen help Afghans stand up flight medicine clinic Like many Airmen around the world, Maj. Mical Kupke's day starts with a brief meeting to plan out the day's events. But that's where the similarity ends. The flight surgeon and her team's day involves mentoring members of the Afghan national army air corps in the field of flight medicine and
Nov. 6, 2007 Therapy clinic provides magic touch to injured Preparing Airmen to return to work after an injury is similar to getting a race car back to the track after a pit stop. Maintenance must be quick, precise and thorough, both minimizing the time spent away from duty and maximizing the quality of care. The staff here in the physical and occupational
Nov. 6, 2007 Physician Airman This interview with Air Force Surgeon General Lt. Gen. (Dr.) James G. Roudebush was published in the Sept. 16, 2007 edition of Military Medical Technology magazine. The interview was conducted by MMT Editor Jeff McKaughan and is republished here with MMT's permission. Q: Good afternoon general. As a