March 6, 2012 Air Force expands drug testing program to include abused prescription drugs The Air Force and other military services will expand their drug testing to include testing for commonly abused prescription drugs beginning May 1, 2012.On Jan. 31, 2012, the Secretary of Defense gave a 90-day advance notice of the drug testing expansion which aims to counter the nation's growing
Feb. 21, 2012 Healing the injured brain: VA, DoD join forces on research to combat TBI, PTSD In recent years, collaboration has increased between Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) researchers, especially in the areas of traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychological health topics. As many as 229,000 service
Feb. 16, 2012 Travis scientist fights on the microscopic front lines in the battle against disease, injury From her tidy research laboratory, Sarah Torres, 60th Air Mobility Wing civilian and 349th AMW Reservist, contemplates big ideas by focusing on the microcosm of living matter.Half a world away, a soldier on patrol in Afghanistan is briefly knocked unconscious by the blast of a roadside bomb. His
Feb. 15, 2012 Laughlin aids Kinney County during emergency When at least 30 railroad cars derailed about 11 miles east of Laughlin Feb. 7, the Kinney County Sheriff's Office called upon experts here to assist with identifying potentially hazardous material at the scene. Earlier that morning, Kinney County officials smelled a faint chemical odor at the scene
Feb. 1, 2012 Military Health System Works to Slow Cost Growth The $50 billion military health system will plan for its future by slowing the growth rate of health care costs, strengthening partnerships and focusing on prevention, primary care and chronic disease management, the Defense Department's top health official said this morning.Dr. Jonathan Woodson,
Jan. 26, 2012 Langley AFB’s resilience resources available to all online Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James Roy signed a memorandum Jan. 12 directing commanders Air Force-wide to stand down to discuss one of the most pressing issues facing the force. At Langley Air Force Base, Airmen from every unit
Jan. 19, 2012 Anywhere, Anytime Support for Sexual Assault Victims The Department of Defense community now has access to professional help for sexual assault victims with just a click, call or text, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In April 2011, the DoD officially launched a Safe Helpline, which offers access to victim support services online at
Jan. 19, 2012 Top myths about pap tests Did you know that cervical cancer was once a leading cause of cancer death in American women?In fact, in many developing countries, it still is. However, cervical cancer deaths in the U.S. fell by about 70 percent between 1955 and 1992, according to the American Cancer Society.What caused this
Jan. 18, 2012 Combined regimen reduces lower back pain A regimen of core strengthening exercises was no better than traditional sit-ups for preventing back pain in soldiers, according to a new University of Florida study. But combining both exercise programs with a brief educational session on back pain strategies did lower the incidence of treatment
Jan. 12, 2012 Novartis Consumer Health Over-The-Counter Products Recall Recall - Potential Presence of Foreign Tablets or Chipped or Broken Tablets or Gelcaps including Excedrin, NoDoz, Bufferin, Gas-X PreventionISSUE: Novartis Consumer Health Inc. is voluntarily recalling all lots of over-the-counter products Excedrin, Bufferin, Gas-X Prevention and NoDoz. Reports were
Jan. 12, 2012 Do the Spice, Pay the Price Spice use is on the rise and Air Force officials are using methods such as drug testing, education and the Uniformed Code of Military Justice to put a stop to substance abuse. While the Air Force has always had a zero-tolerance policy, as of Jan. 4 Guam officials have banned the substance as well
Jan. 3, 2012 DOD releases sexual assault report, announces new policies Defense Department officials released the "Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies" on Dec. 27, covering the academic year from June 1, 2010, to May 31, 2011.The report shows an increase in reports of sexual assault, with 65 reports of sexual assault
Dec. 9, 2011 METC instructors selected for AETC Award Two instructors with the Medical Education & Training Campus (METC) were selected for Air Education and Training Command (AETC) 2011 Medical Service Awards. Lt. Col. James Kutner, the Air Force Dental Assistant Program Director for METC, won the Air Force Dental Educator of the Year Award for his
Dec. 7, 2011 U.S., Honduran partners help more than 1,100 flood victims More than 20 medical personnel from Joint Task Force-Bravo provided general medical care to more than 1,100 flood victims Nov. 29 and 30 at Choluteca, Honduras. The JTF-Bravo team collaborated with their Honduran medical partners, including the Honduran Ministry of Health, to provide care to
Dec. 5, 2011 Enhancing the health care experience at the clinic In the last two years, the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) has been gradually implemented at bases across the country and December 2011 signals the launch of the program at Hanscom. Officials say PCMH will offer many positive changes for active duty members, dependents and medical staff.
Nov. 30, 2011 A life for a life: By saving her, he saved himself Rescue: to free from confinement, danger or evil. - Merriam-Webster DictionaryTen years ago when former Senior Airman David Sharpe adopted a pit bull puppy from a rescue shelter, he thought he was saving her life. In a dramatic twist of events just a few months later, she ended up saving his.Sharpe
Oct. 17, 2011 Celebrating Nine Years of Air Force-Navy Partnerships on International Military Training Happy ninth birthday to the Defense Institute for Medical Operations (DIMO), a small yet key organization guided by Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) in support of Geographic Combatant Commanders' (GCC) security cooperation objectives. DIMO has provided mobile training teams to more than
Oct. 4, 2011 Awareness months highlight wellness As Suicide Awareness Month in September comes to a close, Domestic Violence Awareness Month follows in October.Awareness months are tools to educate and inform people about things going on that could affect them or someone they know. Suicide and Domestic Violence Awareness Months give agencies the
Sept. 23, 2011 Obama proposes TRICARE changes Military retirees would pay an annual fee for TRICARE-for-Life health insurance and TRICARE pharmacy co-payments would be restructured under the deficit reduction plan President Barack Obama released Sept. 19."If we're going to meet our responsibilities, we have to do it together," Obama said during
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