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. 4, 2009 Vietnam military health, logistics reps visit Hickam Six delegates from the Vietnam military's health and general logistics fields met with U.S. Air Force officials here Nov. 10 during a 13th Air Force-hosted visit. The visit was designed to familiarize the Vietnamese delegates with how the U.S. military conducts surveillance, screening and testing of
Dec. 4, 2009 'Defender's Edge': A new approach to combat stress A new customized mental health program is helping security forces Airmen here manage combat stress.The "Defenders Edge" is tailored to those security forces Airmen who conduct missions on or outside the wire. This program is intended to improve Airmen's mental resiliency to combat-related stressors.
Nov. 13, 2009 Experts answer H1N1 questions online Experts did their best to answer questions and allay fears over H1N1 flu and the associated vaccine during a Nov. 10 online town-hall meeting here hosted by Military Health System officials. Questions -- submitted via a special Web site -- included concerns such as whether it's possible to
Nov. 13, 2009 Iraqi doctors visit Air Force Theater Hospital for medical education conference Six Iraqi doctors attended a continuing medical education conference at the Air Force Theater Hospital Oct. 30 here. The conference was the first of what's scheduled to become a monthly event in a broad effort by U.S. medical professionals to share information with local physicians, improve the
Nov. 3, 2009 Experts to answer H1N1 questions online Military Health System experts will host a Web-based town hall-style meeting Nov. 10 from 3 to 4 p.m. EST to respond to questions about H1N1 influenza. Military members, their families, health-care providers and Defense Department civilians may submit questions starting Nov. 2, using the comments
Nov. 2, 2009 Tricare announces H1N1 immunization policy Immunizations against the H1N1 virus will soon be available, and people are eager to take precautions. Tricare Prime, Standard and Extra beneficiaries can get their shots from network and non-network providers without paying a deductible or making a co-payment. A temporary waiver allows retired
Nov. 2, 2009 Shinseki cites collaboration in mental health care Psychological war wounds are nothing new to servicemembers, but the support of the nation to care for their injuries, until recent years, was somewhat uncharted territory. The departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs are committed to advancing that care because it's the right thing to do as a
Nov. 2, 2009 Defense Department officials take aim at drug abuse "Drug Free is the Key" for the Defense Department's Red Ribbon Week this year as it works to raise public awareness and mobilize communities to combat tobacco, alcohol and drug use among military personnel, civilians and families. The observation of Red Ribbon Week began Oct. 23 and ended Oct. 31.
Sept. 14, 2009 Tinker man uses painful past to educate others about suicide When 27-year-old Gordon Joel "Joey" Dunham died, his father wanted to die, too. "I've had every emotion possible," said Rocky Dunham, a tools and parts attendant with the 552nd Commodities Maintenance Squadron. "I had no idea what suicide was about until it touched me when my son died last year.
Aug. 27, 2009 DGMC recommended for VPP "Star" status Wrapping up an intense week, the executive leadership of David Grant USAF Medical Center anxiously sat and waited, holding their collective breath. After enduring an Occupational Safety and Health Administration outbrief where minutes seemed like hours, Peter Wilsey, OSHA Region IX team leader
Aug. 20, 2009 Timorese islanders receive 'house call' Four U.S. Air Force and three Royal Australian Regiment medical personnel provided basic family care support to 283 people in the tiny fishing village of Bikeli, Atauro in Timor Leste, July 22, in support of Operation Pacific Angel 09. The small group was flown to the island by the International
Aug. 20, 2009 Physical therapists keep servicemembers in the fight Aircraft mechanics make sure the airframes they are assigned to are in impeccable condition, fine tuning them, ensuring there isn't any excessive wear and tear so these precision machines are ready to do their part in the today's fight. The human body is also a precision machine and needs to be well
Aug. 20, 2009 Recognize the warning signs Those of us who serve or work for the miltiary receive training on suicide prevention, but how many of us really apply what we learn? Are we watching for warning signs? Do we know who is at risk and how we can help them? Do we know what we can do to help? I don't know about you, but I always thought
July 31, 2009 Uncertainty about military suicides frustrates services The most frustrating part about suicide prevention is the uncertainty about what causes troops to take their lives, top military leaders said here July 29. This near-unanimous chorus was sounded on Capitol Hill when the second-ranking military officers of each service testified about military mental
July 29, 2009 Flight surgeon uses Eastern medicine to treat patients Acupuncture is a skill that has been used in Eastern medicine for thousands of years. In the last 20 years, a handful of Air Force doctors have begun using this skill in addition to familiar Western medical practices. Lt. Col. (Dr.) Tim Duffy, 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron flight doctor here,
July 23, 2009 New approach to PTSD offers service members greater privacy, reduced stigma Servicemembers seeking help for deployment-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder now have the option of being treated through primary care channels, thanks to a new pilot program offered at Wilford Hall Medical Center. The primary goal of this new research program is to offer effective therapy for
July 23, 2009 Clinic crew clears crowded, clouded craniums Military members and their families can face much adversity. Just as with our civilian counterparts, that adversity can come while managing financial responsibilities, raising a family, or maintaining other personal relationships. However, the military family has the added stress of frequent
June 29, 2009 Important dates in the history of the AF Medical Service July 1949 and early 1950 -- Newly authorized Air Force medics assume all responsibility for patient treatment on Air Force bases. On Sept. 7, 1949, two months after the creation of the Air Force Medical Service, Louis Johnson, Secretary of Defense, directed that aeromedical evacuation (AE) be the
June 12, 2009 Suicide prevention: A leadership challenge for all Every time a life is lost in Pacific Air Forces I am alerted. All are tragic in different ways, but among the most troubling is when it involves a suicide. During the course of my 35 years on active duty, I've learned that we cannot prevent every suicide attempt. More importantly, I've learned that