April 11, 2013 Teamwork, technology allows Kandahar C-130J AE crew to save a life On the battlefield of northern Afghanistan in late March, an Air Force combat controller was shot by the enemy through the right thigh, opening up a large wound and fracturing his femur. The Airman was rushed to a hospital at Mazar-e Sharif, where he was operated on in an effort to save his leg and
April 11, 2013 Swab your cheek, save a life Bone marrow is paramount in the treatment of those with leukemia, aplastic anemia or other fatal blood diseases and the C.W. Bill Young Department of Defense Marrow Donor Program is a DoD lead program bringing bone marrow registration directly to service members. "A lot of people have a
April 11, 2013 Medical appointment reminders available via TRICARE Online Have you or your family members ever missed a medical appointment at the your clinic? Would a text-message or e-mail reminder have helped you remember? If you answered yes to either of these questions, we have a solution for you. TRICARE Online, which allows beneficiaries the ability to schedule,
April 11, 2013 AF medic receives medal for courage under fire Senior Airman Daniel Shimanski, 436th Medical Operations Squadron emergency medical technician, was awarded the Air Force Combat Action Medal April 5, 2013, at the base theater on Dover Air Force Base, Del. The AFCAM recognizes any Air Force military member who has been under direct and hostile fire
April 11, 2013 Med group team wins Gold Knight award The 21st Medical Group National Committee for Quality Assurance Accreditation preparation team won the February Gold Knight award. During the inspection, the 21st MDG dominated its high ground and was awarded "Level III" recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance - the committee's
April 11, 2013 New resources promote fitness culture To help improve Total Force fitness levels, Air Force Personnel Center officials are fielding new fitness resources accessible online, in person or on DVD.These resources, including the Operational Fitness Program, Xtreme Wednesday Workouts, the Air Force Fitness DVDs and the Fitness on Request
April 10, 2013 Services collaborate on dental residency program to improve patient care A major milestone in the expansion of oral and maxillofacial surgical dentistry was achieved recently with the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the 59th Medical Wing and the Fort Sam Houston Dental Activity.Air Force Maj. Gen. Byron Hepburn, director of the San Antonio Military Health
April 9, 2013 Moulage, making wounds real More than 20 Airmen participated in exercise Polar Force 13-3, simulating victims of various scenarios at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson April 7.During these exercises, groups of augmentees are used as moulage victims; they are first given cards that detail what their injuries are; then, trained
April 6, 2013 Air Force Medical Service goes green and receives top energy award The Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) was awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Energy Star Partner of the Year award on March 26, 2013, in Washington D.C. for Air Force-wide efforts to reduce energy consumption in medical facilities by 10 percent, saving an estimated $3.3 million in
April 5, 2013 Commitment to Helping Sexual Assault Victims Earns Honors The Defense Department is honoring six sexual assault response coordinators this month for their outstanding efforts in assisting victims of sexual assault and for their commitment to preventing this crime.Led by Army Maj. Gen. Gary S. Patton, director of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response
April 5, 2013 Reductions won't affect most TRICARE Prime beneficiaries Despite upcoming service area reductions, TRICARE Prime will remain a health care option for 97 percent of the more than 5 million beneficiaries eligible for the health care plan, Military Health System officials said.The 3 percent difference, which comprises about 171,000 beneficiaries who mostly
April 5, 2013 Tips for preventing child abuse, neglect More than 1.5 million children are abused or neglected in the United States each year. Each abused or neglected child costs the taxpayers more than $67,000 per year.Americans spend more than $80 billion annually on the direct and indirect costs of child abuse and neglect.Child abuse and neglect are
April 5, 2013 Through Airmen's Eyes: Airman battles sexual, physical abuse April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. We feature the story of Master Sgt. Michelle Blake, who overcame tremendous adversity and has finally found the courage to tell her story. It's often said that joining the military can change a person's life. For Master Sgt. Michelle Blake,
April 5, 2013 Using Hand Hygiene To Eliminate the Other Superbug A more aggressive strain of the dangerous Clostridium difficile bacteria has appeared, and the new superbug is not only resistant to some antibiotics, but also produces toxins more harmful than previous strains.Clostridium difficile, also known as C.difficile or C. diff, is a spore-forming,
April 4, 2013 Dental patriots caring for Patriot mission soldiers The Patriot missile batteries brought with them U.S., German and Dutch soldiers, which increased the number of military forces at Incirlik with approximately 400 personnel. With more personnel comes a greater potential for more people to become sick or have any number of medical needs to include
April 4, 2013 Sexual assault has No place in DOD, official says Sexual assault has no place in the Defense Department, a senior Pentagon official said April 2 here, calling on the workforce to be part of the solution.In a keynote address kicking off Aberdeen Proving Ground's observance of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, acting
April 3, 2013 West Region Transitioned to UnitedHealthcare on April 1 TRICARE beneficiaries in the West Region will get their TRICARE coverage from a new contractor, UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans, starting April 1, 2013. By now, all West Region beneficiaries should have been notified by mail of the change.UnitedHealthcare sent Welcome Packets to beneficiaries
April 3, 2013 Airman saves friend's life half a world away Most Airmen have accomplished computer-based suicide prevention training and are familiar with the "typical" scenario - a bold Airman asking the right questions to someone who isn't acting "right." In these training modules, the interaction is almost always in person, face-to-face. But, as one