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Airmen assist with New Hampshire disease outbreak testing

  • Published
  • By Sarah Olaciregui
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Earlier this month, seven Airmen recently volunteered their time and services to help allay the fears of many New Hampshire patients who may have been infected with Hepatitis C.

Staff Sgt. Jacob Bender, Tech. Sgt. Stephanie Satinsky, Tech. Sgt. Lorna Allen, Tech. Sgt. Jason Maloney and Chief Master Sgt. Steven Brito, who all work as health profession recruiters for the 360th Recruiting Group, E Flight, in Burlington, Mass., volunteered for several eight hour shifts on Aug. 10, 11 and 15 in Stratham, N.H., at Cooperative Middle School and at Timberlane Regional High School in Plaistow, N.H., assisting with registration of patients.

Additionally, when it was apparent the clinics were short-handed, the recruiters decided to coordinate with the 66th Medical Squadron to send two phlebotomists, Lt. Mirna Cuellar and Senior Airman Benjamin Powell, to assist on Aug. 11.

The need for testing was a result of a traveling medical technician infected with Hepatitis C who is accused of stealing anesthetic drugs from a New Hampshire hospital's lab, injecting himself and contaminating syringes that were later used on patients.

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services recommended that 3,300 patients of Exeter Hospital be tested for Hepatitis C. The DHHS needed volunteers to assist with blood drawing, completing the rapid test and providing results and counseling to patients.

"Our job was to serve the patients without an appointment," said Satinsky. "We wanted to help in providing timely and confidential testing."

According to the recruiters, more than 1,000 people were tested in the three days they volunteered.

"As we registered people, we did more than complete paperwork," she said. "We had an opportunity to be the first friendly faces in a tense situation. Many of the patients had been waiting for over three weeks to be able to be tested and find out if they were infected."

The two phlebotomists were essential volunteers, as well, as they processed between 40 and 50 patients each.

"Rick Cricenti, the director of the state's DHHS Emergency Services Unit, said that having those two extra volunteers made all the difference and drastically improved wait times for patients that day," Satinsky said. "He also added that they were some of the most talented phlebotomists the supervisor in that section had ever seen."

In addition to being the first friendly faces the patients saw, the Airmen also had an opportunity to interact with the medical community members and tell their story.

"While working alongside those professionals, we had a chance to show the local community what today's Air Force is all about," said Satinsky. "Although the circumstances were not ideal, we were glad we could help in some small way."