Apr

29

AFMS Flight Path - On Hold

Filed Under AFMS News, AFMS Units | 1 Comment

Breaking news on Friday: the implementation of the new “AFMS Flight Path” has been put on hold indefinitely. Quite a shock, considering how much effort has been put into the plan to re-design the organizational structure of many Air Force medical facilities. Several medical units were only weeks or months away from making the transition, preparing to eliminate the “Group-Squadron” model and moving to the “Group-Division” model.
Some background: back in 1993 (although largely implemented beginning in 1994), the AFMS began re-organizing medical facilities to look more like regular military units. Prior to 1994, most MTFs had a single commander, and were led by an executive team consisting of a chief of medical staff, chief nurse, administrator, etc - just like most civilian healthcare facilities. With the advent of the “Objective Medical Group” (OMG) concept in 1994, MTFs were organized according to product lines, roughly, to include Medical Operations squadrons, Aerospace Medicine squadrons, Medical Support squadrons, and a few others, all aligned under and reporting to the MTF Commander (Group Commander). Each of those subordinate units had a Squadron Commander, and usually an associated Superintendent. The result: the “executive staff” of AFMS facilities grew exponentially, now including the aforementioned chief physician, chief nurse, administrator, etc, and now also to include all of the squadron commanders. More administrative staff, more overhead.
Fast-forward to 2006: the Air Force Medical Service, after many meetings and planning sessions among senior leaders, unveils a new “Flight Path” that aims to reduce the administrative overhead and streamline operations in many MTFs. To that end, it is decided that Air Force clinics that have fewer than 300 assigned personnel - roughly 30 of the 75 facilities - will become “groups without squadron.” This meant that the facility would still be a Group, with a Colonel commander, but the subordinate squadrons would be eliminated. Instead of squadrons, the unit would be divided into Divisions - Operations, Aeromedical, and Dental - and all administrative functions (business ops, logistics, info systems, etc) would align directly under the Administrator in the “Group Staff” section, rather than a separate squadron. So a small Air Force clinic would now have one Commander (Group level), rather than three Commanders (one Group, two Squadron). Many Air Force clinics were preparing to make the transition in the summer of 2007, with others to follow through the summer of 2008.
But on Friday, that was put on hold. No specific reasons given, yet, but there will no doubt be a flurry of meetings among senior AFMS leaders and their Line counterparts.

Apr

24

GI Joe: Pork Chop Sandwiches!

Filed Under Humor | Leave a Comment

OK, this doesn’t quite fall into the “Air Force Medics” category, but GI Joe *is* in the military, so we can squeeze this video in to provide a little humor. Caution: some strong language!

If you can’t watch the video above for some reason, try this link or this one.

Apr

20

Gettin’ Buggy With It

Filed Under AFMS Careers | 1 Comment

The Air Force Medical Service is primarily about healthcare — treating patients, whether they are military, family members, retired members, and such. But there are a few relatively obscure career fields within the AFMS that have little to do with a routine visit to a doctor’s office, such as entomology. Ento-what? That’s the study of arthropods, such as spiders, scorpions, and other critters that can make life - particularly in a war-zone - truly a living hell. For instance:

When military personnel are sent into combat and placed in rugged and remote situations, insects can have a devastating impact. Typhus fever, a disease transmitted by lice, killed 17,000 Spanish soldiers in 1489, incapacitated 30,000 French soldiers in 1528,1 contributed to the retreat of Napoleon’s Army from Moscow in 1812, and caused the death of millions of soldiers and civilians during WWI…entomology is the study of insects, spiders, ticks, and mites (collectively referred to as arthropods) and the discomfort, pain, and diseases they cause.

How small is this career field within the AFMS ? There are only 17 active-duty Air Force entomologists (and six AF Reserve entomologists). Pretty small group! Despite being few in number, they have quite an impact on Air Force operations. If you’d like to learn about becoming an Air Force entomologist, read this and this…and it’s probably a good idea that you don’t mind creepy-crawly things!