Apr

29

AFMS Flight Path - On Hold

Filed Under AFMS News, AFMS Units 

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.



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Comments

One Response to “AFMS Flight Path - On Hold”

  1. murph on April 30th, 2007 4:52 pm

    Wish they would make up their mind!

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