EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Two 96th Medical Group squadrons were re-designated as part of an Air Force-wide reorganization focused on improving medical readiness Sept. 30.
Col. Matthew Hanson, 96th Medical Group commander, officiated the 96th Aerospace Medicine Squadron and the 96th Medical Operations Squadrons' re-designation to the 96th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron and the 96th Healthcare Operations Squadron to mark the group’s transition.
“Eglin medics have set the standard for operational medicine since the second World War. Our medical professionals are deployed around the world, and they are delivering trusted care here at Eglin,” said Hanson. “They are driving innovation to every phase of medical education. Our new squadrons will only strengthen this culture.”
In the new Secretary of the Air Force-directed model, a squadron will provide primary care and focus on the overall health of active-duty. Another squadron will focus on care for non-active duty beneficiaries and provide medical specialty and emergency services for the hospital.
“Organizing in this construct provides opportunities to develop workflow practices tailored to serve these independent patient categories,” said Col. Michelle Anton, 96th HCOS commander.
As a result of the re-designation, some patients will be reassigned to new primary care managers.
The 96th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron personnel will care for active-duty including those on flight status through the Flight Medicine Clinic. All other active-duty will be seen through The Warrior Medical Clinic to ensure warfighter mission readiness. The new warrior medical clinic teams will follow the Flight Medicine model of care currently in place for flight-status Airmen.
The goal is to have the same primary care manager for each unit to establish familiarity between the service member and the provider to ensure continuity of care and inform the provider about the warfighter’s occupational hazards and requirements, according to Col. Elizabeth Casstevens, 96th OMRS, commander.
“This will make it easier to apply operational decision making to patient care,” she said.
The 96th Healthcare Operations Squadron’s primary care clinics: Pediatrics, Family Health and Internal Medicine will care for all non-active duty beneficiaries, including retirees. The change will not affect the Family Medicine Residency Clinic.
According to Anton, there will not be any changes to medical care. Medical providers will continue to observe the same clinical practice guidelines currently in place.
“This new squadron and new designation is an opportunity. The journey is just beginning and the transformation continues,” said Anton. “COVID operations, the DHA (Defense Health Agency change), and this reform shows we can leverage the dynamic environment to get “unstuck” from the old ways of doing things. Now is the time to focus on process improvements, leveraging technology to expedite medical care, innovation and virtual care.”