JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Rafael Schick, the German Air Force Surgeon General, made his first visit to Joint Base Andrews to meet with leaders and Air Force Medical Service professionals from the 79th Medical Wing today. Colonel (Dr.) Sharon Bannister, 79th Medical Wing Commander, provided an overview of our programs at Joint Base Andrews then led a Malcolm Grow Medical Clinics and Surgery Center facility tour to demonstrate to Schick how Air Force medicine has progressed, especially in the Aeromedical arena.
During the tour, Dr. Thomas Piazza briefed Schick on the Acupuncture Clinic and the increasing desire for patients to be able to tap into acupuncture and integrative medicine services. Piazza told Schick there is a broader range of medical conditions that can be treated with acupuncture.
Following the stop at the Acupuncture Clinic, Lt. Ashley Amiot and Senior Airmen Christopher Connolly and Jessica Puranen explained the mission of the Aerospace and Operational Physiology Training Flight to Schick. Their goal, they said, is to optimize aircrew performance and reduce human factors mishap risk through mission and aircraft-focused training.
Next, Senior Airman Andrew Drake explained that a true “Hero’s Welcome Home” awaits recently injured patients returning home to the US through the 779th MDG Aeromedical Staging Facility (ASF) on Joint Base Andrews. Drake highlighted the ASF mission to continue medical care ensuring patients are stable and safe for airlift back to their home stations. Schick was also able to see how the facility is designed to comfortably accommodate an increased capacity of 45 patients for 24 to 72 hours before they are airlifted to further destinations throughout the U.S.
Schick also visited the new state of the art medical facility, Malcom Grow Medical Clinics and Surgery Center with tours of the Emergent Care Clinic, Warrior Eye Center, Physical Medicine and Flight Medicine. He also visited the Air Force National Guard Surgeon General.
Tomorrow he will meet with Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Mark A. Ediger, U.S. Air Force Surgeon General, to sit down and exchange ideas and experiences about Air Force Medicine and identify common interests. During the visit, Schick said he is especially interested in how we train our flight surgeons and plans on learning more about that and furthering the discussion with Ediger.