Photo By Tech. Sgt. Michelle Ulber | Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Jose Rodriguez-Hernandez, EMF Camp Pendleton, translates...... read more read more
Medical personnel representing active duty, Guard and Reserve from across the United States have been providing no-cost care to several towns in Puerto Rico in support of Innovative Readiness Training Ola de Esperanza Sanadora.
The IRT is a health care training mission involving more than 200 Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen from the Air National Guard, U.S. Navy Reserve, and active duty Army and Navy. Part of a long-running Defense Department initiative led by the Air National Guard, this mission is operating in four clinic locations in Cataño, Guaynabo, Humacao and Yabucoa from Aug. 31 to Sept. 7.
One person assisting in the IRT is Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Jose Rodriguez-Hernandez who is stationed at EMF Camp Pendleton, California. Rodriguez-Hernandez has been a hospital corpsman for more than five years and is supporting the mission as a dental assistant.
Born into a Latin American family — his father is from Mexican and mother from Nicaragua — Rodriguez-Hernandez said he learned English in the fourth grade.
“I didn’t know my ABCs in English,” Rodriguez-Hernandez said. “I only knew them in Spanish.”
His bilingualism is an asset to his team this week as he translates for patients at the Humacao facility in addition to performing X-rays, cleanings, extractions, composite fillings and dental instrument sterilization.
“I’ve seen six patients so far,” Rodriguez-Hernandez said early Saturday morning. “It’s already way more than I had yesterday.”
Rodriguez-Hernandez said he loves to help at the dental clinic and the sound of the drill doesn’t scare him, unlike many patients.
“It doesn’t even make me squeamish at all,” Rodriguez-Hernandez said. “I’ve worked in the emergency room for years, so generally I see a lot worse injuries than anything we get here.”
When not working for the Navy Reserve, Rodriguez-Hernandez is an ER technician in Modesto, California.
“I’m used to a really fast-paced environment,” he said. “My work keeps me on my toes and thinking fast which is good for this kind of environment.”
Rodriguez-Hernandez has served on multiple medical exercises, which have taught him expertise and efficiency in patient care.
“I’m trying to make sure that my site sees the most amount of patients,” he said. “I believe that we are in second place right now and I look forward to making it the first. It’s a good group of people and we’re all learning new things and enjoy giving care to the patients.”
| Date Taken: | 09.04.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 09.04.2018 15:52 |
| Story ID: | 291366 |
| Location: | GUAYNABO, PR |
| Web Views: | 94 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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