Photo By Airman 1st Class Colin Perkins | The Honorable Dr. Lester Martinez-Lopez, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health...... read more read more
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GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. – After two blizzards forced trip reschedules, Dr. Lester Martinez-Lopez, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, visited 319th Medical Group staff Aug. 31, 2023, to discuss military health care demands unique to rural locations within Defense Health Agency.
“Just getting here was a challenge, so I knew this is where I had to come to hear what small military clinics face,” said Dr. Martinez-Lopez.
During his visit, Dr. Martinez-Lopez toured the military treatment facility. Airmen of all ranks conveyed challenges related to manpower, equipment, and facility within the 319th MDG, while showcasing their medical readiness.
“In a near-peer threat, we are facing something more complex than we saw in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom,” said Dr. Martinez-Lopez. “Combine that readiness threat with a 40% medical workforce loss due to the pandemic, and there are significant manning concerns. It’s time to take a real look at stabilizing the military medical system and keeping our promise to the service member and their families.”
The 160 member staff in the 319th Medical Group serve more than 7,300 eligible beneficiaries in the region to include active-duty, retirees, guard, reserve and dependents with approximately 4,100 enrolled for care.
“We have capacity for about 600 more enrollees,” said Lt. Col. Stephen Stouder, commander of the 319th Medical Operations Squadron. “We have streamlined primary care manager access by combining the active-duty clinic for service members not on flying status with the Family Medicine Clinic. The goal is to have continuity of care, so patients are comfortable with their doctors, and our doctors maintain both their Warrior Operation Medical Clinic skills and family medicine care.”
To meet specialty care requirements that the Medical Treatment Facility cannot provide, the base relies heavily on civilian care about 20 miles away, or as far as five hours away for more complex procedures.
“I’m thankful the Air Force is reorganizing its medical service to help stabilize the system while gaining the standardized approach and enterprise support of Defense Health Agency,” said Dr. Martinez-Lopez. “We need to recapture patients to improve medical readiness by seeing patients, and more importantly, do right by beneficiaries.”
Targeted mental health care was also a focus of the visit, as military medicine acknowledges mental health care is of equal importance to physical health care.
“One month ago, Behavioral-Health Resources and Virtual Experience (BRAVE) Program was approved for expanded telehealth mental health care, and I hope to double the program,” said Dr. Martinez-Lopez. “If we can capture (mental health concerns) early, and lighten their mental load, it can only improve our military readiness.”
| Date Taken: | 09.08.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 09.08.2023 14:04 |
| Story ID: | 452999 |
| Location: | GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, NORTH DAKOTA, US |
| Web Views: | 51 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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