U.S. Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay welcomes Lt. Trey Ketchum to the optometry team.
Ketchum is an optometrist and received his doctorate in optometry from Southern College of Optometry, Memphis, Tennessee.
Ketchum, a native of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, kept up the family tradition of military service and joined the Navy approximately three years ago. Prior to his assignment at U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command, Guantanamo Bay, Ketchum participated in Pacific Partnership, the Navy’s largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific.
“The ability to travel in the Navy is unprecedented,” Ketchum said. “When you’re credentialed as a medical provider in the Navy, you have more opportunity to practice medicine abroad. During Pacific Partnership, I practiced medicine in Palau helping indigenous populations who may not have the access to care we have here in the U.S. They were a very appreciative population, and it was extremely rewarding. It felt like I was making a difference.”
As the new department head for optometry, Ketchum manages the clinic and a team of sailors who support the eye health of service members and the Guantanamo Bay community. Their capabilities include eye exams and lens fabrication with the ability to produce single-vision glasses within approximately two weeks or less.
“Working for Navy Medicine, I’m not worried about running a practice, instead I’m focused on patients. Helping those who serve is rewarding,” said Ketchum.
U.S. Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay is a community-based facility providing health care to the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay community that consists of approximately 4,500 military, federal employees, U.S. and foreign national contractors and their families. The hospital also operates the only overseas military home health care facility providing care to elderly Special Category Residents who sought asylum on the installation during the Cuban Revolution.
Date Taken: | 07.24.2024 |
Date Posted: | 08.07.2024 23:22 |
Story ID: | 478051 |
Location: | CU |
Hometown: | FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA, US |
Web Views: | 144 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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