Photo By Senior Airman Sarah Gottschling | A sign is posted at the 27th Special Operations Medical Group at Cannon Air Force...... read more read more
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The 27th Special Operations Medical Group is applying for a Joint Incentive Fund (JIF), created by Congress, to improve quality, cost and access to healthcare for Air Commandos and their families at Cannon Air Force Base.
The JIF was established to encourage the sharing of healthcare resources between the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, with the fund providing a minimum of $30 million to improve the quality, cost-effectiveness and healthcare accessibility for beneficiaries of both departments.
“If a project is approved and the VA receives the funding we are requesting, the Clovis VA will be able to expand their specialty care services,” said Lt. Col. Michael Oetjens, 27th Special Operations Healthcare Operations Squadron commander. “Because the initiative is a joint venture, all active-duty members and their beneficiaries will be eligible to receive care at the Clovis VA.”
The initiative will result in a more combat-ready, healthy force, providing access to audiology, cardiology, dermatology, neurology, physical therapy and laboratory services – the most-requested specialty care referrals at Cannon.
“The addition of these services will negate the need for our beneficiaries to travel 100+ miles to Lubbock, Amarillo, and Albuquerque for care,” said Oetjens.
The 27th SOMDG would establish a Memorandum of Agreement with the Clovis VA, submitting specialty care service referrals to the VA.
“If [the VA] is overbooked or the wait time would be too long for the patient to see their specialist, the referral would be given to another network provider, either in Clovis, Lubbock or Amarillo,” said Oetjens.
The 27th SOMDG will assist and support the VA with referrals and workload management; however, the construction, hiring, and day-to-day operations of the Clovis VA will remain the responsibility of the VA.
“Between the VA and 27th SOMDG, we anticipate recapturing over two thousand referrals and $2.2M in specialty care that will now stay in Clovis, New Mexico,” Oetjens said.
This collaboration underscores the 27th SOMDG’s unwavering commitment to putting people first while delivering medical excellence, ensuring that Air Commandos and their families receive the highest standard of care, right where they live and serve.
By prioritizing the health and readiness of Air Commandos, this initiative plays a critical role in building and sustaining a lethal, combat-ready force, while also reinforcing our warrior ethos.
For clinic updates, patients should refer to the 27th SOMDG Facebook page, AFMS-Cannon-27th Special Operations Medical Group. Additional resources can be found here or by calling (575) 784-2778.
| Date Taken: | 03.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.07.2025 14:57 |
| Story ID: | 494009 |
| Location: | CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, NEW MEXICO, US |
| Web Views: | 9 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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