Courtesy Photo | Sgt. Maj. Cornell Proctor receives a tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis shot from Spc....... read more read more
By Spc. Anthony Hooker
359th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade
AUGUSTA, Ga. — When Army Pfc. Malcolm Dixon went to an April battle assembly, he understood that a visit to the dentist was likely. Dixon, a human resource specialist with the 359th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade, wasn't looking forward to an exam, yet he patiently waited in a makeshift dentist office at Fort Gordon's Army Reserve Center.
"[The Army] is taking health as a big deal, making sure nothing is wrong with us," said Dixon. "While I am not here every day [for work[, this is a reminder that I need to keep my medical status up to date."
Headquarters Company, 359th TTSB, said soldiers under his command always need to be pushed to be in good standing. Forbes said, although the Army is proceeding with a reduction of force, there are shortages in certain military occupation specialties that need to constantly be filled.
"Medical readiness has become a big point of contention," Forbes said. "The [359th] is an 'always available unit,' meaning members always have to be available to deploy. We have missions that come from our higher command - the missions could be domestic or an overseas duty . . . and we don't know when soldiers will be selected."
Logistical Health Incorporated, a contracted dental group, provided the on site care to the soldiers. With a national network of nearly 250,000 medical and dental providers, LHI routinely sends out medical personnel to Reserve and Guard Armories and drill halls. The outreach services relieve units from the tedious challenge of getting soldiers medically qualified in a timely manner, said an LHI representative. On this date, soldiers had their teeth x-rayed and received a dental exam to screen out potential issues such as gum decay and cavities. Before leaving, each patient also received a class on proper dental care.
Christie Smith, the event manager, said the main goal in any visit is to make sure every service member is healthy, and emphasized how individual soldiers and units come out ahead with being seen on a training day.
"Having us come out here is cost-effective for individuals because there is no out-of pocket expense," Smith said, saying a visit to the private sector dentist could cost $150 to $200. "The units win because so many of their troops can be taken care of in a short period . . . we expect to see nearly 60 people today. The actions today save supervisors the extra work of tracking their service members' medical records. You walk in, complete the exam and within 72 hours, the results should be uploaded onto MEDPROS."
One of the biggest challenges for Army Reservists is to be in compliance with the Army's medical standards. Sgt. Rosalie Cabasan, a unit administrator with the 359th TTSB, regularly assists in helping soldiers get immunization updates or physical exams scheduled. Cabasan said getting soldiers in compliance is no easy task.
"It's difficult because of distance," Cabasan said. "Many of our soldiers do not live in the Augusta area. They also may have a conflict at work. Their employers may not allow them to travel or there is the concern of income being lost because of work missed. Ideally, we want to be given time to use services that keep our soldiers medically prepared. LHI provides us the flexibility to plan our [soldier Readiness Program] so soldier participation is maximized."
As a tenant resident of Fort Gordon, the 359th TTSB also reaches out to post facilities normally designated for active duty service members. With the May drill period beginning on a weekday, Cabasan reserved a period of time for 359th soldiers to receive immunization updates at the Mark A. Connelly Health Clinic. Working with the 359th to identify and screen soldiers was Capt. Lauren Subroski, the head nurse at Connelly. Subroski said although most of the clinic’s patients are students attending school at Ft. Gordon, treating visiting service members has become an evolving task.
“We recognize a lot of our Reservists and Guardsmen are not located near Fort Gordon,” said Subroski. “BRAC [Base Realignment and Closure] led to the closing of Fort McPherson in Atlanta, a decision that affected a number of service members who regularly visited that post. Consequently, our clinic tries to make services easier to obtain.”
While helping finalize a patient list with Cabasan, Subroski learned a number of the 359th soldiers had not received a TDap (Tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis) shot, an immunization created to combat the rise in the pertussis (whooping cough) rate in the United States. Encouraged by officials representing the Center of Disease Control to dispense TDap shots, Subroski used the list she and Cabasan created to make certain most of the soldiers visiting the clinic received the Tdap immunization.
Subroski said units that maintain a good point of contact can coordinate dates for their visits and expect a quick response.
“The service the clinic gave us was big because our soldiers are always facing mobilization,” said Cabasan. “The list I provided in April can also be used in July during our annual training exercise period.”
Forbes said that having services rendered during battle training assemblies is a huge asset for his company.
“We don’t know specifically what soldiers will attend our drills, but we know a majority of our guys will come,” Forbes said. “If [our soldiers] are taking care of themselves physically, staying up to date with immunizations and medical records, they should experience no issues.”
| Date Taken: | 04.16.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 05.18.2012 09:59 |
| Story ID: | 88619 |
| Location: | AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 180 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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