It is a high honor and distinct privilege to take over the role of ASD(HA) from the capable hands of Dr. Rice. He has been masterful at the helm, bringing his unique civility and expertise to this important role. While hoping for a quick approval of a permanent ASD(HA), I will dedicate every day to those warriors in harm's way, to those serving this nation in the active, reserve, and guard forces, to our honored retirees, and, as importantly, to their families who provide the core resiliency needed for a nation at war.

 

Like many of you, I have endured loss. As a flight surgeon, I lost my share of close friends in violent ways. As a young major, I spent a rainy night in a field, searching for and finding the remains of a close squadron mate who crashed in his F-16. Then I had to help console his wife when I had to tell her that he was not returning from that mission. Sadly, like many of you, this was not my only experience...

This post is republished from the Army Surgeon General's blog.

 

Labor Day is dedicated to the achievements of American workers and the contributions they make to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. Labor Day weekend also marks the end of the 101 Critical Days of summer; a period historically associated with increased mishaps. Over this Labor Day weekend take a well-deserved break and recharge. Bear in mind we must always exercise safety and continuously manage risk.

 

As we enter the remaining month of this fiscal year, MEDCOM's accidential fatalities are down significantly- yet we still lost three members of our MEDCOM family to preventable accidents. Unsafe operation of vehicles continues to be the leading cause of accidental fatalities both Army and MEDCOM-wide.

According to a recent article published in The Journal, retired Navy Capt. Mark Johnston has invented a new medical device that may lead to additional treatment options for patients, especially those who suffer from cancer.

 

Johnston’s device, the CryoSpray Ablation System, uses liquid nitrogen to freeze and effectively kill cancerous and pre-cancerous cells in the esophagus; a process also known as cyrotherapy.

A new program has been established to train and certify medical personnel in implementing deployment mental health assessments for service members. By law, mental health assessments are required for each member of the Armed Forces deployed in connection with a contingency operation. Deployment Mental Health Assessments are completed to identify and assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, suicidality, and other mental health conditions, risks and concerns, before and after deployment. 

For the second consecutive year, we’re looking for those female physicians who have inspired others to strengthen military medicine. The "Building Stronger Female Physician Leaders in the MHS" award recognizes the women who have made significant lifetime contributions to the practice of medicine and/or who have served as exemplary role models for other female physicians. With the deadline for submissions fast approaching, please click here to download the nomination form (Word doc) today. 

A new hiring authority became effective in September 2009 that gave agencies the option of hiring qualified military spouses without going through the competitive process. However, according to a recent Federal Times article, the federal government has been slow to adopt this new accelerated hiring authority targeted to military spouses. Additionally, we continue to hear that hiring managers as well as spouses are unaware of this authority.

 

 

According to statistics released by the Office of Personnel Management, federal agencies hired 61 military spouses in the first quarter of fiscal 2010 – 58 of those were hired by the Defense Department. The positions included clerks, human resources, accounting, program management and medical support.

In partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, DCoE will host a webinar Aug. 26 that highlights state and local reintegration programs available to service members returning from deployment. The webinar will take place from 1 – 2:30 p.m. Eastern.

 

Speakers from New Hampshire, Tennessee and California will discuss their state programs and best practices surrounding veteran care. The hope is that these practices can be adopted elsewhere to improve statewide veteran care. The webinar is intended for military and civilian leaders, health care providers, veteran affairs staffers, local military representatives, subject matter experts and anyone else interested in this topic.

 

To register for this event, or for more information send an e-mail to: DCoE.MonthlyWebinar@tma.osd.mil.

Please a take a moment to view a story that aired on Fox 5 D.C. yesterday about Dwayne Frost, an Iraq War veteran and amputee who, despite his injury, has continued his life of service as a firefighter in the Washington, D.C., area.

 

In 2003 Frost, then a National Guardsmen serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, lost a leg as a result of a suicide bombing.

 

From the Fox 5 D.C. report:

"I was frustrated in the beginning, not being able to accept the loss of my leg," Frost recalled.

 

The recovery was tough but he made it through and was ready to return to his career as a firefighter.

"I still say I have two legs. Just one is stronger than the other,” Frost said.

Click here to view/read the full story at Fox 5 D.C.’s website.

 

 

 

This post is republished from DoD Live

 

Vaccines have been saving lives on and off the battlefield for hundreds of years. Since George Washington first inoculated his troops from smallpox in 1777, our servicemembers have been better prepared to engage in battle and live long, healthy lives – knowing they are protected from some of the world’s deadliest diseases.

 

Of course, other vulnerable populations like children need this protection too. Today, children typically receive vaccinations for 14 diseases. Before vaccines, these diseases claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. And now, because of widespread vaccination, diseases like polio in the U.S. and smallpox worldwide that were once life-threatening have been completely eradicated.

 

Getting your child vaccinated has benefits beyond the child who receives the immunization. Immunizations protect your children’s friends, schoolmates, and others they come into contact with who may not have been vaccinated for one reason or another. Grandchildren and future generations are protected from diseases when their parents and grandparents have received immunizations. And the more that children are immunized, the lesser the prevalence of the disease, encouraging its eventual eradication.

This post is republished from the DCoE blog.

 

The Apps for the Army (A4A) competition recently announced the winners for their first internal applications-development challenge, and DCoE’s National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2) won gold in the morale, welfare and recreation category for their Telehealth Mood Tracker mobile application.

“We want to accommodate the military’s psychological health needs with 21st century technologies,” said Dr. Greg Gahm, director of T2. “Creating tools for wellness requires a working commitment between the psychologists and the technology specialists. I am proud of the T2 team for their accomplishment in the Apps for the Army challenge and their desire to support the military community with innovative and adaptive technologies.”

T2 MoodTracker allows service members to track their moods. Users can self-monitor their mood variations daily, weekly, monthly or even from hour to hour, which helps service members understand the impact of stress and common emotional reactions that follow a deployment.