Medical Clinic Receives $15M Facelift
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
COMMANDER’S CORNER: FITNESS ACTIVITIES, TRAINING - PAGE 3 Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Thursday, July 2, 2009 Vol. 53 No. 26 Medical clinic receives $15M facelift by Thea Skinner continue to grow as our beneficiary population grows.” 21st Space Wing Public Affairs staff writer The clinic now has more space for beneficiaries and staff. A 12-phase, $15 million renovation to the 21st Medical Wait times have also decreased since the clinic renovation Group clinic was celebrated at an Evening at the Clinic Open was completed. House on Peterson Air Force Base June 17. “People are able to be seen quicker, because more rooms “With the tremendous amount of military growth in are available,” Lieutenant Miranda said. Colorado Springs, we need to ensure we have sufficient clini- Colonel Sell lauded the 500-person MDG staff as a strong cal space to treat our patient population,” said Col. John Sell, customer-focused team. 21st Medical Group commander. “When people are sick and The building’s original 1972 construction accommodated come to us for care, we must provide them an aesthetic and 6,000 beneficiaries. professional medical environment. This major renovation is The modern 21st Medical Group cares for more than 24,000 a step in the right direction — the look and feel of the clinic patients, and is postured to serve 27,000 per year, Colonel for both our beneficiaries and the health care professionals Sell said. who take care of them.” “As a team, our goal, regardless of rank or color of uniform, In wartime, medical assistance such as that of the 21st is to provide timely, quality and customer focused health care. Medical Group and surrounding health care partners in We are in the customer care business,” he said. Colorado Springs is key to sustaining servicemember’s and The evening celebration came on the heels of Colonel their families. Sell’s briefing to the Air Force Surgeon General and Health The Air Force of today is not the Air Force it was, because Executive Council in Washington, D.C., June 12, referencing the Air Force has more medics, flight technicians and others the team concept of health care in Colorado Springs with deploying than ever before, said Maj. Gen. Thomas Deppe, the 10th Medical Group at the Air Force Academy, Fort Air Force Space Command vice commander and keynote Carson Evans Army Community Hospital, and the Veterans speaker at the open house. Administration Eastern Colorado Health care System. Four areas at the clinic were expanded and grew by approxi- The 21st Medical Group is a primary care platform, which Col. John Sell, 21st Medical Group commander, and Maj. Gen. Thomas mately 20 percent, with the Women’s Health Clinic growing relies on local specialty care providers at Memorial Health Deppe, Air Force Space Command vice commander, cut the cake during by almost 40 percent. Expanded areas include the Women’s care System, Penrose-Saint Francis Health Services, Cedar the Evening at the 21st Medical Group clinic reopening ceremony June Health Clinic, Flight Medicine and Public Health. Springs, and TRIWEST, he said. 17. Four areas at the clinic were expanded and grew by approximately “We have grown more than 500 (patients) in the past “Support from leadership is crucial. I’m very grateful for 20 percent, and the Women’s Health Clinic grew by almost 40 percent. 12 months in beneficiary population,” said 1st Lt. Denise the support our wing leadership gives us and to the AFSPC Expanded areas include the Women’s Health Clinic, Flight Medicine and Miranda, 21st Medical Group, group practice manager, who Public Health. (U.S. Air Force photo by Thea Skinner) assists in running the clinic and scheduling. “Our staff will See $15 M facelift page 12 AFSPC resources increased by force structure realignment by Tech. Sgt. Kimberley Harrison and Maj. Vanessa Hillman Air Force Space Command Public Affairs The Air Force released its proposed FY10 force structure announcement today, supported by the FY10 President’s Budget, resulting in an increase in person- nel throughout Air Force Space Command, civilian and military. “The proposed increase of approximately 700 positions across the command will help AFSPC meet our ongoing commitment to space and cyberspace missions,” said General C. Robert Kehler, commander of AFSPC. Final decisions will be made only after the appropriate environmental analyses have been completed and the National Environmental Protection Act conformity requirements have been met, according to the USAF Outbound lane closures scheduled at west gate Force Structure announcement. “The proposed Air Force end strength supports its Construction work is scheduled on out-bound lanes of Peterson’s west gate starting June 29 for emerging Total Force missions to provide unsurpassed approximately five weeks, in order to widen the inside curve to a safer radius and repair pavement Global Vigilance, Global Reach and Global Power...to imperfections.. At least one out-bound lane will be open at all times, but personnel are advised to fly, fight and win in air, space and cyberspace. It also use caution when exiting the west gate, exercise patience, and consider exiting the base through the complements AFSPC’s recently released vision state- north gate in order to minimize delays during the construction period. In-bound traffic through ment” he said. the west gate will be unaffected. (Air Force photo) See force structure realignment page 12 INSIDE News 4 Commentary 3 New Ops Leadership 2 Regional Youngsters Group Feature 5 qualifier engage commander Events Page 5 10 Page 8 Page 8 Space ObServer 2 Thursday, July 2, 2009 www.peterson.af.mil Air Force Warriors are defined by duty, honor, integrity by Capt. Emmanuel Matos c om m a nd e r on the highways the warrior is ready. United States Strategic Command of Iraq. It could be the We all have sacrificed for the military. We may have Neither let us be slandered from our duty by false ac- A i r men work ing missed a special day with our loved ones, traveled hun- cusations against us, nor frightened from it by menaces dreds of miles from our family and friends to put the of destruction to the Government nor of dungeons to mission first. This is the essence of duty. We don’t have ourselves. Let us have faith that right makes might, a “job”, we have a “duty”. We don’t work for a stock and in that faith, let us, to the end, date to do our duty holder or for the” bottom line” but rather we do our as we understand it.” Abraham Lincoln ,Feb. 27, 1860, duty for our country, for the men and women we live Cooper Union Address. and work with. It is our obligation to perform our given “Warrior” — we hear the term often, but how many task, to follow orders, to maintain standards. These are have stopped to think about what it means. Merriam- more than job requirements: they are the measures of Webster simply defines a warrior as “a man engaged or performance that ultimately ensure the continued suc- experienced in warfare” or broadly as a person engaged the front desk of cess of our nation. in some struggle or conflict.” By this definition, any- the fit- ness center Lastly, it is our sense of honor. What is a warrior one who has ever deployed is a warrior, our veterans or the finance helpdesk. The without honor? Throughout military history, honor are warriors, and anyone who has ever served in the sentinels guarding our freedom deep in has been the hallmark of a warrior. Roman centurions military is a warrior. the command capsules of missile fields of Wyoming, saluted each other with the mantra “strength and honor”, There is more to being a warrior than simply fight- Montana and North Dakota are also warriors as are Gen. MacArthur lived by the principles instilled in him ing. For me the essence of warrior begins as a cadet “Duty, Honor, Country”. first and foremost in the heart. A war- The Air Force has taken the principle rior must have a clear and unequivocal of honor and broken it down to its determination, which Abraham Lincoln Courage, duty and honor are the bedrock upon most fundamental aspect and called stated in his address to Cooper’s Union. which the pillars of the American fighting spirit it “Integrity”. It is our first and, in Courage, duty and honor are the bedrock my opinion, our most important core upon which the pillars of the American are grounded and the essence of a Warrior. value. fighting spirit are grounded and the es- Living the “warrior ethos” means sence of a Warrior. dedicating our lives to the mental Operations Enduring Freedom and and physical training required of our Iraqi Freedom have produced hundreds military profession. We must have of thousands of stories about Airmen living the “war- the space professional across the globe monitoring our the courage to do what is right and the sense of duty to rior ethos”. It could be Capt. Dan “Clyde” Cruz, an A-10 high frontier. What makes these men and women war- follow through which will allow us to serve our country Fighter pilot who provided close air support to coalition riors is not whether they stand in front of enemy fire, with honor. Only then, as President Lincoln stated, will forces in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan or 1st Lt. but whether or not they have the courage to do their we have the faith that right makes might, and the faith Kyle Yates, a Security Forces officer who served as convoy duty, no matter the cost.