Thursday, August 10, 2017

Transcription

1 Thursday, August 10, 2017

2 NEWS/FEATURES Cataracts affect about 25 million Americans and can cause blurry, cloudy or dim vision, as well as glare and halos at night. This condition can also lead to a significant decrease in a person s ability to perform daily activities in a safe manner. A cataract occurs when an individual s natural lens becomes cloudy over time. The solution for this problem is cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure which typically takes less than 20 minutes. During this operation, the cloudy natural lens is removed and replaced with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). There are several different classes of IOLs to choose from, and your eye surgeon can help you decide on the most appropriate lens for you. Here are some topics to consider as a starting point. Cost: Medicare and TRICARE cover the cost of traditional monofocal IOLs, but most insurance companies do not cover the premium IOLs. The monofocal lenses provide the highest quality of image, but at only one distance. Most patients who choose this option desire to be able to see well without glasses at a further distance and wear glasses for closer distances. Intermediate vision: If you spend much of your day doing many intermediate distance activities, such as working on a computer, your eye surgeon may recommend using different strength monofocal lenses for monovision. This is where one eye sees well at a distance and the other eye sees well up close. This may be a good option for many, but those who require perfect vision out of both eyes may not be thrilled with this setup. Independence from glasses: The newer premium IOLs include multifocal lenses which give patients a range of vision from distance to near. These can reduce or eliminate the need for glasses and contacts altogether. These lenses are much more expensive and are not typically covered by insurance. Night driving: If you frequently drive at night, the multifocal lens may not be the best option for you. The multifocal lenses, especially the higher power ones, can induce glare and halos around lights. Most people adapt to these symptoms, but if you frequently drive at night, you may consider a monofocal lens. Astigmatism: Astigmatism is a problem where the front surface of the eye (the cornea) is shaped more like a football than a basketball. This leads to the image formed on the film of the eye (the retina) being out of focus without glasses or contacts. If you have moderate to severe astigmatism, there are IOLs that may correct much or all of the astigmatism, enabling you to have much more clear vision. Patients with significant astigmatism are very happy with these astigmatism correcting IOLs. However, these IOLs are considered premium IOLs, and again not typically covered by insurance. The MacDill Ophthalmology Clinic has two eye surgeons who are committed to providing the best possible eye care to service members, dependents and retirees. We have the very best diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, and all of our patients have access to whatever IOL the surgeon and patient feel would be most appropriate, regardless of whether it is a standard IOL or a premium IOL. We pride ourselves in our excellent visual outcomes, and do everything in our power to give you the best possible experience. Feel free to call the clinic for more information, including how to set up a cataract evaluation, at Catholic Religious Education registration for the school year, grades kindergarten to confirmation, will begin on Sunday, Aug. 13 following the 9:30 a.m. Mass in Annex two. Registration will continue after each Sunday Mass until Sept. 17 or by appointment during the week. There is a donation fee of $30 for each child, or $45 for two or more children, to defray the cost of religious education textbooks, and supplies. Classes begin on Sunday Sept. 10 and will run from 10:45 a.m. to noon in Annex 2. For more information contact Diane Baggerly at COMMANDER S ACTION LINE The Action Line provides two-way communication between the 6th Air Mobility Wing commander and the MacDill community. Personnel may submit questions, concerns or comments via to macdillwingcommander@us.af.mil. Website: Facebook: MacDillAirForceBase Instagram: macdill_afb 2 Thursday, August 10, 2017 MACDILL THUNDERBOLT

3 NEWS/FEATURES Therapy can come in many different shapes, forms, and sizes. For some, attending counseling helps during troubled times. For others, meditation helps ease the mind. The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response team at MacDill Air Force Base has implemented a new kind of therapy. MacDill recently employed the Paw Support Program in which its newest Airman, Khaos, the SAPR dog in-training, will provide therapeutic support to aid in the healing process for victims of sexual assault. The program will provide innovative support to our valued military members and personnel around MacDill, said Col. April Vogel, the commander of the 6th Air Mobility Wing. We as a military must continue to strive for modern methods to support our Airmen. The new program targets barriers to communication. The ultimate goal of the Paw Support Program is to break down the initial barriers our personnel have in approaching the SAPR office, and placing the victims at ease once they have found their courage to come forward, said 1st Lt. Diana Eldridge, the deputy sexual assault and response coordinator assigned to the 6th Air Mobility Wing. We have an approved SAPR dog who has received his initial skills training and is ready to engage with Team MacDill. Khaos, found through a breeder, is now 9 months old and has completed three weeks of full immersion training. During that time, he was exposed to new environments and taught how to handle various distractions. Once Khaos completes additional training requirements and receives a certification for therapy training at a year old, he will be released to interact and assist sexual assault victims. The goal for Khaos is to provide comfort through a canine-human bond for sexual assault victims, said Christina Roussell, the certified trainer working with Khaos. SAPR, Page 7 On June 1 the Air Force introduced a brand new system allowing patients to have medical appointments virtually. What we mean by virtually, is that clients can now have a non-face-toface encounter with a credentialed provider using a cell or land line phone to address the patient s healthcare needs, said James Bernard, the 6th Medical Group practice manager. Now, scheduled virtual appointments are intertwined with providers normal face-to-face appointments throughout the day. This means providers are able to assist patients by phone in between their in-person appointments. The goal is to increase patients access to providers by giving them other options of attaining medical care, added Staff Sgt. Bernice Ortiz, the medical office manager assigned to the 6th Medical Operations Squadron. According to Ortiz and Bernard, a few examples of the current virtual appointments clients could come across at MacDill are: physical health as- VIRTUAL Page 11 MACDILL THUNDERBOLT Thursday, August 10,

4 WEEK IN PHOTOS 4 Thursday, August 10, 2017 MACDILL THUNDERBOLT

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6 NEWS/FEATURES WASHINGTON (AFNS) Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson announced the Air Force will seek to significantly reduce unnecessary Air Force instructions over the next 24 months in order to allow greater flexibility and mission focus. Empower exceptional leaders, enable the warfighter In a room full of new Air Force fellows at the National Defense University, Wilson said the 1,300 official instructions are often outdated and inconsistent, breeding cynicism when Airmen feel they cannot possibly follow every written rule. There are more AFIs than we need, she said. Let s not tell Airmen how to do everything; let s tell them what to do and let them surprise us with their ingenuity. Secretary Wilson and I trust our Airmen will make the right decision, based on the values, training and experience the Air Force has provided them, said Gen. David L. Goldfein, Air Force chief of staff. By reducing the number of Air Force directives we are trusting our Airmen and pushing down decision authority to commanders. The way ahead - restore readiness The effort will start with the 40 percent of instructions that are out of date and those identified by Airmen as top priorities. The first step will target immediate rescission, Wilson said. We want to significantly reduce the number of publications, and make sure the remaining ones are current and relevant. Airmen can visit the Airmen Powered by Innovation portal to provide input on which publications should be prioritized for review. The second phase will be a review of all other directive publications issued by Headquarters Air Force. These publications contain more than 130,000 compliance items at the wing level. Publications should add value, set policy and describe best practices, she said. They should also give authority to the lowest practical level to waive instructions when experience and good judgement suggest that is the best course. Airmen will have the opportunity to be part of an Air Force survey within the next several weeks. The survey will ask for feedback on the most important instructions to rescind or revise. 6 Thursday, August 10, 2017 MACDILL THUNDERBOLT

7 The bond could also prove critical in the reporting process. This program will hopefully give sexual assault victims and survivors an extra bit of support to help them cope with the horrible trauma they have experienced, explained Eldridge. It is designed so that the therapy dog can be available to the victim from initial reporting through court martial or civilian trial. Despite being in training, Khaos can already provide support to his teammates at MacDill. The SAPR therapy dog can interact with all members, not only those who have suffered from sexual assault, said Eldridge. The human-animal bond is a unique bond that is beneficial to both the dog and the member, and goes beyond unconditional love and companionship. Moving forward, the SAPR office hopes to expand their program and welcome more therapy dogs to the team. These Airmen will be readily available to assist sexual assault victims, survivors, and the community whenever there is a need. MACDILL THUNDERBOLT Thursday, August 10,

8 8 Thursday, August 10, 2017 MACDILL THUNDERBOLT When planning for an emergency, coordination is important. These types of situations take many forms. Be it a hurricane or weapons system discovered nearby, each situation requires everyone affected to be equally prepared. The Air Force, as well as the Department of Defense, never hesitates at the importance of emergency management. As a result, there is a career field solely dedicated to minimizing any damage caused during an emergency. As Emergency Management, we are charged with ensuring Air Force assets, including Airmen, remain safe during a natural or man-made disaster, said Tech. Sgt. Frederick Gilmore, the Readiness and Emergency Management flight chief assigned to the 6th Civil Engineer Squadron. We also provide information to base leadership during an emergency, as well as educate others on how to stay prepared. With hurricane season in full-swing at MacDill Air Force Base, Airmen like Gilmore are constantly reviewing information gathered by weather specialists, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other emergency management offices in the Tampa Bay area. The information they gather goes into developing a plan to mitigate damage if such a weather-related emergency arises. There are a lot of what ifs? in our job, said Vincent Anderson, an Emergency Management technician assigned to the 6th CES. But we strive to educate everyone on MacDill about the precautions and processes they should take during a weather emergency. Such processes include creating a hurricane kit packed with vital items and first aid. Another example is creating a plan, in the event family members are not home, to identify where everyone should meet, as well as an evacuation route if necessary. However, emergency management doesn t end with weather preparedness; its members are subject matter experts for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense. A big part of deployment preparation is attending a refresher course on CBRN operations, said Gilmore. We try to make alarm conditions and donning mission oriented protective posture gear become muscle memory, so that service members can confidently protect themselves in a CBRN scenario. It s imperative that these processes stay with them during a stressful event. Emergency management s occupational badge is based on an insignia adopted by the U.S. Army Chemical Service in The badge features two crossed retorts, glass laboratory vessels, placed behind a benzene ring, which is a molecular building block of many organic chemicals. Its design showcases the career field s expertise in chemical-related jobs and CBRN defense. Technicians earn a civil engineer badge to wear as well. EMERGENCY, Page 10 MACDILL THUNDERBOLT Thursday, August 10,

9 We re trained to handle any chemical emergency, said Gilmore. We can employ multiple tools to identify the substance to help protect others from contamination. Another mission that emergency management contributes to is the Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force, aptly known as Prime BEEF. Basically, Prime BEEF is a workforce of multiple jobs in civil engineering who can rapidly deploy and handle all the engineering needs, said Gilmore. It consists of jobs like plumbers, electricians and structural troops who can ensure a new forward operating base is safe to use. Gilmore mentioned that although emergency management is a relatively small career field, the impact far surpasses how many technicians currently serve. Preparation, prevention, response and recovery are the four pillars to emergency management, said Anderson. Each one requires a wealth of information, and it s up to us to disseminate that information to everyone who should know what to do when an emergency occurs, including senior leadership. With two occupational badges, the Airmen in emergency management wear many hats to help keep Air Force assets safe. From hazardous material suits to gas masks, they are constantly reviewing the what ifs of any situation that could happen. For more information on emergency preparedness and other resources, visit Thursday, August 10, 2017 MACDILL THUNDERBOLT

10 sessments, medication follow-up care, follow-ups on laboratory and radiology results, emergency follow-ups, and some mental health screenings. Having this new system available to patients provides flexibility and convenience. Instead of patients needing to leave work, school or family to commute to the MDG, they can simply excuse themselves for a short (10 minute) phone call, said Bernard. By not having in-clinic appointments, patients also lower their risk and their family s risk of exposure to common acute illnesses that are easily spread throughout clinics. Not only does this system seem ideal for clients, providers also benefit from virtual appointments. By addressing the appropriate needs of patients virtually, it allows staff members to reallocate their time to accommodate their demanding schedules, said Bernard. In order for a client to be eligible for a virtual appointment, a provider must identify a patient as better suited for a virtual appointment versus a face-to-face visit. Once a booking clerk, technician, or nurse determines the needs of a patient could be met through a virtual appointment, the patient will be informed that the provider will contact them via phone, mentioned Ortiz. It s important for the patient to understand the difference in appointments because when they show up at the clinic for what is scheduled as a virtual appointment, it could possibly delay the care they and other scheduled patients receive. Clients desiring to schedule a virtual appointment are encouraged to contact a booking clerk. The 6th MDG is excited to offer this new level of care, but in order to ensure virtual appointments are a success, it encourages patients to make sure their phone numbers are up to date and correct in the records system through or clients can call the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) at The use of virtual appointments by phone is an effective way of optimizing the delivery of care, however, this is just the beginning, said Bernard. In the near future, virtual visits will be available on a desktop video teleconference platform to the patient s web enabled personal device! MACDILL THUNDERBOLT Thursday, August 10,

11 NEWS/FEATURES The season s first pads-on day at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Training Camp was no ordinary day at One Buc Place, Tampa, July 31. Instead of the bleachers filled with your traditional fans, Airmen from the 927th Air Refueling Wing, and other military members from MacDill Air Force Base, showed up in force to cheer on their hometown team. Military Day is special, it s awesome to have service men and women out here; players love it; it s an important day one we look forward too, said Dirk Koetter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach. We appreciate what you do; our level of respect for our troops is through the roof. The event, which was open to all service members, veterans and their families, is part of Military Day, an annual event the Buccaneers host to highlight and honor Tampa s military community. Visitors had the opportunity to watch practice plays, meet players and interact with various exhibits. Even though Tropical storm Emily made landfall in the Tampa area just prior to the start of the training camp, it didn t dampen the spirits of attendees. First-time attendee, Airman 1st Class John Quinn, a crew chief assigned to the 927th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, was not only impressed with the talent of the Buccaneers, but also the dedication of the local military fan base. This is incredible; I see this on TV all the time; I m a huge Bucs fan and it s nice to come out here and experience this firsthand, said Quinn. These BUCS, Page Thursday, August 10, 2017 MACDILL THUNDERBOLT

12 are professional players giving back to the military, and I appreciate it a lot more than they realize. After practice, the players and coaches visited with the military members and their families in the stands, signing autographs and extending their appreciation. I have such a deep and rich history in the military through my family, so when I talk to the men and women I understand what they go through, their mind and thought process, and we can just have a down-to-earth conversation about life, said Clinton McDonald, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, defensive tackle. It s great to have the men and women here on our practice fields. MACDILL THUNDERBOLT Thursday, August 10,

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14 COMMUNITY MacDill Lanes & Family Fun Center Club Membership Appreciation, 6-8 p.m. Door prize drawings; cosmic lighting and sound. All club members and their family members bowl free. Call for more information. MacDill Lanes & Family Fun Center National Bowling Day from 12-6 p.m. First game bowled is free. Call for more info. Base Theater Free movie. Alien Covenant (R). Doors open at 1:15 p.m. Movie starts at 2 p.m. Overflow parking available in the SOCOM parking garage. Box Office Bistro now open Located in the Base Theater. Open 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. serving nachos, tacos, taco rice bowls, quesadillas and more. Dining Facility Beach Bash from 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Ala carte menu. Indoor and outdoor serving lines. Random drawing for FSS gift cards. Guests are encouraged to wear Hawaiian/ beach-style attire. Event is open to all ESM and cash-paying customers. Call Surf s Edge Club Viva Italia Luncheon from 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Featuring a pasta action station, chicken parmesan and more. Club Members: free; family members: $11; all oothers: $12. Call For all other faith groups or for any questions, please contact the Chapel by visiting or calling Base Theater Free movie. Megan Leavey (PG-13). Doors open at 6:15 p.m. Movie starts at 7 p.m. MACDILL THUNDERBOLT Thursday, August 10,

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