Ortho clinic keeps Nellis warfighters fighting

Photo By Senior Airman Thomas Spangler | Staff Sgt. Samuel Scott (left), 99th Medical Operations Squadron orthopedic technician, demonstrates how a cast would be placed on a patient with Staff Sgt. Tiffany Hannon, 99th MSGS orthopedic technician, playing the role of the patient at the Mike O’Callaghan Federal Medical Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Jan. 16, 2015. The orthopedic clinic is responsible for treating musculoskeletal injuries, such as broken bones and torn ligaments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Thomas Spangler)  

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, NV, UNITED STATES

01.16.2015

Story by Senior Airman Thomas Spangler 

Nellis Air Force Base

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. – When an Airman, dependent or retiree in the Nellis Air Force Base community breaks a bone, tears a ligament or suffers any other musculoskeletal injury, the Airmen of the orthopedic clinic at the Mike O’Callaghan Federal Medical Center go into action to treat the injured person.

Approximately 14,000 patients walk through the clinic’s doors every year for treatment.

To treat these patients, the clinic has three surgeons, one podiatrist, two physician’s assistants and nine technicians on staff all trained to treat injured Airmen so they can return to their jobs.

“We keep the warfighter fighting,” said Master Sgt. Luis Contreras, 99th Medical Operations Squadron orthopedic flight chief.

The orthopedic clinic at Nellis is equipped to handle almost any musculoskeletal injury to help keep Nellis and Creech Air Force Base Airmen mission ready.

“There are a lot of [military treatment facilities] around the world that can’t see dependents, they can’t take care of a lot of acute injuries,” said Staff Sgt. Samuel Scott 99th MSGS orthopedic technician. “For example, they can’t do joint replacements or [anterior cruciate ligament] reconstructions. Here at Nellis we can do everything but spinal injuries.”

Patients who come to the clinic with spinal injuries are sent to University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, a civilian facility in Las Vegas equipped to deal with spinal injuries.

In addition to keeping Nellis and Creech Air Force Base Airmen ready to complete their mission and being equipped to handle almost any injury, the Airmen of the orthopedic clinic stay with their patients from the beginning to the end of treatment and as a result, have huge patient satisfaction ratings.

“There’s a big patient satisfaction because you see them before hand, and then you see them afterward,” Scott said. “We get to know them and their families, so when they’re on the table for surgery we know who they are and what they need from us.”

Despite the large number of patients and the many hours it takes to treat them, the Airmen of the orthopedic clinic still find great joy in treating the Nellis Air Force Base community and getting its Airmen back into fighting form.

“We’re all excited to work here, we love our patients,” Scott said. “We’ve got a huge patient load and it’s always growing, but everybody comes into work with a smile.”

• Date Taken: 01.16.2015
• Date Posted: 01.23.2015 18:43
• Story ID: 152640
• Location: NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, NV, US