Photo By Sgt. Jessica DuVernay | U.S. Army Col. Daniel Hash, dental officer in charge, 807th Medical Command...... read more read more
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HAWAIIAN OCEAN VIEW, Hawaii --For medical reservists in the military, hands on experience can be minimal unless they work in their field in the civilian sector. Soldiers participating in Tropic Care 2016, have the opportunity to relearn and enhance their military training and competency.
Tuesday was the first day of Tropic Care, a two-week long health fair providing medical care and resources to people in underserved communities. Within the two weeks, Soldiers and civilian health care providers will be located in three communities on the island of Hawaii. They will be providing a wide range of medical services to the residents in not only those communities but from communities all over the island.
Sgt. Maj. Rosa Cunningham is the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge for the dental clinic at Hawaiian Ocean View Estates Community Center. For this event, her role is to ensure quality care for the patients and make sure her Soldiers and airmen working under her are getting the training and experience they need.
“Senior enlisted are here to support the junior Soldiers, because they are expected to sit down and have that skill and be confident at it,” explained Cunningham. “So it’s important that we let them get the opportunity here where they have support, and where they can get help between myself or 1st Sgt. Partridge.”
Oftentimes, the only training or experience medical Soldiers may receive is when they do their training at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin or at Fort Hunter Liggett in California, said Capt. Erin Velasquez, assistant operations officer, but even then it is only role playing experience which is not real.
“It provides that real world training and it’s dual fold, we are also providing a service that is needed for the population,” said Velasquez.
The experience that Soldiers gain from this will help them maintain their skills and stay up to date with relevant information.
“Unless they work in a civilian dental office, which I don’t believe any of them do, the only time they get hands on experience is at their Annual Training,” said Cunningham. “This is really good experience for them to get competent and confident in their skill.”
Tropic Care is a combined effort with the State of Hawaii Department of Health and U.S. Army Reserves that encompasses and utilizes skills from other military services and components, civilian businesses and community organizations.
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 06.02.2016 22:59 |
| Story ID: | 199820 |
| Location: | HAWAIIAN OCEAN VIEW, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 52 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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