316th ESC’s Best Practices Pushes Unit Past Medical Readiness Goal

Photo By Maj. Marvin Baker | U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers in the 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) conduct a physical training test during a recent battle training assembly at their Coraopolis, Pennsylvania headquarters Sept. 16. Physical readiness and medical readiness go hand in hand toward achieving overall Soldier readiness. Soldiers in the 316th ESC face the challenge of continued readiness with effective management and leadership, which has led the unit to its highest medical readiness rankings this year during a recent analysis last month.  

CORAOPOLIS, PA, UNITED STATES

09.20.2017

Story by Maj. Marvin Baker 

316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

One of the top priorities for the Army Reserve and its Soldiers is medical readiness. That’s why earlier this year, leaders in the 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) developed a new tactic to increase medical readiness. “It’s all about communication,” said Tracy Saracco, 316th ESC Health Readiness Coordinator. “First, we make sure Soldiers know they are due a periodic physical. Second, we let them know how to fix the situation. Third, we make sure they know the consequences of not correcting the issue. Fourth, we work with Soldiers who need additional medical treatment. And lastly, we discuss successes and challenges with unit leaders,” Saracco said.

They also changed the way they managed the readiness reports, Saracco added. Instead of looking at the reports as a whole on a monthly basis, health readiness managers asked the staff and leaders to focus their attention on individual Soldiers and be prepared to discuss any shortcomings on a weekly basis. The change helped the unit increase its readiness by four percentage points, he added. “At our most recent medical readiness brief, we were the highest ranked ESC in the 377th Theater Sustainment Command,” Saracco said.

The new emphasis on individual readiness is primarily due to the diverse and complex array of national security threats now facing the country. America’s Army Reserve must be prepared to quickly deploy, which enables combatant commanders to fight and win on the modern battlefield. Soldiers also have a financial incentive to make sure they are medically ready. As a condition of employment, U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers must meet and maintain physical readiness requirements. Some of the requirements Soldiers must maintain include annual physical and dental exams.

Annual trips to the doctor and dentist not only provide benefits the U.S. Army Reserve, they also have obvious benefits to its Soldiers. It is difficult to tell if avoiding a doctor visit will cause harm directly, but it is more certain to know that early detection is a preventative step toward improving health.

Sgt. Amanda Pederson, a U.S. Army Reserve Soldier in the 316th ESC, agreed that physical readiness should be a top priority for all Soldiers, but alerted leaders that younger Soldiers sometimes don’t understand the Army’s annual physical exam process and that they sometimes base their need for an exam on their current physical wellbeing. “Leadership and guidance can further help those who need to meet the standard,” Pederson said.

The 316th ESC plans to continue to improve and evaluate its medical readiness methods as they move toward meeting and exceeding the Army Reserve standard.

• Date Taken: 09.20.2017
• Date Posted: 09.20.2017 15:17
• Story ID: 248987
• Location: CORAOPOLIS, PA, US