Photo By Staff Sgt. Camille Lienau | Airman 1st Class Veronica Baczek conducts hearing tests as part of the 104th Fighter...... read more read more
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Baczek has served at Barnes for a little over two years and initially enlisted to help fund her education at Worcester State University, where she is a junior majoring in Public Health.
“I am a member of public health in the medical group,” says Baczek. “My job covers a lot, ranging from entomology to food inspections, deployment health and occupational health.”
It’s the job of Public Health specialists to protect forces from an extensive array of illness and disease by minimizing health risks within the community. PHAs are one outlet that medical uses to maximize troop readiness and can include screenings in vision, behavioral health, cardiovascular health, and measurements and documentation of vitals.
“As part of our work in entomology, we will go outside and tick drag and catch mosquitos. For tick drags, we take a sheet, a stick and a string and you literally just drag the contraption through the woods to collect specimens, which is pretty fun. Although you look ridiculous.”
Public health Specialists are also responsible for educating Airmen on safety procedures and for investigating hazardous materials and sanitary standards.
“PHAs are fast paced but you get a lot of work done,” says Baczek. “For example, we have had more than 120 service members go through the audiogramtrailer this weekend alone.”
Baczek explained that the key to success as a public health specialist is to be willing to work hard and to step outside comfort zones in order to take on new responsibilities.
| Date Taken: | 03.08.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 03.08.2020 16:23 |
| Story ID: | 364741 |
| Location: | WESTFIELD, MA, US |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Ensuring medical readiness through PHAst track, by SSgt Camille Lienau, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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