Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Jesus Aguiar | U.S Navy medical building rests on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS John C....... read more read more
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By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Joshua L. Leonard
NORFOLK, Va. – The medical facilities aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) are currently scheduled to be re-located to the flight deck after September.
The move will ensure that there is continued medical support for the crew of the John C. Stennis during the ship’s Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH).
With other aircraft carriers that have undergone RCOH, the medical facilities were located on a barge, according to Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Leslie Giuy, from New York. The John C. Stennis, however, will be using this new type of medical facility.
“The medical complex on the flight deck is the first of its kind,” said Giuy. “They’ve combined six trailers into a two-story medical building. The coolest part is the fact that we’re going to be able to maintain all the services we have now. The impact to the crew will be very minimal.”
In an effort to ensure medical services to the crew are uninterrupted, a quick and efficient plan was put into place.
“We’ve started clearing out spaces and preparing equipment, so when the time to move comes we have a plan, and are ready,” said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Emmanuel Gomez, from Norwich, Connecticut.
There is no pause button in the medical world, said Giuy. Patient care can’t be interrupted to move equipment from one location to another.
“We have a department that you can’t just stop,” said Giuy, “We can’t stop having sick call. We can’t stop and focus on moving, especially because of the current situation with the coronavirus. We still have to monitor Sailors symptoms and conduct testing.”
The new two-story medical facility on the flight deck is large enough to provide Sailors with adequate care, while maintaining social distancing practices.
“The new medical facility is very large,” said Gomez, “We have a big room for the waiting area, so the lines you see aboard might not be around at the new facility. We shouldn’t have any issues with a lack of space.”
While medical services continue in the flight deck medical complex, the department’s old spaces below decks will be renovated to modernize the department’s layout.
“When the John C. Stennis comes out of RCOH, the medical area will have a completely different design,” said Gomez. “That’s why we’re moving now, so they can start the remodeling process as soon as possible.”
The John C. Stennis is partnering with Newport News Shipbuilding to complete RCOH on schedule with a trained, resilient and cohesive crew.
For more news on John C. Stennis, visit https://www.public.navy.mil/airfor/cvn74/Pages/index.aspx or follow along on Facebook at www.facebook.com/stennis74.
| Date Taken: | 07.30.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 07.30.2020 14:08 |
| Story ID: | 374919 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 520 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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