Photo By Staff Sgt. Adriana Barrientos | U.S. Air Force Col. Kirsten Aguilar, left, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and 673d...... read more read more
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U.S. Air Force Col. Kirsten Aguilar, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and 673d Air Base Wing commander, participated in the 673d Inpatient Operations Squadron immersion tour at JBER, Alaska, Feb. 26, 2021.
The IPTS provides inpatient services for all military members and their families, Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs, labor and delivery patients, intensive care, and psychiatric inpatients. The tour highlighted the Airmen at each of its sections, and familiarized Aguilar with how they support mission readiness.
Junior enlisted members of each unit not only briefed the commander on their sections’ contributions to the mission, but also set up hands-on demonstrations for Aguilar to experience what they do.
“IPTS ensures the warfighting capability of our service members by either directly caring for them or providing care to their loved ones,” said U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. John Sherwood, 673d Behavioral Health Unit clinical nurse. “Our service members deploy across the globe and IPTS is a place where we employ Trusted Care values, so service members can take refuge in knowing their loved ones will be taken care of while they are away defending our freedom we hold so dear.”
During her tour, Aguilar got to hear and see the impact of the IPTS mission, and what day-to-day operations entail for staff and their patients.
“The goal of this tour was to enlighten the top leaders on JBER about the entire Inpatient Operations Squadron mission for each respective unit, and show how things are executed on our end,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Cedric Williams, 673d Behavioral Health Unit mental health technician. “IPTS as a whole is extremely vital to the mission on JBER. The intensive care unit, perinatal unit, multi-service unit, and behavioral health unit, are constantly taking care of our active duty, dependent, retiree and veteran patients. A lot of leadership inside and outside of the hospital tend to think that mental health, behavioral health, and the inpatient behavioral health unit are all the same thing, when we are all different and can serve different purposes.”
Clinics demonstrated how they provide care for their patients in, and in some cases, out of the hospital. The Critical Care Air Transport Team from the ICU, for example, demonstrated a pneumothorax in-flight simulation using a transport ventilator. The CCATT is a specially trained, three-person team, that specializes in aeromedical evacuation.
“I think it’s great for leadership to take tours of the many different units across any base. It can help Airmen, get more comfortable with them like they would with a first sergeant or unit commander,” Williams said. “It helps everyone put faces to names, and makes future interactions more personable.”
Immersions allow commanders to not only understand the capabilities of the squadrons under their command, but also to meet the Airmen who keep the mission going. The IPTS immersion checks off Aguilar's sixth tour since taking command July 14, 2020.
| Date Taken: | 02.26.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 03.11.2021 16:37 |
| Story ID: | 391184 |
| Location: | ANCHORAGE, AK, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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