Photo By Douglas Stutz | Tallying the count…and providing timely results, Hospital Corpsman 1st Class KC...... read more read more
When Hospital Corpsman 1st Class KC Geisler entered the Navy in 2002, his plan was to assist in detecting and neutralizing underwater mines.
The Henderson, Nevada native is still distinguishing and deactivating hidden dangers, albeit in a different, yet perhaps even more crucial, working environment.
Geisler is the leading petty officer of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Bremerton’s Laboratory Department, which has been pivotal throughout the past year in helping to eliminate the pandemic.
For Geisler and the entire Lab team, their work continues unabated even during the annual recognition event of Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, held this year April 18-24, 2021.
“The laboratory became the gateway of all COVID-19 testing in our immediate region. The laboratory had to step up and tackle the pandemic head on with no reduction in schedules. When USS Nimitz (CVN 68) was tasked to deploy last year, all of our staff came in over the weekend to order over 4,000 COVID-19 diagnostic tests, coordinate logistics, processing, shipping and DoD testing to support getting the carrier underway for deployment as scheduled,” Geisler said.
Lab staff also took part in providing approximately 5,750 COVID swab tests for Marine Corps Security Force Battalion, Bangor and approximately 4,250 COVID swab tests for Submarine Group Nine commands.
“When we receive the COVID samples we have to make sure that the sample is correct and acceptable for testing before tested or sent for reference studies. Our microbiology bench received and validated four FDA approved infectious disease diagnostic analyzers to test COVID-19 and respiratory panels as well as another molecular testing system that can handle 400 COVID tests a day. With the implementation of those analyzers, the wait time for COVID-19 results went from three to seven days to mere hours. The efforts of the lab have helped to identify patients that have been infected with COVID-19, which has been instrumental in the care and further precautions to stop the spread of COVID-19,” explained Geisler, a Hardin High School 1997 graduate, George Washington University alumnus with an Associate in Science 2007 degree and a Trident International graduate with his Bachelors in Health Care Administration in 2017.
Geisler joined the Navy in 2002 as a mineman.
“Which is a really small rate [approximately 300-600 Sailors] that few people know about. The rate is a jack of all trades. You are a gunner’s mate, master at arms, quartermaster, operations specialist, and a boatswain’s mate all rolled up into one,” said Geisler, who was assigned to USS Defender (MCM 2) and USS Warrior (MCM 10) both with U.S. Pacific Fleet.
“MCM class ships are made of wood and fiberglass so that the hull can flex during an explosion set off by a sea mine,” added Geisler. “It had a crew of only 70 people so everyone had to be familiar with how the ship ran. It was a lot of work but it was a lot of fun at the same time.”
It was when Geisler started working with the ship’s Surface Independent Duty Corpsman that the urge to switch to a career in Navy Medicine took hold.
“I wasn’t happy with what I was doing. I wanted to do more. I learned how to take care of medical records, perform minor medical procedures and health inspections,” recalled Geisler, adding that he also became aware that as a mineman there really wasn’t a lot of similar civilian occupations, but the medical field offered a wide range of job opportunities.
After Hospital Corpsman ‘A’ School, he then attended Advanced Laboratory School for 13 months, which is where he also earned his associates degree, along with a national certification from the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. He also received a $45,000 reenlistment bonus.
Navy Medicine has taken Geisler to the far side of the Pacific, for a tour at U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa, Japan as the Blood Bank Supervisor from 2007-2010.
“I had a blast. If you’ve never been to Okinawa, it is one of the best duty stations out there! There is a lot to see and do and the Okinawans are really friendly,” related Geisler.
After Okinawa he transferred to Naval Branch Health Clinic Fallon, Nevada, home of Top Gun Naval Aviation School as the clinic/lab leading petty officer. After three years there, he relocated to the Pacific Northwest, initially at Branch Health Clinic Puget Sound Naval Shipyard before his current duty assignment.
When asked what’s been the best part of his Navy career, Geisler replied, “Definitely has got to be the people that I meet. It is never about the duty station that you go to. It’s all about the relationships that you build with the people you work with that really matters. In the laboratory we are a family. People that join the Navy – or any other service branch for that matter - typically are not in close proximity to their families. So we adopt each other and take care of one another.”
For Geisler, being part of Navy Medicine has presented an opportunity to continue to challenge himself personally and professionally. His co-workers count on him. His young Sailors appreciate his guidance. Yet to most, if not all, patients, he’s a behind-the-scenes expert committed to processing accurate and timely test results for each one.
“I like to know that I am taking care of our service members, as well as their families,” stated Geisler.
| Date Taken: | 04.21.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 04.21.2021 16:01 |
| Story ID: | 394382 |
| Location: | BREMERTON, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 365 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, ‘I am Navy Medicine – and Laboratory Technician – HM1 KC Geisler’, by Douglas Stutz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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