HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — In ceremonial fashion, the 75th Medical Group at Hill Air Force Base was officially aligned with the Air Force’s new Medical Reform model this month.
With the new model, dedicated provider care teams will be aligned to an Operational Medical Readiness Squadron primarily focused on proactively treating military members from all uniformed services and improving their availability to support the warfighting mission.
Care for non-active duty patients, primarily the families of service members and military retirees, will be handled by separate provider teams aligned to a Health Care Operations Squadron.
“This new structure optimizes both functions and allows us to return Airmen back to full mission capability as quickly as possible without decrementing care to our beneficiaries,” said Col. Robert Corby, chief of Medical Manpower and Personnel, Office of the Air Force Surgeon General. “Restructuring where care is delivered lets our providers focus on each group to improve the quality of care, create efficiencies, and most importantly, get injured or ill Airmen back into the fight more quickly.”
Under the restructure, the 75th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, commanded by Col. Michelle Brown, was redesignated as the 75th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron during an inactivation and redesignation ceremony July 12.
In addition, Lt. Col. Stephanie Ellenburg assumed command of the 75th Medical Operations Squadron from outgoing commander Lt. Col. Tania Sims during a change of command ceremony July 16. The squadron was then redesignated as the 75th Health Care Operations Squadron.
The renewed focus on readiness and returning Airmen to duty goes hand-in-hand with other reform efforts within the Air Force Medical Service and the Military Health System. Corby emphasized cooperation with the Defense Health Agency, as it assumes a larger role at Military Treatment Facilities.
The AFMS plans to initially rollout the new medical organization model to 43 Air Force MTFs within the continental United States. Medical centers, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, graduate medical education facilities, overseas treatment facilities, and limited scope facilities will not initially move to the new organizational model.
The next phase of Medical Health System reforms will administratively transition the MTFs of all military services to DHA responsibility Oct. 1, 2019.
