Keesler medic wins surgeon safety award Published March 13, 2013 By Steve Pivnick 81st Medical Group Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Maj. (Dr.) Rhodora Beckinger, a flight surgeon with the 81st Aerospace Medicine Squadron's flight medicine flight, has been selected to receive the Air Education and Training Command Operational Flight Surgeon Safety Award. She will compete for the Air Force honor. In his nomination, Col. (Dr.) Paul Nelson, Keesler Medical Center chief of aerospace medicine, lauded the major's ability to "build the relationships that created the pre-conditions for safety. 'Tulsa' (her aircrew call-sign), a first-tour flight surgeon and former Air Force physiologist is assigned to the Keesler Medical Center. She leveraged Total Force, active duty and Reserve, opportunities to sustain safer operations in both a medical center and in the air in support of her squadron, the (Air Force Reserve Command) 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters. "Because of her background in human factors, Major Beckinger was hand-selected to accompany the Hurricane Hunters on the annual Caribbean hurricane awareness tour, travelling to seven ports in eight days. She garnered rave reviews from the 403rd Wing commander as 'Our Doc Tulsa' in the base newspaper and built the relationships with her reserve flying unit that paid huge dividends. "Beckinger observed first-hand the stressors on both air and ground crews during deployments, then came back to coordinate the first in AFRC comprehensive continental United States fatigue countermeasures programs for the Hurricane Hunters director of operations. She rolled it out in time for the 2012 storm season as seen on the Weather Channel. Lauded by both aircrews and medics, this program was the first to effectively integrate Total Force flight surgeons with the unique flying demands of CONUS weather reconnaissance flying missions." The nomination continued, "Tulsa' continued her Total Force integration 'tour de force' by coordinating the first integrated Team Aerospace site survey (flight surgeons, bioenvironmental engineers and public health) at the St. Croix (Virgin Islands) Hurricane Hunters forward operating base. This comprehensive site survey included both preventive medicine recommendations and coordination of direct and emergency care for the Hurricane Hunters and set the conditions for follow-on jump, dive and hurricane operations at St. Croix, all executed safely and without mishap. "She received such rave reviews that the Hurricane Hunters have again requested her by name as we prepare for 2013. This is the same 'Best Practice' approach that garnered glowing reviews from the 403rd Wing's chief of safety as a great way to bring line and medical together to support the mission." Nelson commented, "Finally, Tulsa's ongoing team-centered engagement with the flying unit has paid unexpectedly useful benefits to the practice of medicine in Keesler Medical Center. Flight surgeon specialists are now going to the aerospace medicine primary class increments two weeks at a time and learning aviation concepts such as crew resource management, reason's mishap model and checklist discipline. They come home and use them in their daily practice of medicine. While our specialists see cool stuff, fly and have fun, they become better medical team leaders directing care of our patients. "This great plan was highlighted when one of our youngest residents (and a future flight surgeon) was singled out by The Joint Commission physician inspector during its February evaluation of the medical center for some of the 'best and most disciplined' patient care he had ever seen -- a testimony to the importance of combining clinical and operational expertise." The nomination concluded, "These opportunities would not have happened without active engagement between our flight surgeons and the guys who fly airplanes for a living. 'Tulsa' Beckinger is my No. 1 candidate this year, exemplifying this unique relationship at the 'hospital without walls' ...which obviously can fly, too!"