Public health flight keeps Keesler safe, clean

Published Oct. 13, 2010
By 81st Aerospace Medicine Squadron

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The two dozen members of the 81st Aerospace Medicine Squadron public health flight have a major responsibility: screening elements that affect the health of the entire Keesler AFB community.

The flight manages and performs public health activities and programs. Included are food safety and security inspections; sanitation inspections; medical entomology surveillance programs; vector borne, communicable and occupational disease prevention and control; public health medical readiness activities; and promoting and providing health education and training.

In addition, the flight applies medical standards for initial and continued qualification of all Air Force members, provides administrative oversight to the Preventive Health Assessment and Individual Medical Readiness Program and the related Occupational Health Physical Examinations Program (including audiograms), provides medical intelligence through preventive medicine briefings and pre- and postdeployment surveillance activities and assists with medical processing for all deploying personnel.

Led by flight commander Maj. MatthewWest and flight chief Senior Master Sgt. Jason Devereaux, public health monitors a wide range of areas under their community health and force health elements.

Major West explained that among their communicable disease screening responsibilities, his staff interviews patients who have developed illnesses that can be passed on from person to person. These include, but aren't limited to, food-borne illnesses, sexually-transmitted diseases, epidemic disease outbreaks such as H1N1 influenza, and even staph infections -- anything that can affect members of the community.

One very important program is the influenza surveillance program which detects flu through nasal wash samples. This process is used to find the predominant virus. This data is provided to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta which decides what type of flu vaccine is manufactured.

Major West explained, "We review emergency room and clinic reports for outbreak trends related to specific populations or groups."

Sergeant Devereaux said another important area under community health is the flight's food inspection program.

"The technicians conduct weekly inspections of any operation serving food to the public to ensure it is safe to consume and handled properly -- that equates to about 30 each month," Sergeant Devereaux said. "They also inspect public facilities, such as the fitness centers, swimming pools and child development center to ensure they maintain sanitary conditions thus preventing outbreaks of communicable disease." The $53 million worth of food that comes onto Keesler annually is scrutinized by the public health staff to ensure it comes from approved sources and is fit to be consumed.

Another aspect under public health's purview is occupational health. Among occupational health's responsibilities are conducting hearing evaluations as required and assisting in educating upervisors and workers in personal hygiene, occupational hazards, hazard communications and personal protective equipment, mainly hearing protection devices.

These technicians also monitor results of occupational health examinations to detect adverse trends, help investigate occupational illnesses, advise health-care providers on workplace hazards, manage occupational health examinations and provide quality control of examination paperwork.

The flight also monitors force fitness.

"This covers all deployment issues," Major West pointed out. "We review all preventive medicine requirements to ensure all Airmen are healthy to deploy, including required medications and gas mask inserts for those wearing glasses to ensure all congressional mandates are met. We also ensure medical aspects are met for security clearance, retraining and overseas moves as well as coordinate flight physicals with the flight medicine physicians for people coming into the Air Force."

Public health technicians also monitor the Air Force Form 469 profiling system that covers everything that may limit a person from deploying or performing their daily duties and could result in retraining or meeting a medical evaluation board.

All military members are aware of one area of public health responsibility--preventive health assessments. These annual preventive health screening are required for all active-duty members. The assessments cover all health aspects from inoculations to dental health to physical exams.

The flight's entomology program conducts surveillance for mosquitoes that can carry disease. Technicians strategically place mosquito traps each week in areas the insects may inhabit to monitor the quantity and types.

Base air shows and other community events also become points of interest for the staff as they ensure anyone handling food receives training to prevent food-borne illness.

The staff also has been involved with the inspection of the kitchen and food operations of the newArmed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport.

Major West commented, "We inspected their kitchen plans and will work with the staff to ensure all food is handled properly."