Memorandum of understanding makes medical services easier for veterans

Published Feb. 13, 2015
By Senior Airman Holly Mansfield
81st Training Wing Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Col. Thomas Harrell, 81st Medical Group commander, and Charles Dickerson, Gulfport Armed Forces Retirement Home administrator, signed a Training Affiliation Agreement between the Keesler Medical Center and the Gulfport AFRH Feb. 9.

Since 1976, the Gulfport AFRH has been home to former military members who need independent and assisted living, long term care and memory support.

The agreement will allow the 551 residents living at AFRH the ability to receive medical treatment at the retirement home instead of traveling to Keesler Medical Center.

"The Armed Forces Retirement Home and Keesler have been working together as partners for many years," said Dickerson. "This agreement puts into place a better understanding of what will be provided to the residents. It will also ensure continuity care and outline the services the Armed Forces Retirement Home and Keesler Air Force Base will provide."

The new process will make receiving medical treatment easier for retirees by shortening their travel time to and from home, which will improve the training for the internal medicine residency program and makes it easier for veterans living in the retirement home to have access to specialty care available at Keesler Medical Center, according to Col. Robert Edwards, 81st MDG administrator. It also outlines other necessary medical services that better support the veterans living in the community.

With clinic hours beginning this week, physicians will start to increase AFRH residents' quality of life explained Dickerson. The Wellness Clinic is open Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a nurse available 24-hoursa day. This new process will also give physicians the ability to grow in their education of different kinds of medical cases.

"For the Air Force, our medical education program needs access to the complex medical cases that, unfortunately, come with the natural human aging process," said Edwards. "The experience for our internal medicine physicians is invaluable in continuing to develop their medical expertise."

Looking for ways to improve not only the health of patients needing medical attention, but also the education of those providing treatment, is made easy by this new system of health care.

"The AFRH and Keesler Medical Center have had a long partnership in providing world class medical care to our veterans that reside there," said Edwards. "We will continue to look for ways to improve the support we provide these heroes."

KMC signs agreement with Armed Forces Retirement Home