World-class medical care goal of surgical services Published April 17, 2007 By Col. (Dr.) Virgil Jefferson 81st Surgical Operations Squadron commander KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- World-class medical care remains the fundamental goal of the 81st Surgical Operations Squadron. Since resuming surgical services last August, the number and complexity of procedures have increased significantly. We're excited to offer a broad range of specialties including obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, orthopedics, dental and oral surgery, endoscopy and most recently, ophthalmology. Our goal has always been to provide the highest quality health care available to meet the needs of our beneficiaries. Toward that endeavor, we'll add ear, nose and throat, urology, cardiovascular and cardiothoracic specialties as soon as it's safe and feasible. We also offer a full service pre-admission clinic and same-day surgery unit, fostering ease of use and minimizing time spent in the facility. The pre-admission clinic is an Air Force benchmark and will ultimately offer a one-stop process for all our pre-admission patients. The same-day surgery unit allows patients to be with their family members up until the time of surgery and immediately after their return from the recovery room. In many same-day procedures, as little as six hours are spent in the facility. The 81st MSGS is expertly meeting the challenges of today and the future as we build regional coalitions through partnerships and training, as well as develop interchangeable medical teams that can respond and assist each other in emergencies. Our reinstated services fulfill our diverse readiness mission, engaging the full spectrum of operations while providing unsurpassed health care to local beneficiaries. We're ecstatic about being back in service and increasingly able to meet the surgical needs of our patients and their families. Our vision remains to be ready for war and ceaseless in our efforts to provide unrivaled patient care.