Inside Story Headline U.S. Air Force Medical Service Corps · Inside Story Headline ... Eric Huweart, Deputy CIO, and Col Greg DeWolf – who, ... Medical Service Corps MSC Newsletter,

Inside Story Headline

Newsletter Title Spring 2013

From the Corps Chief Brig Gen Charles E. Potter

U.S. Air ForceU.S. Air ForceU.S. Air Force

Spring 2013

Medical Service CorpsMedical Service CorpsMedical Service Corps

Upcoming Events

2013

10-14 Jun, DT/Senior

MSC Council, San Anto-

nio, TX

3 Jul, HSA Graduation,

San Antonio, TX

15-26 Jul, Lt Col/Maj

Promotion Board

23-26 Sep, DT/Senior

MSC Council, San Anto-

nio, TX

1-4 Oct, MSC Accession

Board, San Antonio, TX

www.facebook.com/AFMSC

Brig Gen Potter serves as the

Assistant Surgeon Gen-

eral, Health Care Opera-

tions, Office of the Surgeon

General, Falls Church, VA.

Newsletter

HQ USAF/SG1A

7700 Arlington Blvd Ste 5157

Falls Church VA 22042

703-681-7163

https://kx.afms.mil/msc

H appy Spring! The

famous Washington

DC Cherry Blossoms

bloomed later than expected

this year after an unusually

cold March. The last time

they bloomed this late was

back in 2005. They finally

reached peak bloom during

the second week of April

and more than one million

people visited the nation's

capital to celebrate their

arrival.

A lot has happened since

our last MSC Newsletter.

The Military Health System

Modernization study is in

full swing and is an ongo-

ing effort to garner all the

Defense Health Program

(DHP) efficiencies we can,

by looking at Shared Ser-

vices once the Defense

Health Agency (DHA)

stands up this fall. Air

Force (AF) Maj Gen Doug

Robb has been nominated

for appointment to the rank

of Lieutenant General and

for assignment as the first

DHA Director. Sequestra-

tion has come out and the

Air Force Medical Service

(AFMS) continues to deal

with those issues alongside

our sister services and of

course, the Line of the AF.

I’m sure you are all witness-

ing the effects of Sequestra-

tion on your bases and within

your organizations. There's

also a 30-day "Airmen Pow-

ered by Innovation" call for

ideas geared towards how we

can cut costs. We are all in

this together and need to

think about our future. The

Chief of Staff, United States

Air Force (CSAF) has a link

on the AF Portal for idea sub-

missions. Airmen, especially

medics, are innovative by na-

ture. The AF is counting on

your ingenuity to come up

with ideas for cutting costs

and doing things more effi-

ciently.

The travel restriction contin-

ues, however some confer-

ences and workshops are still

being approved. A change to

exemptions in the Deputy

Secretary of Defense Guid-

ance, initially issued on 29

September 2012, was recently

approved by the Deputy Sec-

retary and SG1 will be send-

ing those out to the field

soon. The best news was that

our MSC DT in June was ap-

proved!

Before the travel re-

strictions hit, I was able

to go out and meet with

Col Doreen Wilder (60

MDG/SGA), Lt Col Der-

rick McKercher (60

MDSS/CC), and the rest

of the MSCs at the 60th

Medical Group, Travis

AFB. I spent the entire

day with them and toured

the facilities, which in-

cluded the Fisher House

and VA clinic (situated

right next to the hospital).

(The “From the Corps

Chief” article is contin-

ued on the next page.)

efforts. With that in mind, take a

minute to read Maj Emirza Gradiz's

article, "A Patient's Perspective."

I would be remiss if I didn't mention

the MSC Corps Office. Our Corps

Director, Col Pat Dawson, and his

team - Lt Col Michaelle Guerrero

and Maj Joi Dozier, continue to lead

our MSC daily operations very

well! They are spinning lots of

plates and making great things hap-

pen. Their leadership is certainly

appreciated!!

I really do wish I could get out and

see all the wonderful things you all

are doing to enhance patient care

and make our facilities the best

place for our beneficiaries to come

and receive their care. I do realize

that the Western Region is going

through the growing pains of a new

contract. All the issues are being

reviewed here in DC as the reports

keep coming in. Have no fear, we

are aware and are reading about all

of the issues before channeling them

up to TRICARE Management Ac-

tivity/Health Affairs (TMA/HA).

Your voices are being heard. For

those of you who are deployed

around the world, we are thinking of

each and every one of you every

day, so please let us know if there is

anything we can do for you. Until

the next newsletter or visit from me,

please, “Stay Strong, Stay Vigilant,

and Stay Healthy!”

The project officers for my visit,

Capt Maribethy Cash and Lt Billy

Cantu, arranged a wonderful visit.

Due to this budget constrained envi-

ronment, I started looking for local

opportunities to meet with MSCs.

We had a luncheon, hosted at the

Pentagon, that was well-attended by

MSCs within the NCR and another

one with Lt Col Chris Vaughn (779

MDSS/CC) and the MSCs at Joint-

Base Andrews. I also attended Col

Eric Hyde’s promotion ceremony

and recently had the honor to pre-

side over two 0-6 promotions: Col

Eric Huweart, Deputy CIO, and Col

Greg DeWolf – who, by the way, is

heading out this month to be the

Medical Group Commander at Al

Udeid for the next year.

I’ve since traveled down to two

HSA graduations, one all Guard and

Reserve class, 13-B, and just a few

weeks ago, I was able to spend some

time speaking to class 13-C. I really

enjoy being able to listen and speak

to these amazing MSCs who are em-

barking on their careers. The

Schoolhouse will be experiencing

some changeover this summer with

the rotation of the Course Director -

Maj Andy Herman, Logistics In-

structor - Maj Chris Gonzales and

Resource Management Office

(RMO) instructor - Maj Wendy

Moreno. They have done a fantastic

job preparing our accessions for

their first MSC assignment. During

my most recent trip to San Antonio,

I managed to visit with Col Kerry

Dexter and the MSCs at AFMOA.

Maj Carmal Terrell, the project of-

ficer for this visit, arranged a very

nice luncheon with all the MSCs at

the Logistics Warehouse and Lt Col

Ron Merchant is doing a great job

leading the Loggies down there.

During lunch we chatted about what

is happening in DC and I was able to

answer quite a few questions for

them. There are plenty of great articles in

this latest newsletter. The Senior

MSC Spotlight article on Col Jim

Clapsaddle is especially notewor-

thy. Col Paul Martin covers the

question, "What does Specialty

Match mean to me?” Additionally,

our Information Management/

Information Technology (IM/IT)

crowd will appreciate the Infor-

mation Assurance article written by

Lt Col Michael Stone and Maj

Shaundra Knight. There are also

lots of great pictures throughout the

newsletter, so please keep sending

them into the Corps Office.

I dusted off a "Quest for Quality

Quiz" I used as a Major, Squadron

Commander, and Administrator,

back at Moody AFB in the late

1990s, in preparation for our HSI/

JCAHO at the time. The Corps Of-

fice put a more updated twist on

some of the questions - and it just

may inspire you or your personnel

to put more effort into making our

patients feel comfortable and wel-

come when they come in for care.

We are still trying to bring as many

beneficiaries as we can back to the

MTFs through our recapture care

From the Corps Director Col Denise K. Lew

Medical Service Corps MSC Newsletter, Fall 2010

From the Corps Chief (continued) Brig Gen Charles E. Potter

Page 2

Medical Service Corps

MSC Newsletter, Spring 2013

assess all factors in the officer's rec-

ord that bear on promotion, including

job performance, professional quali-

ties, leadership, depth and breadth of

experience, job responsibility, ad-

vanced academic and developmental

education, and specific achievements.

Of these factors, job performance is

the most important. As in previous

SECAF approved promotion board

instructions for MSCs, “board certifi-

cation is considered an important ac-

complishment.” With that, board cer-

tification is not mandated. While

board certification is not mandated, it

is evidence of continuing education

and adherence to professional stand-

ards associated with our administra-

tive specialty. Consequently, the Air

Force Medical Service Corps consid-

ers board certification an important

accomplishment. Corps MLR prod-

ucts were recently reviewed and coor-

dinated with HQ AF/SGJ, HQ AF/

JAA, and recently approved by SE-

CAF General Counsel.

Notably, I’d like to give special

recognition to Maj Joi Dozier, our

MSC Corps Office fellow. She has

performed brilliantly in her fellowship

and will graduate soon. We are very

proud of her in all she has accom-

plished. Fortunately, we were able to

keep her on the Corps office staff (I

am jumping up and down with “Joi”

right now...ha), so expect more great

things from Joi in the weeks and

months to come!!!!

(The “From the Corps Director” arti-

cle is continued on the next page.)

I t is hard to

believe we

have already

entered yet

another busy

spring, and

will soon enter

the summer of

2013, and up-

coming PCS

season. First

of all, I’d like

to congratulate

our MSCs se-

lected for our

annual awards.

Normally, we are able to personally

present our individual annual awards

at the MSC Annual Awards Dinner at

the American College of Healthcare

Executives Congress in Chicago. Un-

fortunately, due to Department of De-

fense fiscal challenges this year, the

awards dinner and our conference

attendance was cancelled. The recipi-

ent of the Commitment to Excellence

Award for 2012 will be announced

within the next couple of months at a

special ceremony. The recipients for

the 2012 Commitment to Service

Award and the Young Healthcare Ad-

ministrator of the Year awards are Col

(sel) Chris Phillips, and Capt Josh

Peter, respectively. Congratulations

to these stellar MSCs, and to the

many annual team winners as well!!!!

No rest for the weary! The upcoming

Corps schedule continues on the fast

track. HQ AF/A1 approved the

AFMS Development Team (DT)

schedule for 2013. Each Corps man-

ages force development through the

DT process. However, due to fiscal

constraints, steady state vectoring will

not be done at upcoming DTs, only

those DT functions involving a board

selection process for command, IDE/

SDE, SGA, AES/DO, and other force

development programs were approved.

The AFMS significantly streamlined

DT processes, reduced the number and

length of DTs, and the number of DT

participants. As a result, HQ AF/A1

approved HQ AF/SG1s plan for two

face-to-face DTs within the MC, DC,

NC and MSC and one for the BSCs.

The MSC DT will meet 10-14 June,

and again from 23-26 September. The

upcoming June DT agenda includes

selecting SQ CC candidates and Health

Professions Education Requirements

Board candidates (for AFIT, EWI and

Fellowship opportunities). In addition,

we will select MSCs to attend in-

residence developmental education

opportunities such as ACSC, AWC,

RAND, or NWC. With that in mind,

please remember it is your responsibil-

ity to ensure the accuracy and currency

of their military personnel record. As

you can see, there are a lot of activities

occurring this summer and year, so

please remember to continually check

our website for the latest updates to the

MSC Calendar of Events at https://

kx.afms.mil/msc.

As you know, board certification for

MSCs competing for Major is masked

(hidden) at promotion boards (as all

CGO efforts should be to focus on

functional experience, not board certi-

fication). This same info is not masked

for folks competing for Lieutenant

Colonel and Colonel. Air Force pro-

motion board instructions are approved

by the Secretary of the Air Force

(SECAF). Generally, these instruc-

tions are nearly eight to ten pages long.

SECAF instructs promotion boards to

apply the whole-person concept and



From the Corps Director Col Patrick L. Dawson

Page 3



Col Dawson serves as

the Director, Medical

Service Corps, Office

of the Surgeon Gen-

eral, Falls Church, VA.





From the Corps Director (continued)

Col Patrick L. Dawson

Page 4



Here’s a reminder to everyone regarding the AF’s 101 Critical Days of Summer safety campaign, which will begin soon.

Wingman safety days will occur this month to kick these activities off, so I encourage maximum participation from all

MSCs! Of note, please remember the AF Comprehensive Airman Fitness Model’s four wellness pillars: mental, physi-

cal, social, and spiritual.

Last, but not least, thank you all for what you do! Your leadership and mentorship are so important in our AFMS! Not

all that long ago, I found a leadership article some of you may be interested in. In your free time, Google up, “The Five

Disciplines of Genius-Makers,” posted by Maynard Brusman, or find it at: http://www.hr.com/en/app/blog/2012/10/

genius-or-genius-maker_h8yklhd7.html.

6th Medical Group Re-enacts 1941 Photo 6th Medical Group, MacDill AFB, Florida, 17 April 2013

http://www.hr.com/en/app/blog/2012/10/genius-or-genius-maker_h8yklhd7.html

http://www.hr.com/en/app/blog/2012/10/genius-or-genius-maker_h8yklhd7.html

Page 5

Medical Service Corps MSC Newsletter, Spring 2013

These two-year opportunities include

one year of didactic learning followed

by a one-year residency. While all

MSC officers are eligible, the target

audience is Captains with ~5 years of

total active commissioned service who

do not already have a post-

baccalaureate degree.

Representing a wide variety of the

MSC specialty areas, the EWI and Fel-

lowship programs are unique training

opportunities for MSC officers to par-

ticipate in benchmark programs at the

leading edge of healthcare manage-

ment and policy development. These

programs are designed to prepare an

MSC to assume key leadership posi-

tions in the Air Force Medical Service.

EWI opportunities are focused on in-

ternships with civilian sector

healthcare organizations or federal

healthcare regulating agencies, such as

Johns Hopkins or the Centers for Med-

icare and Medicaid Services (CMS),

respectively. These experiences build

on a strong foundation of MTF experi-

ence, allowing the MSC officer to gain

focused training and expertise in a par-

ticular MSC specialty area. The target

audience for EWIs is senior Captains

and Majors with two MTF assign-

ments.

Similar to EWI opportunities, Fellow-

ships are internships within DoD or-

ganizations, such as OSD, HHS, US-

SOCCOM, A1, A5, A8, etc. As a Fel-

low, an MSC is exposed to various

DoD offices and processes in efforts to

garner insight into the respective or-

ganization’s perspective in order to

bring that expertise back to the AF/SG.

The target audience is Majors and Lt

Cols, to enable members Intermediate

or Senior Developmental Education

(IDE/SDE) in-residence equivalency

credit upon completion.

In June, the MSC Developmental

Team competitively selects officers for

the HPERB opportunities. Interested

applicants should already be preparing

for the call for candidates normally

released in April. As a preview to so-

licitation, interested applicants must

meet the following pre-requisites:

- Demonstrated record of superior

performance as an MSC Of-

ficer

- Appropriate PME completed or

due to be completed within the

first year of the DE program

- Two years time on station

- Fellowship and EWI applicants

must have at least 5 years

commissioned service and

meet rank/experience require-

ments, as required by the re-

spective opportunities

- At least three years of intervening

service since in-residence IDE/

SDE or education assignment

Nomination packages must include:

- Completed/digitally signed

“MSC Education Program Ap-

plication” for the respective

year

- A letter of endorsement from

MTF Senior MSC with a

“Courtesy Copy” (CC:) to the

MAJCOM SGA

- GRE/GMAT scores

- ADP

- PME status/completion as reflect-

ed on member’s SURF

(The “AFPC Corner” further outlines

the timeline of this process on Page 9.)

As with any assignment/professional

development opportunity, you should

communicate with your Squadron

Commander, MDG SGA, MAJCOM

SGA, and Associate Corps Chief to

discuss your areas of interest and via-

ble options. Good luck!

From the Associate Corps Director Lt Col Michaelle Guerrero

W ow, we

have al-

ready begun the

second quarter of

CY2013. Rolling

with the guidance

from the SECDEF

and SECAF, our

request for con-

ference attend-

ance at this year’s

ACHE Congress

was disapproved.

While AETC in-

formed us the

April 2013 Inter-

mediate Execu-

tive Skills (IES)

Course was cancelled, the next sched-

uled IES Course was approved as a

training event (versus “conference”),

tentatively scheduled for September

2013. Those activities aside, we still

have a full agenda for Spring/Summer

of 2013 and our next major milestone

will be the Health Professions Educa-

tion Requirements Board (HPERB).

In this process, the Senior MSC Coun-

cil, comprised of the Corps Chief,

Corps Director, MAJCOM SGAs and

Medical Service Corps Associate Corps

Chiefs, establish MSC DE opportunities

for the following academic year (AY).

These Force Development opportunities

include Advanced Academic Degrees

(AADs), Education with Industry

(EWIs), and Fellowships. So, what’s

the difference?

The Advanced Academic Degree

(AAD) program provides an opportuni-

ty for MSCs to obtain typically a Master

of Healthcare Administration, Master of

Business Administration, Master of In-

formation Systems, or Master of Sci-

ence in Supply Chain management via a

civilian institution, the Army-Baylor

program or the Uniformed Services

University of Healthcare Sciences.

Lt Col Guerrero

serves as the Deputy

Chief, Medical Per-

sonnel Plans and

Integration Division,

Office of the Sur-

geon General, Falls

Church, VA.


From the Editor Maj Joi Dozier, Fellow, MSC Force Structure Management

Page 6

I thought I would take this opportunity to write about a couple of the initiatives we’ve started in the National Capi-

tol Region (NCR), all with the same goal of reaching out to our fellow MSCs. Some of these have been started as

a result of us operating under our new budget constraints, while others have come about as a result of great sugges-

tions made by you. (We are listening!) In addition to these being minimal to no-cost alternatives, these examples

may also be items you can replicate in the field.

In the past, our Corps Chief and Corps Director have been able to get out and visit many of our MTFs. However, due

to overall spending cuts, which have, in turn, led to TDY budget decreases, both Brig Gen Potter and Col Dawson

have been able to meet with our MSCs by other means, such as attending MSC luncheons at bases located in the

NCR. In addition to the traditional MSC NCR Luncheon(s), Brig Gen Potter and Col Dawson attended a Joint Base

Andrews MSC Luncheon to reach out and extend the goodwill and support of the Corps Office. A luncheon with

Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling MSCs is being planned to continue efforts to fellowship with our Corps members living

in the region. While luncheons with the Corps Chief and Corps Director may not be possible in your region, setting

up a luncheon with your area’s senior-ranking MSCs or MAJCOM SGA (or both) will payoff in dividends. This took

place during my two previous assignments — Mentoring Luncheons with the SGA of Wilford Hall in San Antonio,

Texas and with the MAJCOM SGA and senior-ranking MSCs on the island of Oahu at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-

Hickam, Hawaii. To this day, I still remember advice given to me during these forums and am thankful to have been

a part of these conversations.

Another endeavor started at the Defense Health Headquarters (DHHQ) has been the “MSC Speaker Series.” This

series was started after the successful and well-attended 4A/MSC Panel was held at the DHHQ during 4A/MSC Ap-

preciation Week in October 2012. Because there are approximately 80 MSCs assigned to the DHHQ here in Falls

Church, Virginia, this new Speaker Series serves as a way for the Corps Office to provide professional development

opportunities to all of our officers. Our first MSC Speaker Series topic was “Command Opportunities,” where Col

Patrick Dawson, our Corps Director, discussed his experience as the 55th Medical Group Commander at Offutt AFB,

Nebraska. Our second MSC Speaker Series was a panel discussion highlighting “Graduated Squadron Command-

ers.” This was a multidisciplinary panel made up of officers from all of the AFMS Corps (MC, DC, BSC, NC, and

MSC) and offered our MSCs (many of whom are currently being primed for Squadron Command) the chance to hear

firsthand some positive and challenging experiences often encountered during Command. Our next scheduled MSC

Speaker Series will occur in the next few weeks and will feature a panel of “Graduated Squadron Superintendents,” to

impress the importance of the professional relationship between the Superintendent and the Commander, and further

our understanding of the Command structure we all come into contact with one way or another.

While these are just a couple of items we’ve implemented to counter the lack of professional development opportuni-

ties available due to budget cuts, they have proved to be informative, useful and offer us occasions to network with

our co-hort outside of our office settings. Hopefully, these examples will spur you on to think about new, innovative

ways to go about providing career/professional development tools, especially during these fiscally constrained times.

Recent or Upcoming MSC Retirements Thank you for your service · best wishes for a successful future

Maj Kimberly Bogumil

Maj Thomas Lipscomb

Maj Jennifer McCoy

Maj James C. White

Maj Thomas Windley

Maj George Zaldivar

Lt Col Troy McGilvra

Lt Col Kenneth Whitlock

Col Kerry Dexter

If we have missed someone, please let us

know. We are not routinely notified by

the personnel system and rely on infor-

mal channels including retirement letter

requests. To request a retirement letter

from the Corps Chief, please go to

https://kx.afms.mil/msc.

Page 7


MSCs. Finally, they are

responsible for assisting

AFPC with the proper

placement of specialty

matched officers into key

positions and educational

opportunities. In the end,

all these responsibilities

develop a cadre of well-

trained senior MSCs ready

to take their place as the

next Associate Corps

Chief.

Unit and MAJCOM SGAs

serve as the primary guides

and mentors to MSC offic-

ers during their first years

prior to specialty match

and again as MSCs seek to

broaden their skills in SGA

and Squadron Commander

roles. The MAJCOM SGAs, in conjunction with the

Associate Corps Chief(s), are your representatives at the

Development Team meetings throughout your entire

career.

Along the way you have a responsibility to keep your

ADP and record up-to-date so the Development Team

knows exactly where you are in your career develop-

ment. We are very concerned about “lost patrols,” those

MSCs in career broadening positions who may not have

a direct link back to the Corps. The Senior MSC Coun-

cil is looking at ways to ensure that one of us remains in

a Senior Mentor role for you. With that in mind, your

MAJCOM/SGA, Associate Corps Chief, or equivalent

want to hear from you so we can help prep you to take

our place. “Dudes and Dudettes,” we are tired and want

to hand the reigns over to the next generation of

brighter, smarter and more energetic MSCs.

(The “What Does Specialty Match Mean to Me” article is

continued on the next page.)

What Does Specialty Match Mean to Me? Col Paul Martin

A s the last MSC Development Team meeting,

a concern was raised that members of our

Corps were not sure what the value and intent of

specialty match was for them or the Corps. Upon

review, we realized that we have done a poor job

of marketing this program of late.

The Specialty Match program was originally pro-

posed via a White Paper in February 2003. It was

intended to end a long standing argument of rather

an MSC should be a specialist or generalist, by de-

claring that you should be both. In an environment

as complex as healthcare management, the AFMS

needs MSCs with both in-depth technical compe-

tence and broad managerial experience to lead the

proper integration of all administrative and support

functions.

Specialty Match is a formal mentoring program. It

is designed to match the career long growth and

development of our MSCs with the shifting force

structure needs and senior leadership requirements

of our Corps.

MSCs are expected to spend approximately half

their careers developing expertise through educa-

tion, training and experience in one functional spe-

cialty. The other half of their careers are to be

spent broadening managerial and leadership com-

petence in other specialty areas or in career broad-

ening jobs. To facilitate this, they are expected to

rotate through different specialties every 18 to 24

months during their first five to six years. At the

end of that time, they are to apply for specialty

match in the career paths that interest them the

most.

Associate Corps Chiefs have the responsibility for

managing their specialty areas. They do this

through a multitude of roles. First, they have the

responsibility for developing the career pyramids

within their specialty areas. Second, they are part

of the specialty match board picking those MSCs

that show the most promise in their area. Third,

they serve as mentors to the specialty matched

Col Paul Martin is the

Chief, Medical Support Di-

vision, Office of the Com-

mand Surgeon and

MAJCOM SGA for United

States Air Forces in Europe,

Ramstein AB, Germany.

Page 8



you aspire to be the next Col Dex-

ter, Col Terry, Col Langston, Col

Faust or Col Cecil. Well OK, may-

be not the next Col Cecil - but you

are ready to take his position. Bot-

tom line--rotate career tracks in the

first quarter of your career, special-

ize in the second quarter, broaden in

the third and take over for us in the

fourth. Tell us which track you

want to specialize in and trust us to

give you the right opportunities at

the right time, to prep you for the

top positions in that career track.

In other words, “Right person,

right place, right time.”

What Does Specialty Match Mean to Me? (continued) Col Paul Martin

So what does specialty match

mean to you? It is your declara-

tion that you are ready to move up

in the Medical Service Corps. It’s

your commitment to take the jobs

and educational opportunities the

Corps needs you to take in prepa-

ration for more rank and responsi-

bility. It’s your bold statement that

an introduction to the operational

community and defines the role of

AFSOC Medical Service Corps

planners. The fellow is given

firsthand experience assisting in

planning Emerald Warrior, a cap-

stone exercise with U.S. Special Op-

erations Command and coalition

forces to evaluate the integration of

forces and capabilities.

The AFSOC fellowship provides a

gradient approach to the special op-

erations planning community and the

tools to leverage conventional expe-

rience in areas such as logistics,

medical readiness and resource man-

agement to deliver medical support

in a dynamic environment. The end

result of the fellowship is to be a full

-up special operations force medical

planner, who can "speak SOF" in a

joint environment for deliberate and

contingency planning at the opera-

tional level.

Follow-on assignments from the fel-

lowship normally are to one of the

five medical operational flights with-

in a special operations group. Duties

are similar to those of an admin-

istrator with responsibilities of

WRM UTCs, budgeting Air

Force O&M and SOF Military

Funding Program, and assisting

in ensuring clinical currency of

SOF medics in a line unit.

With an operational mindset and

traditional Medical Service Corps

skills, AFSOC Medical Readi-

ness Fellowship graduates in

their first duty assignment have

deployed to Haiti, Qatar, Iraq and

Afghanistan at various theater,

operational and tactical levels.

If you are interested in learning

more about the AFSOC Medical

Readiness Fellowship, please

contact Maj Lee Nenortas at

COMM: 850-884-7868 or Maj

Gabe DiNofrio at COMM: 850-

884-6252.

NOTE: Maj Gabe DiNofrio cur-

rently serves as the AFSOC Medi-

cal Readiness Fellow in Hurlburt

Field, Florida.

W elcome to Air Force Spe-

cial Operations Command

(AFSOC) -- where references to

"the bearded ones" and "missions

in faraway lands" have real mean-

ings and are complex, yet precise,

instruments of power in the Air

Force arsenal. Here, the tempo is

high, the people are highly-skilled,

the equipment is lean and the envi-

ronment is fluid.

Although this community consists

of several generations of experts in

special operations forces, it's not

exclusive. It's an environment

where a proud heritage meets new

innovations and one generation is

eager to teach and learn from the

next generation to keep the flag

moving forward.

The AFSOC fellowship curricu-

lum consists of courses in special

operations, joint planning, medical

planning and irregular warfare

along with studies in AFSOC doc-

trine and medical capabilities.

The year-long fellowship provides

Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) Medical Readiness Fellowship Maj Gabe DiNofrio

Page 9



AFPC Corner Maj Silvia Robledo

HPERB Health Professions Education Requirements Board

(HPERB) message is tentatively scheduled to be re-

leased in early May 2013. If you are applying for an

AFIT, please ensure that your GRE/GMAT has been

taken within the last five years.

The PSDM Call for SQ/CC, SGA and AES/DO can-

didates will be released shortly and the timelines for

nomination will be quickly thereafter (April). Ensure

your record is current and you are communicating

your intents with your leadership.

The MSC Developmental Team will be meeting

10-14 June 2013.

Fall Assignment Cycle

Initial VML: 1 Apr 13

Reclama Window: 11 Apr 13

Final VML: 16 Apr 13

Requisitions Due: 22 Apr 13

AMS Visibility Window: 2 -22 May 13

ADPs Due: 22 May 13

AFPC Matches: 23 May - 8 Jul 13

RNLTD Months: October 2013 - January 2014

Projected Timelines for Accession Year 2014

(AY14) Accession Guide Release Date: Early Apr 13

(tentative)

Accession Interviews Due: 30 Aug 13

Complete Package Due Date: 13 Sep 13

Accession Board: 1-4 Oct 13

AFPC MSC TEAM

You can contact your AFPC MSC Team at DSN 665-

4094. The team is composed of:

Lt Col Kathy Pflanz

Maj Silvia Robledo

Capt Stephanie Stemen

Ms. Kathy Brister

TOTAL FORCE SERVICE CENTER (TFSC)

1-800-525-0102

MyPers

Your RNLTD can be requested from MyPers. The re-

quest is routed through your gaining and losing com-

mander(s) for concurrence, then to AFPC for final ap-

proval/change.

The AFPC MSC Team gets a Tour and

Mission Brief in the Warehouse at

AFMOA/SGALW with Lt Col Ronald

Merchant.

(From left to right: Capt Stephanie Stemen,

Lt Col Kathy Pflanz and Maj Silvia Robledo.

Missing from the photo is Ms. Kathy Brister.)

Page 10


business practices are made

through a very slow-moving ac-

quisitions process. From the re-

sourcing/acquisition standpoint, it

is difficult to identify and secure

funding that will sustain IT

through its lifecycle. Procurement

of IT equipment must be managed

within the constraints of the tedi-

ous DoD acquisition process. To

alleviate roadblocks, personnel at

local levels should ensure require-

ments are vetted through appropri-

ate functional communities and in-

turn, routed for corporate approv-

al. Then, and only then, should a

requirement move forward

through the acquisition process.

The AFMS also deals with

OPSEC and PHI considerations

for every medical system or de-

vice on the AF network. The un-

fortunate reality is, most compa-

nies do not, as a matter of practice,

incorporate the level of security

that the DoD and the Federal Gov-

ernment require during develop-

ment. Reengineering often

proves expensive and is met with

resistance from civilian corpora-

tions. Subsequently, we end up

with products that do not survive

the DIACAP or Risk Management

Framework Assessment. DIA-

CAP requirements are met by re-

viewing the DoDI 8500.2 and

DoDI 8510.01, which may be uti-

lized by any vendor to ensure they

are postured appropriately. The

take-home message to PMO’s and

vendors: “Security must be incor-

porated at the beginning stages of

product development, not the end,

in order to be successful within the

DoD.”

With that said, efficiencies in our

certification process have been

identified to ensure the certifica-

tion process is as simple as possi-

ble. The following steps will en-

sure technology is properly vetted

and flows through our system in

the most efficient manner:

1) Ensure all proposed solutions

are properly vetted by the appro-

priate functional community.

2) Properly route requests through

Portfolio Management and the

SGROCC to ensure sustainment is

addressed.

3) Assign a dedicated Program

Manager and Vendor Representa-

tive to each system to expedite

document processing.

4) Be clear, concise and thorough

with all required documents and

artifacts.

5) Be responsive throughout all

phases of the process because we

can’t complete the certification

without your support. If vendors

can mitigate risks in a timely man-

ner, the IA process can be stream-

lined to a total of two – three

months.

Hopefully this has provided some

insight into the world of IA. Our

office can be reached anytime for

questions at:

AFMSA.InformationAssurance@p

entagon.af.mil. Also, please visit

us on the KX at: https://

kx.afms.mil/IA.

AF/SG Information Assurance: The Methods Behind the Madness Lt Col Michael Stone and Maj Shaundra Knight, AF/SG IA Division

T here are several common

goals of a MSC assuming a

role within the Information Assur-

ance (IA) Division, “Change the

IA Process . . . Make It Faster . . .

Make It Easier,” to ease the burden

and allow our MTF’s to quickly

implement the latest and greatest

technology. As an Information

Assurance Fellow, I started my

journey with these very goals in

mind. I wanted nothing more than

to simplify the process for the field

and shorten the timelines for sys-

tem certification approvals. It

wasn’t until I understood the pro-

cess that I truly grasped the meth-

ods behind the madness. Our goal

is to shed some light on Air Force

IA considerations that must be ap-

plied to every system presented for

certification.

On a weekly basis, we receive

many questions from the field with

the most prevalent being, “Why

can’t our medics acquire/deploy a

technology that is commonly uti-

lized in the civilian sector or often

times another DoD Branch.”

There are two main reasons that

the AFMS does not use the same

"latest & greatest" software and

hardware as our civilian colleagues

or our sister Services. They are:

1) resourcing/acquisition practices

of the DoD and AF; and 2) Infor-

mation Assurance requirements

where Operations Security

(OPSEC) and Protected Health In-

formation (PHI) are concerned.

The AFMS is a dynamic enter-

prise, and decisions determining

what tools are used to support

mailto:[email protected]


https://kx.afms.mil/IA

https://kx.afms.mil/IA

Page 11


H ow has your work - life balance been lately? Do you work 12-14 hour days and leave feeling like

you've crossed nothing off of your “To Do” list? Do you want to make life better for your people?

When you are ready to stop fighting fires and methodically problem-solve, continuous process improvement

tools can help, and AFSO21 provides a great set of tools to build your MSC Portfolio!

So what exactly is AFSO21? Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century or “AFSO21,” incorporates

various elements from Lean, Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints, and Business Process Reengineering. It’s

streamlining a medical contracting process to save two weeks of lost time for in-processing. It's a Medical

Evaluation Board Office reducing their number of late cases by 50 percent. It's an Operating Room maximiz-

ing their use of limited resources to reduce patient wait times from upwards of 90 days, down to less than 30

days. Essentially, AFSO21 is a standardized, disciplined approach to eliminate waste and save time for every

Airman. In today’s fiscally-constrained environment, we need AFSO21 now more than ever!

Our MSC Strategic Plan tells us that, as MSC officers, we should embrace a “culture of excellence.” One way

to do so is to “implement the art of continuous process improvement as a core competency (analytical think-

ing, AFSO21, LEAN, Six Sigma, etc.) [throughout our careers, in order] to promote agility and precision

health care” - MSC Strategic Plan, March 2010. This high standard demands that we “use creativity and re-

sourcefulness.” Innovation is one of our guiding principles and continuous process improvement is in our

DNA - a “Corps” Competency. AFSO21 provides us with the tools and methodologies to improve every pro-

cess within our Air Force Medical Service – readiness, clinical, and business. (The Strategic Plan can be

found on the Medical Service Corps Knowledge Exchange Page under “MSC Strategic Plan.”)

So how can you embrace our Corps’ legacy and develop your AFSO21 skill set, on a continuous basis,

throughout your career? You can start by getting (re)trained. I know what you’re thinking – in a week filled

with meetings, an inbox overflowing with emails, and folders stacking up on your desk, you simply don't have

time. But all of us have an obligation to make time so we can learn how to improve our organization’s perfor-

mance. Most Wings offer one-day training courses and may be willing to tailor training to your specific needs.

Reach out to your Wing point of contact and generate AFSO21 events where you work.

Most importantly, we’re giving you a head-start with “tools you can use.” Check out the newly developed

AFSO21 tab on the Medical Service Corps Knowledge Exchange, for briefings, tools, and templates - all ready

for your use!

And please don’t forget to spread the concept of continuous process improvement throughout our 4AX com-

munities and with our partners throughout the MTF and AFMS. Some of the best ideas will come from those

on the front lines of delivering mission-ready medics, a medically-ready force, patient-centered care, and com-

munity health!

NOTE: 1st Lt Brandt Higley is the AFSO21 Lead for the 87th Air Base Wing’s and is assigned to the 87th

Medical Support Squadron, 87th Medical Group, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.

AFSO21: What’s In Your MSC Portfolio? 1st Lt Brandt Higley

Page 12


C itizen Airmen have more than one way to serve the United States Air Force Reserve (USAFR).

As a member of the USAFR for more than 30 years, I have served as a Traditional Reservist in a

variety of leadership roles. Starting my military career in aeromedical evacuation as an operations of-

ficer, I had the opportunity to deploy oversees twice after 11 September 2001.

The USAFR develops leaders and provides many leadership roles for Reservists. I served in three

command positions, one of which resulted in forming the first Reserve Medical Unit (RMU) to sup-

port the Total Force Integration efforts at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Starting a new RMU was

successful, in part, because of the joint efforts of the Active Duty and the 99th Medical Group at Nel-

lis. I learned firsthand that the Total Force concept really works.

I now serve as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA). An IMA is an Air Force Ready Reserv-

ist assigned to a position within an Active Duty unit or component, working side-by-side with Active

Duty members. While I still remain a member of the USAFR, I no longer work as a Traditional Re-

servist with monthly drills. IMA assignments offer Citizen Airmen leadership positions in areas that

are not typically available to Traditional Reservists and provide Active Duty with qualified profes-

sionals needed to meet the Air Force Medical Service mission.

MSC’s who separate from Active Duty may be eligible to go directly into the IMA program as a Re-

servist. Becoming a Reservist, allows individuals to continue service with the Air Force as an MSC,

but in a part-time capacity. MSC IMA positions (Major, Lieutenant Colonel, and Colonel) are as-

signed at the level of MAJCOM equivalent and higher.

Working together seamlessly, Citizen Airmen and Active Duty can learn from each other and become

better equipped to provide quality patient care and medical services more effectively. Not only is it a

win-win for the United States Air Force, it is a smart way to run an enterprise. If you would like more

information about the IMA program, please contact me at [email protected] or Colonel

Teri Mueller at [email protected]. I look forward to working with all of you in the Corps!

NOTE: Col Patton serves in the United States Air Force Reserve and is an Individual Mobilization

Augmentee to the Director of the Medical Service Corps, Office of the Air Force Surgeon General.

Serving in Key Roles: From Traditional Rerservist to Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) Col Judith P. Patton



Page 13


personnel from Walter Reed National

Military Medical Center

(WRNMMC), Fort Belvoir Communi-

ty Hospital and the 79th Medical

Wing to support this monumental Na-

tional Special Security Event (NSSE).

JTF CapMed’s support involved one

Medical Tactical Command Post and

eight aid stations which were integrat-

ed with the Department of Health and

Human Services and District of Co-

lumbia Fire and Emergency Medical

Services. They ended up treating 127

patients, and providing medical sup-

port to two ceremonial staging facili-

ties that processed approximately

11,000 Inaugural ceremony partici-

pants. In addition, one aid station team

provided support to the Commander’s

-in-Chief Ball at the Washington Con-

vention Center and one medical team

supported the National Prayer Service

which took place at the National Ca-

thedral.

Finally, I had the opportunity to be

engaged in the planning of conse-

quence management operations by

posturing local and federal govern-

ment agencies to provide rapid emer-

gency response in the event of a mass-

casualty. These team planning efforts

fostered a safe environment for the

Nation to celebrate the 57th Presiden-

tial Inauguration.

NOTE: Maj Andrea Maya serves as

the RMO Flight Commander, 779

MDG, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

W hat an honor to be part of the

Joint Task Force - National

Capital Region (JTF-NCR) Command

Surgeon Team during such an histori-

cal event in our country’s lineage.

JTF-NCR is under the auspices of

Joint Force Headquarters National

Capital Region (JFHQ-NCR), and

was charged with coordinating all

Presidential Inauguration military

ceremonial events, to include medical

support. As a joint command, JTF-

NCR includes members from all

branches of the armed forces of the

United States.

As part of the JTF-NCR Presidential

Inaugural Staff, I served as the De-

partment of Defense (DOD) medical

liaison to the Joint Congressional

Committee on Inauguration Ceremo-

nies (JCCIC) and the Presidential In-

augural Committee (PIC). In this

role, I coordinated and processed re-

quests for military medical support at

all inaugural events. I also planned,

synchronized and oversaw the execu-

tion of DOD medical support to DOD

Inaugural participants and DOD bene-

ficiaries, including members of the

executive government. This integra-

tion with our interagency partners

culminated in a full medical unity of

effort.

As the Inauguration Medical Planner,

I was responsible for tasking Joint

Task Force National Capital region

Medical Command’s (JTF CapMed)

deployment of 300+ medical support

Brig Gen Charles Potter

presented Col (sel) Christopher

Phillips with the 2012 Brigadier

General Patricia Lewis Commit-

ment to Service Award at the

March 2013 NCR MSC Luncheon,

held at the Pentagon Dining Room.

This award is sponsored by the

Medical Service Corps Association.

2012 Brigadier General

Patricia Lewis

Commitment to Service

Award Winner:

Col (sel)

Christopher

Phillips

Inbound MSC AES/DOs (2013)Inbound MSC AES/DOs (2013)Inbound MSC AES/DOs (2013)

Lt Col (sel) Timothy Christison, 43 AES, Pope AFB

Lt Col Angela Thompson, 18 AES, Kadena AB

Deployed as the 57th Presidential Inauguration Medical Planner Maj Andrea Maya

Page 14


It has been a year since my admission to the hospital. When it all started, my feelings were of sheer desperation to get the right care,

then I went into panic as I experienced a “continuum of care” which was disconnected. Then, disillusionment hit at the recognition

that, in 16-years of service to the AFMS, I’d barely touched the tip of the iceberg of a very complex system. Throughout my personal

experience, there were several occasions where I realized how far reaching a healthcare administrator’s decision can be. It is this,

specifically, I hope stays with you. In the interest of time, I will share only a few stories of my initial journey—and I do so, with the

greatest desire of improving the patient’s experience, to the extent that your influence allows.

I was under a PCM’s care for months and my condition was worsening. I called the appointment line and went into the abyss. The

recording said the appointment lines were being centralized to improve service to the patient. I left t-cons that went unanswered. I

reached a point where my pain had escalated dramatically, I could hardly walk and I could no longer tolerate solids so I reported into

the ER on a Sunday. The ER took some preliminary tests which all came back showing no concern. Due to the intensity of the pain,

the ER ordered an ultrasound but the Ultrasound department was “too busy” to see me. The reason was because their department had

recently changed the business rules and now scheduled patients on the weekends to take care of their patient backlog – improving pa-

tient care. Given my clear anxiety and yes—I was emotional, the ultrasound tech accepted to see me. I was wheeled into her waiting

area and to my surprise there was a room full of patients, most complaining. The tech was the phone person, the check-in person, the

ultrasound tech, and the only one there besides the doctor. While she cared for me, the doctor called her via speaker phone frustrated

that she had taken an ER patient. The doctor (clearly not aware I was listening) said, “Remember, the ER patients don’t place com-

plaints like the others do.” I was released with pain meds and a “Stat” referral. I was told that a “Stat” meant I would get a quick ap-

pointment with a GI specialist.

I called the appointment line number I was given. “Stat appointments are supposed to be scheduled between providers,” I was told.

Since it was coded “Stat” in the system, it caused a freeze and the clerk could not schedule an appointment. I was asked to contact the

ER provider. The ER provider was not working the next two days and sadly no one else could help. My pain was so incredibly sharp

I couldn’t stand upright anymore. In tears, I called a MSC friend who put me in touch with a Chief Nurse. The Chief Nurse listened

and immediately called the hospital (not sure what she said—but she obviously made her point). She called me back with instructions.

Thereafter, I called GI and the clerk told me the system did not allow her to book my type of appointment, but full of pride, she told

me she had learned of a way to circumvent the system, and thus was able to help me.

When I arrived at GI, the Nurse Practitioner (NP) took one look at me and said, “I know your tests all came back fine, but you don’t

pass the eye test.” His words were the most incredible form of relief. He ordered more tests, made phone calls, and reassured me I

would be taken care of. I later found out, several of his attempts to contact the surgeons went unanswered because the business rules

didn’t allow the nurses to contact the surgeons unless it was an emergency. (Remember, my ER tests were all fine.) The NP called a

retired Air Force Colonel who also happened to be a GI provider, and it was this GI provider who made the phone calls to get the sur-

geons’ attention.

Throughout that morning, I was on a patient bed, wheeled from one department to the other. At some point, a nurse found me in one

of the waiting areas and said she needed her bed back. When told that I was in a lot of pain and it took a great amount of effort on my

part to move, she said, “Sorry, but I have to maintain control over my beds or they get misplaced and we don’t get them back.” I was

too tired to argue, so with a lot of difficulty, I moved into the wheelchair she gave me as an option. In little time, I was admitted. The

surgeons’ assessment was that I was probably hours from an escalated condition which would have put me in an Intensive Care Unit

(ICU). Nonetheless, I was now in the right hands and it was smooth sailing from there—or so I thought.

Little did I know my journey had just begun. What could have been a next day procedure turned into 2 1/2 weeks of inpatient care in

2 hospitals, with 4 procedures, 2 ambulance rides, 5 weeks of having a drainage catheter, and 3 months of convalescent leave. Not to

mention the incredible, incredible physical pain and emotional drain. Through it all, I lived enough—both good and bad— to write a

book. However, the most important lesson was to recognize the hardship placed on the patient because of business rules, front desk

policies, upgrade in appointment lines and things of that nature, which I am sure began as inherently good ideas, but ultimately caused

communication gaps and shortfalls elsewhere when not thoroughly thought out, planned or communicated. It was then, that I really

understood the importance of what we do and the incredible impact we have. I am thankful for the patient’s perspective.

Final comment: I am thankful to those who took this journey with me and to whom I couldn’t be more grateful: my dearest colleague

and true Wingman, Maj (ret) Carla Cleveland; my dearest nurse friend, Col (sel) Rebecca Lehr; and my hero of a husband Carlos

Gradiz. These individuals truly saw me at my worst and held my hand the whole way through (literally)! I am most certain that with-

out their care, attention, and advocacy, I would not be writing this article today.

A Patient’s Perspective Maj Emirza Gradiz

I left the office sick to my stom-

ach. I was hurt and numb. My

civilian supervisor at the time

pulled me aside and shared some

wisdom I will always appreciate.

He said the “butt-chewing” I en-

dured was a great and valuable ex-

perience and that I will be a better

leader because of it. “Never forget

how embarrassed and humiliated

you are right now,” he said. "A

good leader would never cause

others to feel this way. You must

never cause your people to feel

this way. It is one thing for a lead-

er to have dignity, but permitting

those around you to maintain their

dignity is another, and it is the su-

perior of the two."

You can’t be an uplifting leader if

you beat people down. There will

never be a situation in which you

gain dignity by stripping someone

of theirs. You must seek to disci-

pline, instruct and motivate your

people while leaving their dignity

intact; in so doing, you preserve

your own.

2. Being Seen is Important, But

Being Seen Positively is More

Important.

It is not enough that your Airmen

know you; they need to know you

as a good and positive person. Let

me share two real-life incidents

that exemplify this advice.

(The “Senior MSC Spotlight - Col

James Clapsaddle” article is con-

tinued on the next page.)

C olonel

James R.

Clapsaddle en-

tered active duty

in 1990 and will

retire in June,

2013, upon his

redeployment

from command-

ing the 379th

Medical Group

at Al Udeid Air

Base, Southwest

Asia. Col

Clapsaddle’s

resume is unique in that he has

held a variety of positions that are

most decidedly not part of the tra-

ditional MSC career path. For in-

stance, he found himself casting

actors and singers for a NATO-

sponsored musical about the Berlin

Airlift, he advised politicians as a

Defense Fellow on the staff of a

US Senator, served on the Secre-

tary of the Air Force’s Congres-

sional Legislative Liaison Team,

and was the Deputy Team Chief of

the Secretary of Defense’s legal

team orchestrating the repeal of

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

I interviewed Col Clapsaddle hop-

ing to glean some leadership les-

sons from his experiences. He was

refreshingly candid in his respons-

es.

Introduction

Maj Dozier called to ask if I would

share some of the leadership les-

sons I’ve learned in my 20-plus

years as an MSC. I retire soon, so

this is my last chance to communi-

cate with my fellow MSCs; thus, I

appreciate this opportunity. There

may be some natural-born leaders,

but I do not think I am one of

them. I have had to work at it.

Nonetheless, I would like to share

three lessons that I try to pass on to

others whenever I have the oppor-

tunity. They are: 1. Maintain dig-

nity; yours and theirs. 2. Let your

people see you often. 3. My job is

to serve others. I explain each be-

low.

1. Maintain Dignity; Yours and

Theirs.

As a leader, you cannot maintain

your own dignity if your actions

strip others of theirs. I learned this

lesson the hard way. When I was a

Captain, I messed up on a produc-

tivity report. My mistake was, ad-

mittedly, idiotic. I think my report

showed our providers were seeing

an average of 140 people a day

(individually, not as a clinic). The

report reached the Wing Com-

mander, who mentioned it to the

Group Commander, who men-

tioned it to my Squadron Com-

mander. The Squadron Command-

er was embarrassed by my mistake

and was furious at me. He stood

me before his desk while he

growled and barked about my in-

eptness. He questioned my intelli-

gence, officership, and even my

loyalty. The session ended with

him throwing my wadded up re-

port at me.



Senior MSC Spotlight – Col James Clapsaddle

Maj Joi Dozier

Page 15



Colonel James

Clapsaddle is the com-

mander of the 379th

Expeditionary Medi-

cal Group, 379th Air

Expeditionary Wing,

Southwest Asia.

3. My Job Is To Serve Others.

I am an administrator. I tend to

view the medical field through dif-

ferent lenses as would a physician,

nurse, technician, or pharmacist. I

view the medical field through the

eyes of a bureaucrat. That’s good.

I’m proud of it. We need good bu-

reaucrats who know how to work

the system to support those medics

who are providing care.

But sometimes, we MSCs fall into

the trap of determining a person’s

value to the Air Force from our

vantage point as an office-

dwelling, paper-pushing, number-

crunching bureaucrat. That’s bad.

In other words, we might form

mistaken judgments about our pro-

vider staff based upon their ability

to craft timely reports, evaluations,

minutes, and budgets. But, this is

lunacy. Such things are our job,

not theirs. Admittedly, every Air-

man has to learn admin skills to do

their job (it is the same in the civil-

ian sector), but we can all agree

that the more time providers spend

on paperwork, the less time they

have to care for our people. To

keep myself from falling into the

trap of judging providers by their

admin skills, I occasionally watch

them “do their thing” by observing

surgeries, sitting in our lobby for

an hour to watch how our staff

process patients, spending time on

the ward with patients and nurses,

or by observing activity in the

Emergency Room.

(The “Senior MSC Spotlight - Col

James Clapsaddle” article is con-

tinued on the next page.)

My cat Bonkers was sick for 18 of

its 19 years. Sick cats need pills.

It is difficult to shove a pill down a

cat's throat; they fight back.

Thank goodness for the invention

of the Cat Pill Gun (Amazon.com,

$7). The pill gun is a slender tube

you jam into your cat's mouth,

press a button and it shoots the pill

to the back of the cat's throat

where it is swallowed.

Bonkers was sick, but not stupid;

the moment she saw me grab the

pill gun she disappeared under the

bed. Thus, the need for a Cat

Snare (Amazon.com, $57).

One of my Airmen told me that

her cat has no fear of the pill gun;

it actually likes the gun and comes

running whenever he sees it. The

Airman routinely feeds her cat tu-

na treats, catnip, and peanut butter

with the gun. She also left the gun

next to the food bowl so it was al-

ways visible. Her cat associated

the pill gun with positive things.

He ran to it. My cat associated the

pill gun with bad things. He ran

away from it.

Then, my Airman gave me some

mentoring. She said, “Bosses are

to Airmen like pill guns are to cats.

If the only time a boss approaches

you is to deliver something un-

pleasant like criticism or a tasking,

you get anxious when they appear

at your doorstep. You run away.

However, if the boss drops by rou-

tinely to deliver good news, crack

a joke, smile, join a potluck or just

to enjoy a conversation, then you

associate his or her presence with

pleasure, positive feelings, and

trust. You run to them.”

My brother, Dave, would have

agreed with that Airman’s advice.

Dave was a civilian hospital ad-

ministrator who had a knack for

making people flock to him. He

had a variety of tactics that elicited

positive reactions from his staff.

For example, Dave arrived at work

every morning carrying a bag of

small Tootsie Rolls. As he walked

down the hallway on the way to

his office, he would throw every-

one a Tootsie Roll. Without

breaking stride, he would deliver

the candy with hook shots, behind-

the-back tosses, underhand lobs,

etc. He did so with such accuracy

that his staff would simply sit at

their desk, raise a hand, and the

Tootsie Roll would hit its mark.

Dave’s morning arrival created a

sense of excitement and fun; staff

ensured they were at their desks

every morning in time to catch

their Tootsie Roll. Some would

keep a score board of how many

catches in a row they made. One

had a small plastic baseball bat he

used to swat the pitched, flying

candies. Anther would hold up a

bulls-eye target. The point is

Dave’s presence brought joy. My

brother’s Executive Staff actually

looked forward to seeing their boss

arrive at work each morning.

Who among us has achieved that?!

Be out and about. Be seen. And

be joyful.



Senior MSC Spotlight – Col James Clapsaddle (continued)

Maj Joi Dozier

Page 16



do their job. I don’t want them to

have to do mine.

Final Note: Military people - es-

pecially medics - are held in great

esteem in our country. If you are

in uniform, complete strangers will

walk up to you, shake your hand,

and thank you for what you do.

The truth is, they don’t really

know what you do, they just know

you serve the country. They are

grateful for our sacrifice. But I

don’t feel as though I’ve sacrificed

anything to be in the Air Force.

The Air Force and my Medical

Service Corps has provided me

more than I have given it. I will

always be in its debt.

My time in the Air Force has usu-

ally been fun; it has always been

meaningful. It has not been easy,

but it has been worth it. I’m proud

of this Air Force. I’m proud to

have served it as an MSC.

I was doing just that the other day

(observing an ER event) when I

witnessed a painful scene. A man

died. He was a Third Country Na-

tional who collapsed on the job.

His fellow countrymen did not

render aid; they are not trained to

do so. He lay unattended to for

10-15 minutes before our medics

arrived. I watched for another 40

minutes while these medics tried

to bring him back. The medics

were amazing. They were heroic.

But they were not successful.

When the doctor called the Time

of Death, all movement stopped.

Everything was suddenly quiet.

The medics looked silently at the

patient. They felt grief. I looked

at my medics. I felt grief with

them, but I also felt something else

- an intense and renewed sense of

purpose. My purpose is to do eve-

rything in my power to get these

people the training, the tools, and

the time they need to protect and

save lives. The “time” portion of

this is critical. It’s painful for me

to watch a physician spend an

evening typing up minutes or per-

formance evaluation. Chaining a

doctor to a computer is like har-

nessing a race horse to plow- they

can do it, but it’s not what they are

bred for. We serve the provider

staff best by relieving them of ad-

ministrative burdens that distract

from patient care. Every Airman,

including medical staff, must be

proficient at admin tasks; we’ll

never fully relieve them of such

duties, nor should we. Without

mastering such activities, our fel-

low Airmen would not be able to

advance in rank or learn, become

the SGN, SGH, or be a command-

er. But we should seek to relieve

them from as much as possible.

Bureaucracy is my job. Their job

is to protect and save lives. I can’t



Senior MSC Spotlight – Col James Clapsaddle (continued)

Maj Joi Dozier

Page 17



Inbound SGAs (2013)

Lt Col William Breedlove, 28 MDG, Ellsworth AFB

Lt CoL Michael Dinkins, 559 MDG, Joint-Base San Antonio-Lackland

Maj Jennifer Garrison, 20 MDG, Shaw AFB

Lt Col (sel) Dolphis Hall, 6 MDG, MacDill AFB

Maj Andrew Herman, 87 MDG, Joint Base McQuire-Dix-Lakehurst

Maj Charles Moniz, 47 MDG, Laughlin AFB

Maj John McFarlane, 61 MDSS, Los Angeles AFB

Lt Col Russell Nail, 421 ABS, RAF Menwith Hill

Maj Laura Patz, 43 MDSS, Pope AFB

Lt Col (sel) Mark Reynolds, 21 MDG, Peterson AFB

Maj James Robertson, 422 ABG, RAF Croughton

Lt Col Amy Russo, 86 MDSS, Landstuhl AB

Page 18


B rig Gen Potter created a “Quest for Quality” Quiz for the 347th Medical Group (Moody AFB) back

when he was a Major, and when the 347th was still a hospital. This quiz is focused on providing

quality customer service in the MTF and has been revised based on some feedback from the field. Though in-

formal, the quiz is intended to promote lively discussion and get the 41AX and 4AX communities thinking

about the importance of always delivering high quality customer service to our patients/customers. Enjoy!

THE QUEST FOR QUALITY QUIZ (Prescriptions for Achieving ________Medical Group/Wing Excellence)

(Insert Number of MDG/MDW)

INTRODUCTION

Discuss these situations during your flight/sectional training sessions. These make for good discussions. For the pur-

pose of this quiz, the words “patient” and “customer” are used interchangeably. (I do not expect answers back.) Scoring

with points is available at the end of the quiz. Finish the quiz first and then score!

How would you respond in the following hypothetical situations?

Choose only one letter/answer per question.

1. In the eyes of many patients, the _____Medical Group/Wing provides highly valued service. This sentiment is often

expressed immediately after service. However, while shopping at the BX, you overhear them make complimentary com-

ments about the quality of the Medical Group/Wing. What would you do?

a) Politely introduce yourself and thank them for their comments

b) Mind your own business

c) Be especially courteous to them in the future

d) Arrange for a special gift as a token of your appreciation for them

2. At the end of a long day, a patient approaches you and complains that he/she has been kept waiting without apparent

reason. In an angry voice, he/she demands an explanation. What would you do?

a) Drop everything else and spend as much time as necessary to appease the patient

b) Politely request more information until he/she has calmed down

c) Apologize for the delay and immediately work to solve the problem

d) Respond indifferently to the patient and offer an excuse

3. During the business day, a patient asks to speak with you and then requests a special service you do not normally pro-

vide. What would you do?

a) Give the patient what he/she wants as long as, in your judgment, it would not be expensive or excessive

b) Agree to the request because you always give the customer what they want

c) Consider whether a precedent exists for such a request and agree to it only after one exists (or if MTF policy allows

it)

d) Deny the request, no matter how small

Quest for Quality Quiz Brig Gen Charles E. Potter/Medical Service Corps Office

Page 19


4. After receiving service from you, a patient makes a face that indicates she is irritated or annoyed. What will you do?

a) Ask politely if anything is wrong

b) Presume something is wrong with the service and ask the patient how you can correct the problem

c) Pretend not to notice or wait for the patient to say something

d) Ask the patient if you can be of help and, if possible, offer her something extra to make amends

5. A patient asks you for personal information about another employee (i.e. – birthdate, address, cell phone number,

etc.). When you resist, the patient reminds you that he/she has been an advocate of military medicine for many years.

What do you do?

a) Tell the customer to get lost

b) Explain to him/her it’s against MTF policy to release that kind of information

c) Give the information freely

d) Weigh the sensitivity of the information sought, the reason for wanting the information, the appropriateness of the

disclosure, and then base your response on your assessment

6. While leaving the clinic one day, you accidentally bump into a patient. The patient, having been almost knocked

down, is speechless. What do you do?

a) Quickly say, “Sorry,” and walk away.

b) Apologize and help the patient regain his/her composure

c) Express regret and show genuine concern for the patient’s well-being

d) Express regret and offer a special service as a way to apologize

7. Your Squadron Commander tells you a very special group of VIPs will be seeking your MTF’s service during the

next month and you should take extra care to satisfy all your customers during this period of time. You interpret this to

mean:

a) You should conceive of ways to pleasantly surprise most of your customers

b) You should be especially friendly and courteous

c) You should stage an elaborate show of attention and provide additional benefits for all customers during this time

d) You shouldn’t make mistakes

8. After being treated at your MTF, a customer calls to ask for more information. The customer, a history buff, begins

his/her inquiry by asking you to explain the recent history of your MTF. You:

a) Place the customer on hold and ask the Flight Commander to tell you what to say

b) Tell him you don’t know the MTF’s recent history

c) Explain what you know and, if necessary, offer to find out more information and promise to call the customer back

d) Ask a senior employee to chat with the customer about the history of the MTF

Quest for Quality Quiz (continued) Brig Gen Charles E. Potter/Medical Service Corps Office

Page 20


9. An expert in customer service visits your MTF several times one month to give your Squadron Commander/Exec

Staff an honest appraisal of service personnel throughout the MTF. She is most likely to describe you and your fellow

employees as:

a) Flexible and professional

b) Impersonal and unknowledgeable

c) Courteous and interested

d) Very generous and eager to please

10. After receiving service from your MTF, a patient returns and says, “I am totally dissatisfied with the service I re-

ceived.” What would you do?

a) Politely ask for more information and then follow MTF policy

b) Explain the MTF wishes to correct any mistakes it may have made and then work with the patient to resolve the prob-

lem

c) Immediately ask to provide an additional appointment to the patient to make friends

d) Regard the patient suspiciously and direct him/her to the Patient Advocate

11. Which metaphor best describes the way you view the _____ Medical Group’s/Wing’s patients? They are:

a) Acquaintances

b) Relatives

c) Strangers

d) Friends

12. Which term best describes how you treat the _____Medical Group’s/Wing’s patients? You treat them as:

a) An interruption

b) A necessity

c) Special people

d) Royalty


Page 21


SCORING

To score your quiz, enter the number that corresponds with the letter you selected for each question. Add these numbers to get your

total, then refer to the chart below. This chart indicates the ______Medical Group’s/Wing’s Zone of Service Quality (assuming

your fellow medics or supervisors would answer similarly).

____________ a=3 b=1 c=2 d=4

____________ a=3 b=1 c=2 d=4

____________ a=3 b=1 c=2 d=4

____________ a=3 b=1 c=2 d=4

____________ a=3 b=1 c=2 d=4

____________ a=3 b=1 c=2 d=4

____________ a=3 b=1 c=2 d=4

____________ a=3 b=1 c=2 d=4

____________ a=3 b=1 c=2 d=4

____________ a=3 b=1 c=2 d=4

____________ a=3 b=1 c=2 d=4

____________ a=3 b=1 c=2 d=4

___________________________________________________________________________________

_____________ Your Total Score

Your Numeric Score Your Customer Service Zone of Quality

12-18 Rigid

18-30 Safe

30-42 Progressive

42-48 Indulgent

DISCUSSION

Your answers may put you within more than one zone of service. This isn’t unusual and simply indicates you and/or your section

need(s) a clearer vision of quality service. This, undoubtedly, makes your service inconsistent. Organizations that show inconsisten-

cies are often in transition, and (hopefully) in the process of improving. Regardless of the reason, inconsistency is confusing and

disconcerting to patients. Hope this quiz made you think more about the importance of providing excellent customer service!


Page 22

Page 22

Col (sel) Danny L. Blake

Col (sel) Duane M. Bragg

Col (sel) John R. Brooks

Col (sel) Kevin M. Franke

Col (sel) Sean A. Holloway

Col (sel) Ronald L. Johnson

Col (sel) Daniel E. Lee

Col (sel) Michael D. Lovering

Col (sel) Christopher Phillips

Col (sel) Steven P. Van De Walle

Col (sel) Andrea C. Vinyard

Congratulations to Our New

MSC Colonel (Selects)!

“March Madness Mustaches” at AFPC

Page 23

Page 23

Inbound MSC Group Commanders (2013) Col Andrew Cole, 87 MDG, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst

Col (sel) Gregory DeWolf, 379 EMDG, Al Udeid AB, Qatar

Col Rachel LeFebvre, 377 MDG, Kirtland AFB

Col Michael Patronis, 47 MDG, Laughlin AFB

Col (sel) Curt Prichard, 20 MDG, Shaw AFB

Col Frederick Weaver, 325 MDG, Tyndall AFB

Inbound MSC Squadron Commanders (2013)

Lt Col Wade Adair, 52 MDSS, Spangdahlem AB

Lt Col Arlene Adams, 319 MDSS, Grand Forks AFB

Lt Col Tracy Allen, 355 MDSS, Davis-Monthan AFB

Lt Col Michael Barry, 412 MDSS, Edwards AFB

Lt Col Jacqueline Bowers, 8 MDSS, Kunsan AB

Lt Col Richard Broyer, 92 MDSS, Fairchild AFB

Lt Col Robert Corby, 366 MDSS, Mountain Home AFB

Lt Col Brenda Corrunker, 22 MDSS, McConnell AFB

Lt Col Lee Erickson, 71 MDSS, Vance AFB

Lt Col Christopher Estridge, Yokota AB

Lt Col William Fecke, 59 MDSS, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland

Lt Col Tommy Franklin, 45 MDSS, Patrick AFB

Lt Col Kara Gormont, 633 MDSS, Joint Base Langley-Eustis

Lt Col Pagerine Jackson, 7 MDSS, Dyess AFB

Lt Col Matthew Krauchunas, 628 MDSS, Joint Base Charleston

Lt Col Edward Lagrou, 96 MDSS, Eglin AFB

Lt Col Kathleen Mackey, 49 MDSS, Holloman AFB

Lt Col Patrick Martinez, 30 MDSS, Vandenburg AFB

Lt Col Ronald Merchant, 81 MDSS, Keesler AFB

Lt Col Todd Osgood, 2 MDSS, Barksdale AFB

Lt Col Robert Peltzer, 35 MDSS, Misawa AB

Lt Col Kenneth Perry, 509 MDSS, Whiteman AFB

Lt Col Jennifer Riggins, 97 MDSS, Altus AFB

Lt Col Alisha Smith, 377 MDSS, Kirtland AFB

Lt Col Richard Smith, 65 MDSS, Lajes AB

Lt Col Janet Urbanski, 78 MDSS, Robins AFB

Lt Col Jay Veeder, 18 MDSS, Kadena AB

Lt Col Victor Weeden, 23 MDSS, Moody AFB

Page 24

Page 24

Capt Wayne Barnum, AFIT MHA Civilian Institution

Maj Alejandro Breceda, AF/A5R Acquisitions (Rqmts) FS

Maj Merritt Brockman, HQ AMC Readiness Planning/Ops FS

Maj Mark Chojnacki, EWI, Medical Logistics—Health and Human Services

Capt Marsha Doldron-Bryan, PACAF/SGX & 13 AF/SG Med Red FS

Capt Dossy Felts, MHA/MBA Army Baylor Program

Lt Col Michael Foutch, RAND (SDE)

Lt Col Mary Garbowski, EWI, Medical Logistics—LMI

Maj Stella Garcia, ACSC (IDE)

Capt Ryan Gassman, AF Special Operations Readiness FS

Maj Glen Gilson, AFIT Doctorate Program

Maj Christopher Gonzales, HQ AMC/MEFPAK FS

Maj Emirza Gradiz, ACSC (IDE)

Maj David Huinker, IM/IT EWI—MEDSTAR

Capt Kerry Hutchings, AFMSA/SG3SA HPM FS

Maj Jamie Kaauamo, Spec Ops Planner PACOM FS

Maj Nathan Kellett, EWI, Def Spt Civ Auth—HHS

1st Lt Nathaniel Krouse, IM/IT Masters Information Systems

Maj Jennifer LaVergne, AFMOA HPM FS

Lt Col Zoya Lee-Zerkel, Cost Assess & Prog Eval (CAPE) FS

Capt Tara Lovell, HQ USAF Med/LAF Plng/Prg FS

Capt Megan Malcom, IM/IT Masters Information Systems

Lt Col William Malloy, AWC (SDE)

Maj Renee McClennon, EWI, Medical Logistics—FEDEX

Capt Ryan McCrae, HQ ACC Readiness Planning (S) FS

Capt Jared Oldham, EWI, GPM Johns Hopkins

1st Lt Fredric Orcutt, MHA/MBA Army-Baylor Program

Maj Robert Orlando, ACC/MEFPAK IM/IT FS

Capt Phillip Pope, Force Management/Staffing FS

Maj Javier Rodriguez, HQ ACC NAF Med Planner (N) FS

1st Lt Sean Rotbart, MHA/MBA Army-Baylor Program

1st Lt Zachary Rumery, MHA-USUHS

Maj Robert Russin, SAF/FMB Financial Management FS

Maj Jeffrey Schuler, Joint Surgeon (J-4), Readiness Plans FS

1st Lt Samuel Sells, MHA-USUHS

Capt Randall Shiflett, EWI, IM/IT—IBM

Maj Heidi Simpson, IM/IT—USAMITC FS

Capt Blake Smith, AFIT MS Logistics/Supply Chain Mgt

Lt Col Vito Smyth, AWC (SDE)

Capt Christy Snow, MSC Utilization& Education FS

Maj Raynold Vincent, ACSC

Maj Daniel Zablotsky, EWI, GPM-Lehigh Valley Health Net

Page 25

Page 25

Capt Joshua Peter

ACC – Capt Stephanie Ceron

AETC – Capt Joshua Peter

AFDW – Capt Tyler Grunewald

AFGSC – Capt Wendy Benavides

AFMC – 1st Lt Mandy Bradesca

AFRC – Capt George Mokriakow

AFSOC – Capt Greg Kirkwood

AFSPC – Capt Jeremiah Jacobs

AMC – 1st Lt Brooks Crane

ANG – Capt E. Denise Osborne

At-Large – Capt Rory Peterson

PACAF – Maj Jocelyn Whalen

USAFA – Capt Joshua Miller

USAFE – 1st Lt Nathaniel Krouse

Congratulations to the

2012 Young Health Care Administrator of the Year!

2012 Young Health Care Administrator (MAJCOM Winners)

Page 26

Brig Gen (ret) Peter Bellisario, 13th Medical Service Corps Chief, was hosted by a group

of current and former MSCs at the 96 MDG. Brig Gen (ret) Bellisario shared insights

from his highly successful career and offered his perspective on strategies for challenges

faced by today’s Air Force Healthcare Administrators.

Pictured from left to right are: Col (ret) Robb Rennie, Capt Joe Sanchez, Lt Col (sel)

Don Kotulan, Col (sel) Curt Prichard, Maj Sean Marshall, Brig Gen (ret) Bellisario,

Capt Chris Hollis, Lt Col Keith Higley, Lt Col (ret) Randy Howell, 2d Lt Scott Suter,

Capt Tommy Shadd, Capt Wendy Franke, and Lt Col (sel) Tracie Swingle.

13th Medical Service Corps Chief Visits the 96 MDG 96th Medical Group, Eglin AFB, Florida, 21 February 2013

Page 27

19th Medical Service Corps Chief

Visit to the

60 MDG, Travis AFB

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Page 28


Visit to the 60 MDG, Travis AFB

Page 28

Page 29


Visit to the

60 MDG, Travis AFB

Page 29

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JB Andrews MSC Mentoring Luncheon

February 2013


February 2013

Page 30

Page 31



February 2013

National Capital Region (NCR)

MSC Luncheon

March 2013

March 2013

National Capital

Region (NCR)

MSC Luncheon

Page 31

Wondering what to buy for the next promotion or farewell gift? Look no more!

Promote our MSC proud heritage https://kx.afms.mil/msc

(look for the ‘msc merchandise order’ link under the navigation column)

“A Decade of Traditions” 2001 MSC/4A0/4A1/4A2 Coin…$8

Now $5 (Limited Availability)

“Legacy Coin”…$8 “Airmen's Creed Coin”…$8

On sale Land’s End Polo Shirts…$30

Now only $25 Men’s Dark Blue: XXL

Lady’s Light Blue: S, M, L Page 32

Documents

Inside Story Headline U.S. Air Force Medical Service Corps · Inside Story Headline ... Eric Huweart, Deputy CIO, and Col Greg DeWolf – who, ... Medical Service Corps MSC Newsletter,