MDSS Airmen ensure success through support

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Briana Jones
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  "No support, no success," is the 31st Medical Support Squadron motto, encompassing everything from processing travel vouchers to preparing prescriptions. Airmen assigned to the unit provide support to the 31st Medical Group and help keep the Airmen at Aviano mission ready.

MDSS Airmen are responsible for report of surveys, maintaining medical computer programs, ordering medical supplies, up keep of the 31st MDG facility, along with other duties. Eight flights and more than 50 Airmen work together every day to solve problems and take care of patient needs.

"This hospital would not function if it were not for the medical support squadron," said Lt. Col. Greg Papke, 31st MDSS commander. "We do everything behind the scenes that nobody knows about to make this hospital function and operate."

According to Papke, his Airmen are the supporting arm for the 31st MDG, providing doctors and nurses with everything they need to do their job.

Both Tricare operations and patient administration deal with patients indirectly by coordinating specialty appointments for all active duty, retirees and dependents, and ensure they are knowledgeable about available benefits.

In addition to tracking and safeguarding medical information, patient administration also oversees patient movement where they process temporary duty orders for patients and navigate through the Defense Travel System to track any referrals.

Airman Troy Brown, 31st MDSS patient movement technician, says the most important part of his job is learning how to properly use DTS, so patients and their families can focus on their medical treatment and recovery.

Medical readiness oversees deployment training for 31st MDG members, while medical logistics manages acquisitions and the procuring of medical, pharmaceutical material and equipment. They also manage any maintenance the 31st MDG infrastructure may need. The information services, a flight provides medical system support and maintenance, while maintaining all hardware and software assigned to the 31st MDG.

Senior Master Sgt. Cynthia Boots 31st MDSS superintendent, says that although the sections rarely deal with patients, they are still extremely important to the mission. "Dealing with deployments, finance and medical equipment is a huge part of our mission and they do a fine job at it," said Boots.

These three sections work together to ensure computers are working, the building is in good condition and that medical supplies are being ordered. Without these flights, most of these things wouldn't get accomplished, which could cause mission degradation.

The medical laboratory performs more than 90,000 tests a year to help diagnose illnesses, while also maintaining a fully functional blood bank.

The laboratory is also equipped with a microbiology lab, which isolates bacteria and helps identify organic diseases. The laboratory is also responsible for blood and urine testing, which help diagnose pregnancies and ailments.

The pharmacy takes care of inpatient and outpatient services and is also responsible for restocking and ordering medications for patients. The pharmacy touches every facet of medical operations. Without proper medications and pharmaceutical care for patients, treatment options would be severely limited.

"What we do is extremely important," said Capt. Benjamin Crandall, 31st MDSS inpatient pharmacy services chief. "We dispense more than 50,000 outpatient prescriptions each year in support of 9,600 people. In addition, the pharmacy provides 24 hour support to the hospital inpatient mission by delivering more than 10,000 sterile products annually."

Resource management administratively supports the 31st MDG by coordinating with patients for payment, and handling all aspects of the hospital's financial needs.

Finally, the commander's support staff manages the report of surveys and inventory management programs. They serve as functional experts in electronic and paper records kept within the medical facility while providing overall wing and Air Force guidance to the personnel assigned to the 31st MDG. The Airmen who make up the commander's support staff are the focal point for all personnel and administrative actions throughout the 31st MDG, providing support to more than 300 medical staff members while regulating more than 20 programs for five squadrons.

"'No support, no success,' that is our motto," said Papke. "We are an asset to the 31st MDG mission, we don't personally provide healthcare, but we support the people that do and that is our primary mission."