Patient Safety Awareness Week

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Latanya Reid
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MACDILL AFB, Fla. --  This week, Team MacDill celebrates National Patient Safety Awareness Week. The theme for this event is "Prevention is better than a cure" and members of the 6th Medical Group have dedicated their time to helping the base populace become more involved in their health. 

The 6th MDG Public Health Department has focused on working to safeguard people against unhealthy and unsanitary practices. 

Staff Sgt. Timothy McLendon, 6th Aerospace Medicine Squadron public health technician said his department's mission is to educate people on ways to improve their health. They perform monthly inspections at base facilities to maintain proper sanitation methods. 

"One of our biggest missions is education because a lot of people have the 'it can't happen to me philosophy," said Sergeant McLendon. 

Because there may be some misconceptions about how a person can become infected by hazardous bacteria or viruses, public health officials work diligently to educate people on what causes disease and infections. 

Additionally, public health members teach people about warning signs that are overlooked and they also warn the public about any known dangers such as an outbreak of the flu. 

"The biggest pests in Florida are mosquitoes, because they can transfer disease easily," said Sergeant McLendon who also worked in the community health section. 

He said the entomology department works with the community to discover any viral or bacterial outbreaks in the area. Currently they are working to eliminate mosquitoes in the local community. To do so, they capture them, study their flight patterns and then finding the best protection method. 

"We warn the base about how to avoid those (with dense mosquito populations) by sending out warnings via email. Then we coordinate with the community entomology or pest control to get rid of them." he said. 

Some of the other activities public health participates in to spread awareness are workshops and health fairs. At the fairs, they learn from other people in their careerfield and share experiences. They bring what they've learned back to the base to use for teaching purposes. 

They also plan the medical checklist for servicemembers preparing to deploy and brief them about hygiene along with ensuring they have their vaccinations completed. 

Sergeant McLendon said some tips he has shared with people to ensure they remain disease free include; always carrying a small bottle of hand sanitizer and washing hands after every trip to the restroom. For overseas trips, Sergeant McLendon suggests people learn about any disease that may be prevalent to an area before visiting. 

While scientist and health professionals are a long way from making the world disease free, they are working everyday to ensure everyone has the tools they need to remain healthy. At MacDill, the fight rages on against disease carrying mosquitoes, the influenza virus and other various bacteria that thrive in the humid Florida climate. Team MacDill members can do their part in the fight against disease by getting the proper vaccinations and maintaining personal health practices.