An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Some pediatric care transferring to Belleville Clinic

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Melissa Estevez
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  In an effort to ensure the Air Force meets all physician residency requirements, a change in where some children will need to be seen is being implemented. Beginning Dec. 1, some Scott AFB Clinic Pediatric patients will now be seen at the Belleville Family Medicine Clinic in Belleville. To address any concerns regarding this change, the 375th Medical Group will host two town hall meetings in the Deltgen Auditorium (in the basement of the Scott Clinic) on Nov. 23, from 11:30 a.m. to noon, and again from 6:30-7:30 p.m. For the evening session, the entrance will be by the Pharmacy of the Scott Clinic and staff will be directing everyone to the auditorium.

One of the missions for the 375th Medical Group is to train Air Force Family Medicine Physicians, accomplished via their nationally acclaimed family medicine residency located at the clinic in Belleville. The residency program is currently comprised of 24 residents and 10 faculty members who care for approximately 8,000 beneficiaries. All residents are licensed physicians and have completed medical school prior to attending residency.

The residency progress is governed by a civilian organization known as the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. In a recent change for family medicine residency programs, ACGME mandated that family medicine residents increase the number of children they care for under the age of 10 years. If the requirement is not met the residents cannot graduate nor serve the Air Force as board eligible Family Medicine Physicians.

To meet the requirements of the ACGME, the pediatric clinic will transfer Lt. Col. (Dr.) Guy Venuti, a 375th Medical Group pediatrician, and his patients to the Belleville Clinic. If a patient currently has an appointment with him they will still be seen. If the appointment is after Nov. 30, they will be seen at the Belleville Clinic. Venuti's role will be that of a faculty mentor and not a Primary Care Manager. All his patients will be assigned to one of the Family Medicine Residents as a PCM by Dec. 7.

"One of the benefits of the Belleville Clinic is the opportunity for the entire family to be seen by the same provider," said Col. Todd Poindexter, 375th Medical Group chief of the medical staff. "Belleville also provides prenatal care, thus allowing the family to continue to stay with the same provider even as the family expands."

Col. Christine Berberick, 375th Medical Operations Squadron commander, said, "It's a tremendous responsibility to provide graduate medical education to the future physicians of our patients across the Air Force and we are very proud to have this opportunity at Scott AFB. Without our residency program we will not be able to continue to provide specialty clinics such as obstetrics, dermatology, and internal medicine."

Col. Douglas B. Curry, 375th Medical Group commander, added, "The 375th Medical Group is committed to the highest standards in providing you and your family safe, reliable and quality medical care. We recognize this change may be disruptive to the continuity of care your family has received, so we appreciate your support in helping secure the future of Air Force Family Medicine. We hope the town hall meeting is an opportunity for discussion and a chance for us to hear and address your