Medical clinic hosts appreciation event Published Oct. 30, 2013 By Staff Sgt. Maria Bowman 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- The 375th Medical Group hosted an appreciation dinner and tour of the medical facilities at Scott Oct. 24 for its partnering off-base medical providers. The 375th MDG provides a vast array of health services for active duty, retirees and their families, including optometry, mental health, dental and physical therapy. When a patient needs care that the clinic cannot provide it seeks assistance from providers within the outside community. Col. Kyle Kremer, 375th Air Mobility Wing commander, said, "It was a fantastic opportunity to continue to build the relationships with the community because of the outstanding support we receive and the medical care for our members including families and retirees that use the Tricare medical system. That's almost 48,000 people." The clinic's medical contractor, Health Net Federal Services, helped sponsor the network social that began at 5:30 p.m., and was available for guests to enjoy during the two-hour event. During that time, military members, network providers and members from Health Net Federal Services were able to network and learn more about what services they provide for Team Scott's medical needs. The off-base medical providers were also given a tour of the laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, physical therapy and a family health exam room "The mission of the medical group is to build a ready, healthy community," said Col. Bret Burton, 375th MG commander. "The community piece to that mission has to do with the fact that we cannot provide 100 percent of the medical care to our beneficiaries without the help of those providers outside the barbed wire fence. It is important to recognize that we cannot provide the total benefit of healthcare as a single entity--it requires us to reach out to our partners. This purpose of this event was to show our thankfulness to those people who carry out the benefit of healthcare for our family members." Burton said that networking was a major reason for conducting this event because some off-base providers had never set foot on a military base and didn't really understand how things are run at the clinic. "These providers really had no realization of what clinic capabilities we had onsite, so that's why I wanted them to be able to come to the military treatment facility. The other reason I wanted them to come here is they had never met some of our medical staff. So whether you're talking to a provider or a nurse or a journeyman technician, when we give rank instead of title, many times they don't know how that functions when it looks like a civilian organization. When we give them an understanding of what our team member makeup is, it helps them to understand what questions to ask us when we're sending patients downtown." The network social also provided off-base providers with a chance to see the base and get a feel for what services the medical clinic provides for its patients. "This was an opportunity for them to see what we have to offer our patients. It gives them a feel for how the clinic acts with patients," said 2nd Lt. Ricky Pierson, Tricare Operations and Patient Administrations deputy flight commander. "They get to see a day in the life of our medical providers and what we offer here. Some have never been on base before and are not aware of the specifics. Coming here, they were able to see our machines and capabilities." Rebecca Willmann-Albrecht, Association Physicians Group physical therapist, said she had never been to the base, so the tour of the facility helped her see how the clinic functions. "We see several people from the base, so it was really great to see how they fall into the healthcare system here each step of the way before we see them," she said. "It's nice to put a face to a name. We hear about the base all the time, so it's nice to come here and see how it all works."