Q&A pt. III: Medical, Exercise Physiologist, Infrastructure, and Food Options Published Feb. 24, 2016 By Col. Laura Lenderman 375th Air Mobility Wing commander SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Last week, I ran the second in a series of "Q&A" articles, which are in response to questions asked during my last Commander's Call. This is the third article in the series. I'll be posting the responses to all of the questions on a Sharepoint site for future access and review. Please keep the questions coming! MEDICAL Are there any plans for renovating work areas in the 375th Medical Group? Yes, there are plans to renovate the remaining areas in the 375th MDG, to include the laboratory. The actual execution of those plans is contingent on receiving funding from the Air Staff. At the moment, the laboratory renovation remains unfunded, but we continue to engage the Air Staff. Our goal is for all of our working locations to reflect the professionalism of our Airmen. Would it be possible to add a filtered water fountain at the 375th MDG (similar to the gym) which would allow us to refill reusable bottles? Great suggestion! As existing water fountains in the 375th MDG need to be replaced, we will look at options similar to the one in the gym. Can we add Rx refills to the patient MiCare interface? While the MiCare interface is capable of processing refills, the DoD did not purchase that capability from the contractor. We do anticipate that the next version of the electronic health record will have this capability, but we do not yet have a time estimate for implementation. Where is the wing's residency program located? The 375th MDG maintains its residency program at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Belleville. Our residency program is designed for Air Force doctors to hone their craft by seeing Active Duty members and their families, but also have the opportunity to see patients from the local area. This enables them to see trauma cases that, thankfully, they do not often see across the active duty force. EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST With emphasis on the physical therapy program, why are we losing the exercise physiologist position? Is there a way to keep it here? We worked hard to retain funding for this position and brought the subject to the Air Mobility Command Community Action Integration Board for consideration. Unfortunately, AMC was not able to continue funding the program. However, you can still receive similar assistance at Health Promotion, formerly known as the Health and Wellness Center, which has permanently moved from the Fitness Center to the 375th MDG. INFRASTRUCTURE What is the status of Chapel 2, and will it ever reopen? Chapel 2 is closed and is on the list to be demolished once funding becomes available. The age of the building, its failing infrastructure and its high maintenance costs were deciding factors in the decision to demolish the building. Our Chapel staff has been able to seamlessly provide the same support from Chapel 1, so we are indeed saving money. Is there any word on the road being fixed over the railroad tracks next to the old aero club? The 375th MSG has worked diligently with Norfolk Southern Railroad, who owns the tracks and the road immediately around the tracks, to repair the road. Earlier in January, the NSR made temporary repairs to the road to ensure safe passage; however, we continue to work a more complete long-term repair once the warmer weather permits it. When will the elevator in the tower work? Thank you all for your patience! After a long repair and cleaning process, the tower elevator was repaired and rated fully functional just before the holidays. However, Col. Gregory Green, 375th Air Mobility Wing vice commander, told me he prefers the stairs and is ready to race someone to the top. I recommend someone take him up on that challenge! My toilet at the dorms has been running for months now. My roommates and I have put in countless work orders to get it fixed and nothing has been done. What is dorm management doing? Dorm management normally responds to work orders soon after they are reported. If you have submitted a work order and have seen no action within 72 hours of your original request, please contact dorm management again so they can check with the 375th Civil Engineer Squadron to get an estimated completion date. If you still don't get a response, please let me know. In the meantime, gently moving the flush handle up and down will often stop the flow of water. My office stays 58 degrees year round. We aren't allowed to have space heaters because of load balancing in the electrical circuits, and I'm cold. Can anything be done? As you know, the building where you work houses computer equipment that must be kept cool. With the recent HVAC upgrades there, the office area should be much more comfortable with the installation of independent thermostats. We can regulate the temperatures in some of the other office areas outside the server room, so please let us know which office needs a temperate pump, and we'll do our best to increase the temperature. When will the palm scanner be ready for use at the metro link gate? The Metro vascular scanner is working now. This system permits registered users to validate their identity which then permits entry via the turnstile. Of note, we also still allow CAC entry through the CAC camera system that goes directly to the Base Defense Operations Center. The 375th Security Forces Squadron goes out once a week to monitor that system. However, anytime you discover it's not working, please let us know. FOOD OPTIONS Where should I go for lunch? Zeppelin's of course. If you haven't been there yet, check it out. It is the newest restaurant on base, located inside the Scott Event Center, formerly the Scott Club, and it has been receiving rave reviews. We also have great menus at the Bowling Alley and Golf Course.