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USNH Yokosuka Holds 7th Fleet Specialty Conference

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080117-13
Release Date: 1/17/2008 3:24:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kari R. Bergman, Fleet Public Affairs Center Det., Japan

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- Forward deployed independent duty corpsmen (IDC) and general medical officers (GMO) attended the 7th Fleet Specialty Conference at U.S. Naval Hospital (USNH) Yokosuka Jan. 16.

The conference provided medical training in the areas of orthopedics, ophthalmology and dermatology.

"Our goal for this conference was to provide everyone with a little bit more in-depth information on specific types of diagnoses, examination techniques, and treatment options so they can take the information back to their ship to help our Sailors when there're out at sea," said Lt. Cmdr. Brandon Bryant, a USNH orthopedic surgeon. "Were here to support the fleet and this was something we could do for our fellow IDC and GMO's who are out there, so that when they first see the injuries they have background information and understanding about the situation and how to manage different injuries acutely."

According to Bryant, a lot of the information covered during the symposium was subject matter review for everyone who has been in these types of situations before.

"This conference is a good refresher because the stuff you learn in school they cram all in," said Chief Hospital Corpsman (SW) Kevin Varner, a participant in the conference. "If you don't use it everyday it tends to go away, so this helps you remember everything that you were taught. These conferences give us a chance to interact with different departments and find out what works best for everyone so that we can sync it all up and we get a little bit better patient care that way."

Bryant said that participants take different information away from these types of conferences and use it in the ways that best work for them.

"I definitely took a lot of good information away from this to take back to the ship to apply and also to help train the junior Sailors, because we have to keep passing down our knowledge down to keep all the information fresh," said Varner.

For more news from U.S. Naval Hospital, Yokosuka, Japan, visit www.navy.mil/local/nhyoko/.