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Medical Readiness: Preparing for Deployment

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100107-07
Release Date: 1/7/2010 11:10:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason Turner, National Naval Medical Center Public Affairs

BETHESDA, Md. (NNS) -- Medical readiness is essential for deployment and he National Naval Medical Center ensures its Sailors are ready for any mission.

During September 2006, Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (FMF) Mark Palustre a pharmacy, technician at NNMC, deployed to Fallujah, Iraq. Prior to his deployment Palustre needed to be medically ready in order to deploy like many other Sailors at NNMC.

"After I volunteered for deployment I had a pre-deployment check list that I had to go through in the hospital," Palustre said. "I basically had to get cleared by the Medical Readiness Health Clinic."

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (FMF) Aaron Jackson, leading petty officer for Operational Readiness at NNMC, said when staff members know who has been selected for deployment the next, is to ensure the Sailor meets all requirements.

"After we get the final list from leadership for who has been chosen for deployment we need to make sure the Sailor has no medical limitations," Jackson said. "We also want to know how much time they have left at the command and in the Navy."

Jackson said current physical health assessments are needed to make certain a Sailor's medical record is current. This includes being dental class one or two, knowing if the individual is limited in duty or on light duty.

"The most important thing about being medical readiness is we have to make sure the Sailor is medically fit for the fight," Jackson said.

After a Sailor finds out they have been selected their first step in the process for medical readiness is to schedule an appointment for a deployment screening with Deployment Health Clinic.

"We review a Sailor's records and make sure their medical and dental is ready," said Anthony Wimbush who works for Deployment Health.

Wimbush said they will send a Sailor to the different clinics within the hospital to complete any medical appoints once their record has been reviewed. The Sailor then speaks with a provider from Deployment Health to get final clearing for being deployable.

"I screen individual augmentee individuals for deployment and post deployment," said Christl Boonaparte, a physician assistant at Deployment Health Services. "I screen their records and make sure there are no outstanding consults, lab work or appointments that need to be done. Once that is determined I will go through the check sheet, review their chart making sure they are suitable to be deployed."

Lt. Michael Mabry, pharmacy technician at NNMC who recently completed his screening for deployment, will deploy this month to Afghanistan for six months.

"The biggest reason for me being medically ready is so I can be successful in my deployment and be able to reach the mission of the Navy," Mabry said.

Each Sailor at NNMC is required to be mission ready whether, it is caring for a patient in the hospital or on deployment.

"Whenever we send a Sailor from this command [on deployment], we are saying on behalf of the admiral that this Sailor is 100 percent good-to-go," Jackson said.

For more news from National Naval Medical Center, visit www.navy.mil/local/nnmc/.