Triage, Treatment and Teddy Bears: Ft. Irwin MEDDAC Open House

FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- In an effort to expand its outreach efforts to the local community, officials from the Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) Dr. Mary E. Walker Center (MEWC) will be hosting a festive open house on Wednesday, 30 September in building 170 across from the hospital main facility on Fort Irwin.

More than 600 guests to the Open House met with hhospital staff and caregivers as well as the command of the WACH to learn about hospital services, facilities and procedures.

Community members were able to speak face to face with hospital health care and WACH administrative experts as well as directly to WACH Commander Col. Jason Wieman, in an informal, festive setting in order to get answers to specific questions and information about WACH and MEDDAC patient care policies.

Each facet of hospital patient care was represented by subject matter experts at booths and tables with plenty of take-away materials such as cards, flyers and informational brochures covering all aspects of health care available on Fort Irwin, including emergency medical services, environmental health and physical therapy, mental health and resiliency, pediatrics, dental services, nutrition, out-patient referrals, and other services provided to Soldiers and military family members by the WACH.

On hand at the open house to meet the public were representatives from TRICARE, Secure Medical Messaging (Relay Health) and United Concordia Dental insurance enrollment as well as representatives from the WACH pharmacy, medical and lab services, preventive medicine, nutritional care as well as community health support services available through MWR and local wellness programs and resources available through the WACH.

This year the WACH teamed up with the non-profit organization "Operation Gratitude", to encourage families with young children to attend by providing free stuffed animal bears to every child who came into the center. Not an idle gift, the bears acted as "surrogate patients" during the children's hospital tour, as they took the animals through the hospital for procedures and mock appointments, medical exams, immunizations, check-ups and certifications.

"The taking of the bears around the facility to health care providers helps introduce and familiarize the children with hospital procedures and personnel." said WACH event organizer Kristie Blackman. "The bears help to allay any fears a young visitor may have upon a first visit to the Weed Army Community Hospital as they see the bears being treated." Blackman said.

The children also carried their bear's "medical folder" throughout stations of the hospital during the event to learn the processes and importance of both immediate and preventive medicine as well as good health habits such as healthy eating and avoiding infection.

The bears provided by Operation Gratitude free of charge. A non-profit, the charter of the organization is based on support to Soldiers and to the military families they leave behind when they deploy to serve their country.

The USO and the Fort Irwin Exchange (previously AAFES) also provided prizes and donated gift cards given away at the event.

"From my point of view as the hospital commander and specifically as a doctor, one of the worst things about our profession is that we usually only get to see our patients when they are sick or hurt. It's my desire that my team is also get involved in the lives of patients while they're healthy and doing well." said WACH Commander Col. Wieman.

"We want to be involved in the daily lives of the Ft. Irwin family and we want to do everything we can to keep everyone healthy, prevent illnesses and injuries before they happen. There is a lot more to the Weed Army Community Hospital than treating illness or injury!"

ABOUT THE WEED ARMY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) is part of the United States Army Medical Department Activity, better known to service members by its acronym MEDDAC.

The WACH on Fort Irwin is home to approximately 500 health care professionals and medical staff providing 24/7 support to the National Training Center (NTC), one of the U.S. Army's largest training areas with over 1,000 square miles of maneuver areas, state of the art training facilities and ranges, with airspace restricted to military use.

Fort Irwin's isolation makes it an ideal site for a variety of NTC training and exercises, consequently the Weed Army Community Hospital is a vital pillar in support of the NTC and Fort Irwin community.

A new $160 million, 216,000 square foot hospital, currently under construction, is scheduled to replace the Weed Army Community Hospital in the fall of 2016. The opening of the new facility will mark a significant milestone in the United States Department of Defense commitment to delivering the best possible healthcare to all service members and their families, and underlines the importance of the NTC and the role MEDDAC personnel and facilities play in support of service members and their families at Fort Irwin.

To learn more about the people and facilities of the Weed Army Community Hospital and the National Training Center at Fort Irwin visit the official NTC website at www.irwin.army.mil

Related Links:

Weed Army Community Hospital on Facebook

The Weed Army Community Hospital

National Training Center Fort Irwin

Operation Gratitude

Weed Army Community Hospital on Flickr