FORT DRUM, New York – Total force readiness starts with preventative measures, ensuring Soldiers are armed with the knowledge and resources to maintain their health and wellness, limiting their need for healthcare treatment that can take them out of the fight and away from their units.
At Fort Drum, the agency at the forefront of preventative health is Army Public Health Nursing, a multi-disciplined clinic dedicated to sustaining military readiness through health promotion and disease prevention activities.
“What's so unique about the military and Army Public Health Nursing is that we focus on the military community,” explained Maj. LaJuana Dixon, the chief of Fort Drum’s APHN clinic. “So, we’re talking about deployment assessments and training. We inform to prevent climate-related injuries, vector-borne disease, and foodborne illnesses. These are things that directly impact our force health protection and force readiness.”
The combined Soldier and civilian team of professionals at the APHN clinic supports more than just the military mission at Fort Drum; they serve the entire community by spearheading essential public health initiatives, including vaccine campaigns, disease prevention, health education, and community health research.
“They believe in the power of education and know that if their voice is heard, they are helping someone,” said Col. Kylee J. Jewett, Guthrie Army Health Clinic’s Deputy Commander for Nursing. “You won’t find the team just sitting in their offices waiting for people to come to them. Rather, they are always actively looking for ways to be involved with the community.”
A recent milestone for the team was their second annual flu vaccine campaign. This multi-week, walk-in clinic allowed service members, their families, and civilian employees to receive vaccinations at their convenience without the hassle of an appointment. Operating from October through December, APHN successfully administered approximately 1,152 vaccines, a 45% increase from the previous year.
“The team completely improved the process based on feedback and lessons learned to improve overall compliance and created easier access to care to obtain the vaccine,” Jewett said. Due to the measurable impact of APHN’s efforts, “The flu vaccine compliance rate for GAHC alone has increased from 72% to 99% in the past three years.”
Everything the APHN team does is to prevent illness now to reduce the need for invasive healthcare in the future. By focusing on community-wide strategies such as promoting healthy lifestyles, expanding vaccine access and education, providing nutrition information, and more, APHN can improve the overall health of the Fort Drum community and reduce the burden on the healthcare system.
Dixon explained she wants to ensure preventative health, the first level of healthcare, is at the forefront of everyone’s healthcare journey.
“We want to make sure that we inform the community, educate them, so that they can advocate for themselves, make proactive choices in nutrition, manage chronic diseases, be immunized, and make informed decisions in regard to their healthcare,” Dixon said.
These initiatives help improve access to care for beneficiaries by reducing the burden on other clinics, such as high-volume specialty clinics where appointment availability is often limited.
And the public health team’s responsibilities don’t stop at the gates of Fort Drum. In addition to working with other health agencies within the installation, such as child and youth services, other health clinics, and 10th Mountain Division leadership, APHN routinely collaborates with public health entities within the North Country community.
“When you talk about infection surveillance and providing recommendations and following up, we need every community partner,” explained Dixon. “We have to be connected. We can't work in silo. The only way we are effective and public health is successful is by having those ongoing conversations, those follow-ups, those networking opportunities to build relationships. These efforts are and have been instrumental in APHN identifying community health threats really early due to our collaborations and investigations.”
Jewett emphasizes that APHN’s success hinges on increasing public awareness of their services and fostering a deeper understanding of how preventive medicine supports the community’s overall well-being.
“I encourage people to talk to them at the different events (they participate in) or even stop in their building and see what resources they provide,” Jewett said. The APHN team is driven by a genuine “love to help and serve our community.”
The APHN clinic is located at building P-36, 1st Street West, on Fort Drum and can be reached at (315) 772-6404.
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