TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- April 3-9 is National Public Health Week. The Tinker Public Health Flight would like to raise awareness about the flight’s mission, responsibilities and goals to further positively impact our Tinker AFB community. Every weekday during Public Health week, flight personnel will be located at the 72nd Medical Group entrance, Gerrity Fitness Center, Annex gym, Commissary and Exchange from 8 to 10 a.m. to answer questions and provide valuable public health information. Personnel will also be present at all three of Tinker’s child care centers, as well as the Tinker Youth Center from
3 to 5 p.m.
The Public Health mission is to prevent illness and injury, promote medical readiness, and perform widespread dissemination of pertinent medical information to save lives. Last year, the flight played an integral role in safeguarding our personnel from West Nile Virus and Zika Virus by conducting active mosquito surveillance and coordinating results with Base Civil Engineering for appropriate pest control actions when needed. The flight’s efforts were key to Tinker having zero illnesses related to these viruses. The flight consists of two elements, 20 military members and 5 civilians covering a wide range of duties and responsibilities.
The first element, Community Health, conducts active disease surveillance for any trends in disease-related illnesses, new medical threat awareness, and disease exposure treatment and follow-up. The Food Safety Program, which is under the CH element, ensures food safety, sanitation, and security of all food and public facilities located throughout the installation.
The second element, Force Health Management oversees the Tinker Individual Medical Readiness program. These personnel manage and coordinate medical readiness requirements for all active duty personnel in order to maximize Tinker’s combat readiness. Deployment Management Section falls within FHM, which serves our deploying forces by first ensuring they are medically capable to deploy and provides vital medical intelligence to include recommending appropriate immunization and medication countermeasures. FHM also includes a Travel Medicine Section that performs this similar service to military personnel, dependents and retirees who are traveling overseas for leisure travel. Occupational Health is another section that falls under FHM, which encompasses the Air Force’s largest Occupational Health and Hearing Conservation programs. Personnel within this section help to ensure employees working in industrial workplaces are doing so safely.
Public Health Flight duty hours are Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., except the third Wednesday of the month (the clinic is closed for training from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.). To contact Public Health call 582-6542.