99th Medical Group continuously improves processes with AFSO21 Published March 10, 2009 By Senior Master Sgt Glen Robinson 99th Air Base Wing NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Ensuring patients receive the best possible care in the most timely manner is a priority for the 99th Medical Group at Nellis. The group's commander, Col. Christian Benjamin, said the concept of process improvement is an important part of the reason the group can efficiently and effectively accomplish its mission. "In the medical business we, like any organization, face challenges with manpower, challenges with money and we support a very diverse population," he said. "The medical business itself is a very complex process. Most patients don't see that process; they just see the point-of-contact with the physician, and they don't see all the other dynamics behind it." Colonel Benjamin credits Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century and Lean initiatives for the group's successes to date in eliminating waste in processes and he said the group strategically plans events each year to continue improving. Maj. Phyllis Jones, chief of the Emergency Department; 1st Lieutenant Robb Gudgel, Public Health Flight commander; and Senior Master Sgt. Gerald Alexander, superintendent of the 99th Surgical Operations Squadron, are three champions of the implementation of AFSO21 initiatives, according to the colonel. He said the three have played important roles over the last couple of years with multiple AFSO21 events for improvements in areas such as access to care, optimizing annual health care assessments, medical evaluation board processes, appointment scheduling and standard work in healthcare operations. "The 99th MDG recently completed another AFSO21 event led by Master Sgt. Anita Russ, noncommissioned officer in charge of Family Medicine Residency. The event looked at improving our family practice processes," Sergeant Russ said. "That's key to the AFSO21 concept - it's not just a one-time thing; you're always looking for ways to improve and make it better and better." An event on health care operations accomplished just that. "The healthcare optimization event decreased the overall number of steps taken by the clinic personnel during each patient's visit," said Major Hoyte. "By decreasing the number of steps overall, the transit time for patients within the clinic during their visits was decreased 50 percent." "The medical management event integrated the different areas involved in the care for complicated patients under one umbrella, which has enhanced continuity of care for those patients and decreased the likelihood of parts of their care falling through the cracks," said Major Hoyte. "Annually, we strategically plan events so that we have a game plan pertaining to what we want to focus on," Colonel Benjamin explained. "We generally try to focus on the things that will bring us the greatest value and the things that have the most importance to our patients."
