Keller Army Community Hospital

As Keller Army Community Hospital continues its recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM), today’s focus is on bystander intervention. The only person responsible for committing sexual assault is a perpetrator, but all of us have the ability to look out for each other’s safety. Whether it’s giving someone a safe ride home from a party or directly confronting a person who is engaging in threatening behavior, anyone can help prevent sexual violence. ...Bystander Intervention describes a situation where someone who isn’t directly involved steps in to change the outcome. Stepping in may give the person you’re concerned about a chance to get to a safe place or leave the situation. Whether you’re taking home a friend who has had too much to drink, explaining that a rape joke isn’t funny, or getting security involved when someone is behaving aggressively, choosing to step in can affect the way those around you think about and respond to sexual violence. You don’t have to be a hero or even stand out from the crowd to make a big difference in someone’s life.

Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (April 18-24, 2021) is annual celebration of medical laboratory professionals and pathologists who play a vital role in health care and patient advocacy; and provides the profession with a unique opportunity to increase public understanding of and appreciation for clinical laboratory personnel. The week-long recognition, which takes place the last full week in April each year, is coordinated by a collaborative committee with representativ...es from 17 national clinical laboratory organizations, including American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science and American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). Effective health care is based on medical evidence, and the pathologist and medical laboratory technicians at Keller Army Community Hospital performs the tests to prove much of that evidence. From the initial sample to the final result, the Keller Lab is here to ensure your good health or to find the problems that are threatening it. Services provided include: phlebotomy, urinalysis, hematology, serology, transfusion medicine, microbiology, clinical chemistry, and limited anatomical pathology. In total, the Keller Laboratory completes more than 10,000 lab procedures per week. More information on the Keller Laboratory can be found at https://keller.tricare.mil//Lab-T/Laboratory-and-Pathology. Medical Laboratory Professionals Week originated in 1975 as National Medical Laboratory Week, or NMLW, under the auspices of the American Society for Medical Technology, now called the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS). In subsequent years, other organizations have served as co-sponsors and campaign supporters.

Keller Army Community Hospital continues its recognition of National Autism Awareness Month with today’s focus on Asperger’s Syndrome. Asperger syndrome is a developmental disorder, on the autism spectrum, that affects the ability to effectively socialize and communicate. People with Asperger’s are generally higher functioning, but may be socially awkward and have an all-absorbing interest in specific topics. Diagnosis of Asperger’s has increased in recent years, although it ...is unclear whether it is more prevalent or more professionals are detecting it. The information link provides more information on Asperger’s; and for additional information, you can contact Keller’s Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) team, which includes the Educational & Developmental Intervention Services staff. EFMP is located at Keller, on the 4th floor, can be reached at (845) 938-6881 / -3558, and more information on EFMP can be found at https://keller.tricare.mil//Family-Developmental-Serv/EFMP. To learn more about Asperger’s Syndrome, go to https://www.autism-society.org/what-is/aspergers-syndrome/

Keller Army Community Hospital recognized the 74th anniversary of the U.S. Army Medical Specialist Corps with a Specialist Corps team photo; a tele-meeting with Col. Deydre S. Teyhen, 20th Corps Chief, U.S. Army Specialist Corps; and a cake-cutting ceremony. The cake was cut by Col. Amy L. Jackson, Commander, Keller Army Community Hospital, who is a Physician Assistant, and OC Andrew Damon, who is a Physician Assistant student. The U.S. Army Medical Specialist Corps is made ...of four service corps Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Dietitians, and Physician Assistants and their mission is to remain the cornerstone of medical and performance readiness; providing health promotion and education, human performance optimization, treatment & rehabilitation, and injury prevention and control to the Total Force, their Families and Soldiers For Life. Learn more on the history of this incredible field by visiting: https://amsc.amedd.army.mil/

Happy 113th to the U.S. Army Reserve!!! The Army Reserve has never failed to answer the call, providing mission-critical forces and capabilities supporting U.S. national security and Army commitments worldwide. In an era of near-peer competition, the Army must have the ready force and capabilities it needs to compete with our adversaries, respond to crises, win in conflict and change for the future. To accomplish this mission, the Army needs a dedicated federal reserve force... that is ready today and shaping the force to meet the challenges of tomorrow. With nearly 190,000 Soldiers and 11,000 civilians, the Army Reserve is present in all 50 states, five U.S. territories, and more than 23 countries around the world. The Army Reserve comprises nearly 20% of the Army’s total force, half its total maneuver support, and a quarter of its force mobilization capacity. For more information, go to https://www.usar.army.mil/ or https://www.facebook.com/usarmyreserve.

Members of the West Point - The U.S. Military Academy’s Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership were recognized, Friday, for their efforts in hosting the Keller Army Community Hospital 2021 Leader Development Seminar (KLDS). The 3-day event was held at the USMA Library’s Haig Room. The goal of the KLDS is to equip Keller leaders with an education on the science of organizational leadership to enable them to bring clearer and more effective leadership to our hospital, ...our community, and the Army. From this training, I hope Keller leaders will apply their new knowledge within the hospital to improve organizational effectiveness, team cohesion, and leader development, said Col. Amy L. Jackson, Commander, Keller Army Community Hospital.

As we continue the recognition of Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, we want to explain what a ‘Medical Laboratory Technician’ is and does. Medical Lab Technicians work under the supervision of a medical technologist or physician to perform tests that help physicians diagnose and treat diseases. Medical lab technicians prepare samples for analysis, use equipment to locate microorganisms, monitor tests and procedures, analyze the chemical content of fluids, match blood for transfusions, and test for drug levels in the blood. Medical laboratory technicians often wear eye shields, gloves and other gear to prevent the spread of infection and to protect themselves from solutions and reagents used in testing.

Operation Immune Knight is concluding the Tier 1 vaccinations and is making preparations to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to the Tier 2 population of West Point. The Tier 2 population includes ALL eligible Department of Defense beneficiaries ages 16 and older. If you missed your opportunity to get the COVID-19 vaccinate during the previous Tier or you ‘opted-out’ of receiving the vaccination, you are now eligible to receive the vaccination during the Tier 2 sessions. Informat...ion on when and where we are administering the vaccine, and how to schedule appointments will be provided at the website below, and on various other West Point platforms, once we receive our vaccine allotment from the Department of Defense tentative early May. Operation Immune Knight is the West Point COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force’s plan to vaccinate the Greater West Point community. The task force includes members of the U.S. Military Academy, Garrison West Point, Keller Army Community Hospital, West Point Public Health, and several Red Cross and Mount St. Mary’s College volunteers. For up-to-date information on the COVID-19 vaccine availability and distribution, go to https://keller.tricare.mil//West-Poi/COVID-19-Vaccine-INFO.

Keller Army Community Hospital recognizes the 74th anniversary of the U.S. Army Medical Specialist Corps. The U.S. Army Medical Specialist Corps (AMSC) is made of four service corps: Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Dietitians, and Physician Assistants. The mission of the AMSC is to remain the cornerstone of medical and performance readiness; providing health promotion, human performance optimization, treatment & rehabilitation, injury control, and education to ...the Total Force, their Families and Soldiers For Life. The AMSC is the cornerstone of medical readiness, providing worldwide support and a deployable force through direct patient care, injury prevention, rehabilitation, healthy lifestyle promotion and education. Since World War I, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists (formerly known as reconstruction aides), and Dietitians have served the Army in a civilian capacity. On April 16, 1947 the Women’s Army Specialist Corps, comprised of officers from those three professions, was established by Public Law 80-36. The law was amended in 1955 to allow commissioning of males and the corps was renamed the Army Medical Specialist Corps. In 1992, Physician Assistants were converted from warrant to commissioned officers and added to the corps’ skill inventory. By providing direct medical care as independent practitioners and physician extenders, AMSC officers play a key role in ensuring military medical readiness both on and off the battlefield. AMSC officers have served in every major conflict and humanitarian mission since the corps inception. The AMSC operates nationally recognized education and training programs as well as innovative programs that focus on unit-level health and fitness promotion, disease and injury prevention and outcomes research. Around the world, when duty calls AMSC officers continue to provide first class health care to soldiers and their families, retirees, and beneficiaries. #ArmyMedicine #ArmyStrong Learn more on the history of this incredible field by visiting: https://amsc.amedd.army.mil/

April 11-17, 2021, is Occupational Health Nurses Week!!! The West Point Health Service Area is headquartered at Keller Army Community Hospital, West Point, N.Y., but also includes Occupational Health Clinics at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J.; Tobyhanna Army Depot, Penn.; and Natick Soldier Systems Center, Mass. In this picture, the Tobyhanna Occupational Health Nurses (from l-r) Ms. Sheila Opsasnick, RN; Ms. Christine Klimas, RN; and Ms. Debra Generose, RN take some time out of... their day to recognize OHN Week. Occupational Health Nurse (OHN) Week is a national observance to recognize and celebrate the occupational and environmental health nursing profession. While most people understand the function of a nurse in a clinical setting, not everyone is aware that there are thousands of OHNs who work in promoting and protecting the health of workers in the U.S. and around the globe. Through case management, coaching and health counseling, health promotion and wellness activities, legal and regulatory compliance, and workplace hazard detection and mitigation, occupational and environmental health nurses improve the health of employees and contribute to a healthy bottom line for businesses. Additionally, West Point Health Service Area OHNs are on the front lines of the COVID vaccination mission from checking-in recipients to preparing syringes to administering the vaccine. The week also commemorates the inception of the first and largest professional association for occupational and environmental health nurses: the AAOHN - American Association of Occupational Health Nurses. For more information on Occupational Health Nursing, go to https://www.aaohn.org/.

Keller Army Community Hospital’s civilian staff joined Col. Amy L. Jackson, Hospital Commander, for a team photo followed by a Civilian Oath Reaffirmation Ceremony. The civilian gathering was a continuation of the 25th Anniversary of the Army Medicine Civilian Corps ceremony on March 26, 2021. During the March 26th event, Col. Jackson and Command Sgt. Maj. Jan ‘Eddy Miller, provided remarks about the value of the Army Medicine civilian staff and the continuity they bring to the facility, and concluded the event with a cake cutting that included Ms. Diane Clouser, the second-most senior civilian at Keller. The March 26th event post can be found at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/

Are you wondering how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is making COVID-19 vaccine recommendations? CDC’s Dr. Cohn explains how the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, an independent group of experts, develops recommendations and advises CDC on the use of vaccines in our country and the process for making recommendations on COVID-19 vaccines.

Keller Army Community Hospital will be closed on the following dates due to federal designated holidays and by Executive Order of the President of the United States: Thursday, December 24, 2020 (by Executive Order of the President of the United States) recently added Friday, December 25, 2020 (Christmas Day) Friday, January 1, 2021 (New Year’s Day)... Monday, January 18, 2021 (Martin Luther King Birthday - observed) Services not available on those dates include: All clinical services, Surgery, Pharmacy, Radiology and Laboratory. The Emergency Room will be open 24 hours. If you have an emergency, please call 9-1-1. Keller Army Community Hospital wishes everyone a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season; and we THANK YOU for choosing Keller for your healthcare needs.

WE’RE JUST CHECKING...Are you one month (4 weeks) tobacco-free? If so, you are doing well and should be proud to post this image on your Facebook page and let people know. The holidays can be stressful, so continue to take steps to not smoke or use smokeless tobacco, and ask your family and friends to continue to encourage you to quit/stop smoking. ... Are you still struggling with quitting smoking/smokeless tobacco? Have you utilized the many services that are available to you? Keller Army Community Hospital’s primary care physicians are ready to assist you with a variety of medications designed to help you stop the use of nicotine products. If you are a KACH beneficiary, Chantix, Wellbutryn, and nicotine patches are available on our formulary. Call and schedule an appointment today to receive more details from your provider. Mologne Cadet Health Clinic and Center Personal Development doctors, nurses and staff are working hard to graduate ‘tobacco-free/addiction-free leaders of character.’ If you are a USMA Cadet or USMAPS student looking for smoking cessation assistance, you can make an appointment on-line through CIS or call Mologne (845-938-3003) or CPD front desk (845-938-3022). The Keller Army Community Hospital’s Substance Use Disorder Clinic Care (SUDCC) is open to Cadets, active duty service members and beneficiaries that are interested in seeking help independently. The SUDCC is located in building 656 and you can schedule an appointment by walking in Monday to Friday, 0800-1630, or calling (845) 938-7691. Additionally, the West Point community, USMA Cadets and USMAPS students can: (1) go to the Dept. of Defense site http://www.ucanquit2.org/, or (2) go to the New York State Smokers’ Quitline at http://www.nysmokefree.com/ or call 866-NY-QUITS.

Are you a GROUP A retired beneficiary? You’re in GROUP A if you or your sponsor’s initial enlistment or appointment or that of your uniformed services sponsor began before Jan. 1, 2018. If you’re a GROUP A retired beneficiary, you’ll pay a new monthly TRICARE Select enrollment fee to maintain your TRICARE Select coverage. This is for coverage starting on Jan. 1, 2021. Learn more about setting up payment for TRICARE Select Enrollment Fees by Dec. 31 at https://www.tricare.mil/selectenrollmentfees

WOULD YOU QUIT for your spouse/significant other???

Each day in the United States, more than 3,200 youth aged 18 years or younger smoke their first cigarette, and an additional 2,100 youth and young adults become daily cigarette smokers. If smoking continues at the current rate among youth in this country, 5.6 million of today’s Americans younger than 18 will die early from a smoking-related illness. That’s about 1 of every 13 Americans aged 17 years or younger alive today. Additionally, the factors from smoking will affect physical fitness, military eligibility and in the long run military readiness. CLICK THE LINK to learn about the risks of tobacco (smoke, smokeless, e-cigarettes, vaping) use by young adults, tools to help young adults quit and how to make a plan to quit.

DECEMBER 17, 2020 - 1000 UPDATE: West Point is CODE RED from Wednesday, December 16, 2020, at 1400, to Thursday, December 17, 2020, at 1700. Keller Army Community Hospital will be CLOSED during the CODE RED period with the exception of the Emergency Dept. If you have an emergency, call 9-1-1. All ‘in-hospital’ outpatient appointments during the CODE RED period are cancelled, but the respective clinics are working to either schedule/provide a virtual health appointme...nt or re-schedule. If you have not been contacted within 24 hours of the CODE RED, contact the Appointment Center or your respective clinic. The Keller Appointment Center can be reached at (845) 938-7992 or (800) 552-2907. Beneficiaries scheduled for surgery, during the CODE RED, should contact the Keller Front Desk, at (845) 938-5169, to verify their scheduled procedure. For updated West Point weather/road conditions, call the West Point Garrison Operations’ Inclement Weather line at 845-938-7000 or go to the West Point Garrison and Community Facebook page before making the drive. Your health and safety is our #1 concern. Please use caution, when driving, at all times.

Sgt.(P) Jason Lefebvre, Non-Commissioned Officer-in-Charge, Post Anesthesia Care Unit, Keller Army Community Hospital, was promoted to the rank of ‘Staff Sergeant’ during a Friday afternoon ceremony at the Keller Helipad.

Keller Army Community Hospital recognizes the 76th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the "Ardennes Counteroffensive," was a major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II, and took place from 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945. It was launched through the densely forested Ardennes region of Wallonia in eastern Belgium, northeast France, and Luxembourg, towards the end of the war in Europe. This great battle showed the courage of the American Soldier against hardship and they overcame enormous odds to defeat tyranny for freedom.

THE KELLER SPOTLIGHT: Keller Army Community Hospital would like to welcome Lt. Col. Brandi N. Hicks, M.D. To schedule an appointment with LTC Hicks or Radiology: See your Primary Care Provider for an appointment.... Call the Radiology Department at (845) 938-4840 to make an appointment. We THANK YOU for putting your trust in Army Medicine and Keller Army Community Hospitalwhere Army Medicine is Army Strong!!!

TRICARE Open Season is the annual period when you can enroll in or change your health care coverage for the next year. This year, TRICARE Open Season begins Nov. 9 and ends Dec. 14. Any enrollment changes you make will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2021. Open season applies to anyone enrolled in or eligible for a TRICARE Prime option or TRICARE Select. If you’re eligible to participate in TRICARE Open Season, you have three options: ... Stay in your plan. Enroll in a plan. Change plans. For more information on TRICARE Open Season, go to https://tricare.mil/openseason20.

Maj. Paul Ziegler III, Deputy Chief, Dept. of Public Health, West Point Health Service Area, show his #PrideInThePatch during a Keller Army Community Hospital Strategic Offsite in West Point, N.Y. Maj. Ziegler has played an integral role in West Point’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, he is the lead coordinator of the West Point Influenza Vaccine Drive. I am proud to wear ‘the patch’ because working in Army Medicine, and specifically in Public Health, has a...llowed me to take care of the entire Army Family including Soldiers, Civilians, Retirees, and military beneficiaries, said Ziegler. From facility inspections to flu vaccine drives to the COVID-19 pandemic response, my priority (in my current position) has always been the care and health of the Greater West Point Community. Army Medicine is Army Strongand I am Army Medicine Proud!!!

Keller Army Community Hospital Command and staff recognized the service to Army Medicine of and bid farewell to Ms. Cynthia Chapman, the Joint Commission/PI Coordinator in the Quality Dept., during a Thursday afternoon ceremony.

CONGRATULATIONS to Spc. Varden Vu on his induction into the U.S. Army Medical Department Regiment, and graduation from Physical Therapy Specialist 68F1O (Phase II) Class 010-20. The Physical Therapy Program is a consolidated program with three military services that has a two stage, field-of-study schedule. Formal didactic training is conducted within Medical Education & Training Campus’ facilities, Fort Sam Houston, and then hands-on clinical training is conducted at militar...y and/or civilian medical treatment facilities. Spc. Vu successfully completed ‘Phase I of Advanced Individual Training’ at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, as a Physical Therapy Specialist. Physical Therapy Specialist are allied health professionals who assist the Physical Therapist in treating patients of all age, specifically focused on the diagnostic and interventional treatment of patients with musculoskeletal, neurological, and certain general medical disorders under the care of the Physical Therapist.

Tobacco use, including smokeless tobacco, harms nearly every organ of the body, causing many diseases and affecting the health of tobacco users in general. Quitting has immediate as well as long-term benefits for you and your loved ones. The doctors, nurses and staff at Keller Army Community Hospital, Mologne Cadet Health Clinic and Center for Personal Development understand the mental and physical part of tobacco/nicotine addiction, and are ready to assist you. Keller Army ...Community Hospital’s primary care physicians are ready to assist you with a variety of medications designed to help you stop the use of nicotine products. Chantix, Wellbutryn, and nicotine patches are available on our formulary. Call and schedule an appointment today to receive more details from your provider. The appointment line numbers are 845-938-7992 or 800-552-2907. Mologne Cadet Health Clinic and Center Personal Development doctors, nurses and staff are working hard to graduate ‘tobacco-free/addiction-free leaders of character.’ If you are a USMA Cadet or USMAPS student looking for smoking cessation assistance, you can make an appointment on-line through CIS or call Mologne (845-938-3003) or CPD front desk (845-938-3022). The Keller Army Community Hospital’s Substance Use Disorder Clinic Care (SUDCC) is open to Cadets, active duty service members and beneficiaries that are interested in seeking help independently. The SUDCC is located in building 656 and you can schedule an appointment by walking in Monday to Friday, 0800-1630, or calling (845) 938-7691. Additionally, the West Point community, USMA Cadets and USMAPS students can: (1) go to the Dept. of Defense site http://www.ucanquit2.org/, or (2) go to the New York State Smokers’ Quitline at http://www.nysmokefree.com/ or call 866-NY-QUITS.

Spc.(P) Trey Madison, a Healthcare Specialist in General Surgery at Keller Army Community Hospital, was promoted to the rank of ‘Sergeant’ during a Wednesday afternoon ceremony in front of Keller Command and staff.

Keller Army Community Hospital will kick off its Winter Preparation & Cold Weather Injury Prevention campaign by focusing on causes, symptoms, prevention and treatment of cold weather injuries. GO TO https://phc.amedd.army.mil//Cold-Weather-Casualties-and-In to learn more about cold weather injuries: the cause, the symptoms, prevention and treatment. #BePrepared4Winter

Keller Army Community Hospital recognizes November as Drowsy Driving Awareness Month. Statistics say drowsy-driving has caused more than 800 deaths in 2019, but determining a precise number of drowsy-driving crashes, injuries, and fatalities is not yet possible. Crash investigators can look for clues that drowsiness contributed to a crash, but these clues are not always identifiable or conclusive. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) census of fatal cra...shes and estimate of traffic-related crashes and injuries rely on police and hospital reports to determine the incidence of drowsy-driving crashes. NHTSA estimates that in 2017, 91,000 police-reported crashes involved drowsy drivers. These crashes led to an estimated 50,000 people injured and nearly 800 deaths. Keller will provide information on ‘drowsy driving’ every Tuesday afternoon throughout November because travel increases during the holiday season and, with COVID-19 precautions steering people away from air/train travel, there may be more people on the road attempting to complete long-range travel.

Several Keller Army Community Hospital Soldiers were awarded and recognized, Monday, for their meritorious service and/or going above-and-beyond for the Greater West Point Community and the U.S. Military Academy. This award ceremony was held at Keller Army Community Hospital’s Dining Facility. All recipients are pictured with Col. Amy L. Jackson, Commander, Keller Army Community Hospital; and Master Sgt. Ian Shaughnessey, Non-Commissioned Officer-in-Charge of Keller PTM&S (standing in for the Command Sergeant Major).