National Public Health Week aims to recognize, inform personnel

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Hailey R. Staker
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  During the first full week of April, National Public Health Week aims to recognize the contributions organizations make toward building healthy communities and highlight issues important to improving national health.

Ellsworth personnel recognize this week in many ways, such as teaching children how to properly wash their hands at the Child Development and Youth Centers, and inspecting various establishments on base monthly.

"The purpose of public health is to break the chain of infection as far as diseases and to educate people on a disease, how to protect themselves against it, and of its signs and symptoms," said Tech. Sgt. Shannon Thomas, 28th Medical Operations Squadron Public Health flight chief. "In the South Dakota area, we have West Nile Virus, so we inform the base population of mosquito locations and how to avoid exposure, such as not being outside between dusk and dawn, wearing long sleeves and using [bug] repellent on exposed skin."

When people hear public health, they may associate it with walk-in clinics and sexually transmitted disease protection. However, there are more facets involved in a military public health clinic.

"We medically clear deployers, and give them a medical intelligence briefing to inform them how to protect themselves while deployed, and provide monthly food and public facility inspections, like the gym and child care centers," Thomas said.

One of the on-base facilities clinic personnel inspect is the Commissary. During their inspection, they ensure the warehouse isn't storing food on the ground, that perishable items are not expired, and that produce, such as fruits and vegetables, are not moldy or wilted.

"The food trucks that come on base must also be approved by us first," Thomas added. "We have to make sure they're getting their food from an approved source, that they aren't cooking their food at their homes before bringing it onto base, and that they have a fully compliant facility prior to serving food on Ellsworth."