ALCOAST 126/08 COMDTNOTE 1650 SUBJ: 2007 HEALTH SERVICES AWARDS A. CG MEDALS AND AWARDS MANUAL, COMDTINST M1650.25 (SERIES) 1. APPLICATIONS FOR COAST GUARD HEALTH SERVICES TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR - CLINIC AWARD (HS), INDEPENDENT DUTY HEALTH SERVICES TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR (IDHS), AND HEALTH CARE FACILITY (HCF) OF THE YEAR (OTY) AWARDS FOR 2007 ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED. UNITS SUPPORTING ANY OF THE ABOVE MAY REVIEW AND FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES SET FORTH BELOW TO NOMINATE THEIR PERSONNEL IN THE RESPECTIVE CATEGORIES. BELOW ARE CHANGES THAT WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO CHAPTER 6 OF REF A AND ARE REQUIRED TO BE FOLLOWED FOR THIS YEARS NOMINATION. 2. THERE ARE TWO HEALTH SERVICE TECHNICIAN AWARDS: THE ANNUAL INDEPENDENT DUTY HEALTH SERVICES TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD (ASHORE OR AFLOAT) AND THE HEALTH SERVICES TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR - CLINIC AWARD ARE INTENDED TO RECOGNIZE SUSTAINED OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE AND CONTRIBUTION IN DIRECT PATIENT CARE FOR THE PREVIOUS CALENDER YEAR (1 JANUARY TO 31 DECEMBER). THE FOLLOWING FACTORS WILL BE CONSIDERED: SICK CALL, MEDEVACS/URGENT CARE, SUPPLY, ANCILLARY SERVICES, PATIENT EDUCATION, TRICARE ASSISTANCE, PUBLIC RELATIONS, QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS, MEDICAL READINESS OF THEIR UNITS AND COLLATERAL DUTIES. A. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THESE AWARDS, INDIVIDUALS MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM CRITERIA: (1) BE A MEMBER OF THE COAST GUARD (ACTIVE OR RESERVE), A HEALTH SERVICES TECHNICIAN IN PAY GRADE E-7 OR BELOW ASHORE OR E-8 OR BELOW IF ASSIGNED TO INDEPENDENT DUTY AFLOAT, (2) BE INVOLVED IN PATIENT CARE FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE PERIOD, AND (3) BE AN EXEMPLARY HEALTH SERVICES TECHNICIAN. B. RECOMMENDATIONS. COMMANDING OFFICERS RECOMMENDING INDIVIDUALS FOR THESE AWARDS MUST SUBMIT A NOMINATION MEMO TO THEIR RESPECTIVE MLC (K). MLC (K) WILL THEN FORWARD THEIR TOP TWO RATED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EACH CATEGORY TO COMMANDANT (CG-1121), TO ARRIVE NOT LATER THAN 5 MAY. THE MEMO MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: (1) A NARRATIVE ACCOUNT OF THE INDIVIDUALS ACHIEVEMENTS THAT DESERVE RECOGNITION ABOVE ALL OTHER HEALTH SERVICES TECHNICIANS ACHIEVEMENTS, (2) A COPY OF THE INDIVIDUALS PERFORMANCE EVALUATION(S) FOR THE YEAR. (3) ATTEST THE MEMBER HAS NO PENDING UNIFORMED CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE (UCMJ) ACTION. 3. HEALTH CARE FACILITY OF THE YEAR AWARD: THE HEALTH CARE FACILITY OF THE YEAR AWARD IS PRESENTED ANNUALLY TO RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE AND CONTRIBUTION BY A COAST GUARD HEALTH CARE FACILITY DURING THE PREVIOUS CALENDER YEAR. A. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. THE FOLLOWING FACTORS WILL BE CONSIDERED: (1) PATIENT CARE. PROVIDED THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT AND TYPE OF HEALTH CARE POSSIBLE BASED UPON THE TYPE OF FACILITY AND THE AVAILABLE RESOURCES AND STAFFING. THIS INCLUDES, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, INPATIENT CARE, PHARMACY SUPPORT AND PRESCRIPTIONS FILLED, PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS, SICK CALL, PHYSICAL THERAPY, TRICARE ADVICE, IMMUNIZATIONS, LABORATORY, AND X-RAY SERVICES. ALSO CONSIDERED WILL BE THE NUMBER OF DAYS CLINIC STAFF SPENT TAD IN SUPPORT OF COAST GUARD OPERATIONS. (2) URGENT CARE. RESPONDING TO REQUESTS FOR URGENT HEALTH CARE, SUCH AS PROVIDING HEALTH SERVICES PERSONNEL FOR MEDEVAC FLIGHTS, RESPONDING TO CALLS OR RADIO REQUESTS FOR MEDICAL ADVICE, AND PROVIDING AMBULANCE TRANSPORT SERVICES IF CAPABILITIES EXISTED. (3) OCCUPATIONAL MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE AND EVALUATION (OMSEP). PROVIDE HEALTH CARE SUPPORT TO OMSEP, SUCH AS PERFORMING PHYSICALS, CONDUCTING TRAINING IN VARIOUS ASPECTS OF OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE HAZARDS AND THEIR PREVENTION, AND CONDUCTED THE HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM AND OMSEP COMPLIANCE DATA. (4) PATIENT EDUCATION. PROVIDED TRAINING AND EDUCATION TO BENEFICIARIES THUS ENABLING THEM TO BECOME MORE INFORMED HEALTH CARE CONSUMERS. THIS COULD BE EITHER GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL TRAINING AND COULD VARY IN SCOPE FROM TEACHING A CHILD HOW TO COPE WITH HIS OR HER DIABETES TO INFORMING LARGE GROUPS ON THE HAZARDS OF SMOKING. THIS EDUCATION COULD HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BY ANY APPROPRIATE TRAINING METHODOLOGY. (5) UNIT/COMMUNITY AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS. PROVIDED SUPPORT TO ACTIVITIES WHICH BENEFIT THE UNIT/COMMUNITY SUCH AS HEALTH FAIRS, SCOUT PHYSICALS, SCHOOL PHYSICALS, PROVIDING ARTICLES FAIRS, SCOUT PHYSICALS, SCHOOL PHYSICALS, PROVIDING ARTICLES DEALING WITH SERVICES AVAILABLE AT THE FACILITY, OR HEALTH CARE RELATED TOPICS FOR UNIT/COMMUNITY PAPER. CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN FOR THE CLINICS ROLE IN MAINTAINING THE MORALE AND WELFARE OF ALL BENEFICIARIES AND NOT JUST THE ACTIVE DUTY POPULATION. (6) COST CONTAINMENT. SOUGHT WAYS TO CONTROL HEALTH CARE COST WITHOUT REDUCING SERVICES. DESIGNING INVENTORY AND SUPPLY PROCEDURES THAT WILL ENSURE THAT DRUGS AND SUPPLIES WERE PROCURED BY THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE METHOD AND USED BY THEIR EXPIRATION DATE. BEING AWARE OF THE VARIOUS SOURCES OF HEALTH CARE IN THE COMMUNITY AND USING ONLY THOSE THAT WERE REASONABLY PRICED AND OF ACCEPTABLE QUALITY. ENSURED THAT HEALTH CARE TESTS AND X-RAYS WERE PERFORMED FOR APPROPRIATE CLINICAL REASONS. (7) QUALITY IMPROVEMENT. SUPPORTED AND CARRIED OUT QUALITY IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES INCLUDING QUALITY IMPROVEMENT STUDIES AND PERFORMANCE ON THE OPERATIONAL HEALTH READINESS SURVEYS AND AAAHC ACCREDITATION SURVEYS. (8) CLINIC READINESS DATA FOR THE UNIT AND UNITS WITHIN THE CLINICS AOR. EFFORTS SHOWING IMPROVED RESERVE READINESS WILL BE NOTED. THIS DATA SHOULD INCLUDE NUMBER OF PATIENTS ENROLLED TO THE CLINIC, NUMBER OF MEMBERS IN THE CLINICS AOR, AND THE TOTAL MEDICAL READINESS FOR BOTH POPULATIONS. B. RECOMMENDATIONS. COMMANDING OFFICERS RECOMMENDING THEIR HEALTH CARE FACILITY FOR THIS AWARD MUST SUBMIT A NOMINATION MEMO, NOT TO EXCEED FOUR PAGES, TO THEIR RESPECTIVE MLC (K). MLC (K) WILL THEN FORWARD THEIR TOP TWO RATED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EACH CATEGORY TO COMMANDANT (CG-1121), TO ARRIVE NO LATER THAN 5 MAY. THE MEMO MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: (1) AN ACCOUNT OF THE HEALTH CARE FACILITY ACHIEVEMENTS THAT DESERVE RECOGNITION ABOVE ALL OTHER HEALTH CARE FACILITIES, (2) A COPY OF THE UNITS RESULTS FROM THEIR RECENT MLC AND AAAHC SURVEYS. (3) COPIES OF ANY UNIT/COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES OR LETTERS FROM BENEFICIARIES THAT DESCRIBE COMMENDATORY ACTION BY THE FACILITY. 4. PRESENTATION. THE DIRECTOR OF HEALTH, SAFETY AND WORKLIFE WILL CONVENE A BOARD AND REVIEW ALL RECOMMENDATIONS AND SELECT THE MOST DESERVING IN ALL CATEGORIES BY 15 MAY AND WILL COORDINATE THE PRESENTATION OF THE AWARD WITH THE AWARDEES. 5. SELECTEES CHOSEN FOR THE HS AND IDHS OTY WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY NOMINATED FOR THE LEWIS SEAMAN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING OPERATIONAL SUPPORT. THIS IS AN ANNUAL AWARD FOR ENLISTED PERSONNEL PRESENTED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF MILITARY SURGEONS OF THE UNITED STATES (AMSUS). 6. CG-1121 POC IS HSCM K.T. WATSON (202) 475-5174 OR KIRK.T.WATSON (AT)USCG.MIL. 7. RADM MARK TEDESCO, DIRECTOR HEALTH, SAFETY AND WORKLIFE, SENDS. 8. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.