What does Army Public Health do for you?

The phrase “Public Health” seems like an easy concept to understand on the surface but with April being National Public Health Month, Bassett Army Community Hospital is working to ensure beneficiaries know exactly what that means for the Army community.
The Preventive Medicine Department at BACH is comprised of several specialty areas. All of these specialty areas work together to ensure that Fort Wainwright, as well as the Fort Richardson Troop Medical Clinic and Fort Greeley have the tools and knowledge needed to operate efficiently and safely while promoting improved health and prevention of health issues for Soldiers and civilians.
These specialty areas include Arctic Health Link, Environmental Health, Industrial Health Services, the Occupational Health Clinic and Public Nursing.
Arctic Health Link’s mission is to educate the public and promote healthy behaviors. This is accomplished through classes offered on many varied topics such as Tobacco Use Cessation, Cholesterol reduction, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Asthma and allergies. Classes can also be tailored to meet the educational needs of special populations.
Environmental Health monitors and inspects all of the food service, childcare, recreational and other food locations on post to include unit and personnel events. They assist the cooks, servers, and managers to ensure a safe and clean work environment. They also inspect drinking water quality, bug and rodent infestations for all of post as well as regulated medical and hazardous waste removal for BACH.
Industrial Health Services evaluates workplaces on Fort Wainwright for potential health hazards such as hazardous noise levels and exposure to chemicals. They recommend the most appropriate measures to protect employees in these areas including gloves, hearing protection, respirators, and ventilation systems. Industrial Hygiene works with Occupational Health to record exposures into employee medical records when necessary and to make sure they are receiving the proper medical exams for their job risks.
The Occupational Health Clinic performs initial health assessments as well as all periodic and required assessments for civilian employees. They screen and follow up with Soldiers, Retirees, family members and civilians who may have work-related health issues, injuries or exposures.
Public Health Nursing manages the Tuberculosis, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and communicable diseases programs and serves as health consultant for Child Youth and School Services. They are responsible for tracking animal bites, outbreaks and reportable medical conditions. Public Health Nursing is also involved in multiple community health education programs.
Public health in the Army plays an important role in caring for Soldiers, Retirees, their families and even civilian employees. Most of the work is behind the scenes so the services often go
unnoticed. However, the Army Public Health and Preventive Medicine Department here at BACH is working hard to keep everyone Army Strong.
For more information on Bassett Public Health Services at BACH call 361-5182.