JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
The Israeli Air Force Surgeon General, Col. Yifat Erlich-Shoham, MD, visited the 59th Medical Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Oct. 23-24.
During her visit, Col. Erlich-Shoham toured multiple medical training facilities, to include deployment readiness sites, JBSA-Camp Bullis and JBSA-Camp Bramble.
JBSA-Camp Bullis provides base operations support and training support to Joint Base San Antonio mission partners in order to sustain their operational and institutional training requirements. JBSA-Camp Bramble, the 59th Medical Wing’s emergency readiness training site, serves as a mock-deployment location for medical personnel.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the 59th Medical Wing to show its relevance, not only within the American Department of Defense, but in developing relationships with great partners such as the Israeli Air Force,” said Col Mark Ervin, Chief of Operational Medicine, 59th Medical Wing. “This visit will be one of the first steps in an enduring partnership with our mutual desire to save the lives of as many casualties as possible through the use of quality healthcare, innovative thought and realistic, effective medical training.”
The collaboration between the two countries also involves a program that allows officers to serve in exchange fellowships at partner research organizations, to include the U.S. Battlefield Health and Trauma Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. In addition, Israeli Defense Force and U.S. Air Force experts have co-authored multiple peer-reviewed journal articles on their work and findings in cutting-edge medicine.
The 59th Medical Wing, located at JBSA-Lackland, is the Air Force's premier healthcare, medical education and research, and readiness wing. The organization prides itself in finding new ways to enhance the patient experience through process improvement and innovation. With various treatment facilities throughout the city, the 59th MDW provides a full spectrum of health care services to more than 240,000 beneficiaries in the San Antonio metropolitan area.