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ADVISOR system medical lifeline for operational forces
December 3, 2018 — The Advanced Virtual Support for Operational Forces system, or ADVISOR, coordinated through the Army Virtual Medical Center at Brooke Army Medical Center, provides 24/7/365 on-demand telephone consultations with on-call specialty providers during emergencies... MORE

A Soldier uses the Advanced Virtual Support for Operational Forces system, or ADVISOR, during the Army Best Medic Competition held in September at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis.

Commentary: Military traditions instill pride, connection with past
November 30, 2018 — I’ve seen more than my share of military traditions over the past 20 years. Countless times, I’ve sung service songs, watched the Honor Guard place the colors, and stood at attention during Reveille and Retreat. While I’ve always admired the dignity and honor of these traditions, they became somewhat routine over the years. I didn’t truly appreciate their purpose until my father passed away. ... MORE

Brooke Army Medical Center staff practice the rendering of flag honors for fallen heroes in July 2018. No matter the branch, war or length of service, BAMC salutes every veteran and first responder who dies in the hospital with a flag ceremony by an Honor Guard.

Sutherland Springs remembered one year later
November 21, 2018 — Brooke Army Medical Center held two ceremonies to honor the victims of a mass shooting that took place in a small rural community near San Antonio and the staff members who treated them... MORE

Brooke Army Medical Center staff members sign a banner of support for Clear Lake Regional Medical Center in Webster, Texas, as part of the commemoration ceremony Nov. 5, the one-year anniversary of the Sutherland Springs shooting. Clear Lake Regional Medical Center received eight patients – all students – in the wake of the Santa Fe High School Shooting last May. BAMC wanted to “pay it forward” to another hospital that cared for victims after a mass shooting. After the Sutherland Springs shooting, BAMC received a banner from Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas as a demonstration of support and appreciation for our staff. Sunrise Hospital received nearly 200 victims after the Vegas shooting.

Veterans honored during Brooke Army Medical Center ceremony
November 9, 2018 — Brooke Army Medical Center held its 3rd annual Veterans Day Celebration Nov. 2 featuring patriotic music, performances by a local high school marching band and drill team, a health fair and lunch... MORE

Retired Master Sgt. Walter Taylor, a former Brooke Army Medical Center Warrior Transition Battalion Soldier, was the guest speaker during the 3rd annual Veterans Day Celebration at BAMC Nov. 2. The former combat engineer was seriously injured in Afghanistan in 2011 when he was struck in the face by a rocket-propelled grenade. As he healed, he continued to serve his fellow veterans and their families within the WTB in uniform and as a civilian.

Brooke Army Medical Center achieves ‘Most Wired’ title for seventh consecutive year
November 9, 2018 — For the seventh consecutive year, Brooke Army Medical Center has been named one of the nation’s “Most Wired” medical facilities for its innovative use of health information technology by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives, or CHIME... MORE

Gina Brown uses to wireless hands-free integrated communications system contact another staff member Nov. 1. The Brooke Army Medical Center Information Management Division at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston implemented the WHICS last October, but the system was fully employed Oct. 5 to allow alarms from patient monitors to automatically contact the appropriate personnel through the device.

BAMC maintains long-standing accreditation from Commission on Cancer
November 7, 2018 — Brooke Army Medical Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston maintains multiple accreditations in an effort to ensure patients receive the safe, high-quality care they deserve. One of the longest-standing accreditations, more than 68 years, is from the Commission on Cancer, or CoC, a program of the American College of Surgeons... MORE

Air Force Capt. (Dr.) Lauren Lee examines Faunia Rodriguez at the Brooke Army Medical Center Hematology/Oncology Clinic Nov. 6.

Military beneficiaries receive information, health screenings during BAMC Retiree Appreciation Day
October 24, 2018 — More than 4,700 military retirees, retiring service members and family members received useful information about programs and benefits as well as important health information and screenings during the Joint Base San Antonio and Brooke Army Medical Center Military Retiree Appreciation Day Oct. 20 in the hospital’s Medical Mall... MORE

A Brooke Army Medical Center staff member tests the grip strength of an attendee during the Joint Base San Antonio and Brooke Army Medical Center Military Retiree Appreciation Day Oct. 20 in the hospital’s Medical Mall.

Brooke Army Medical Center tests emergency capabilities during city-wide exercise
October 16, 2018 — The scenario for this exercise was mass shooting involving explosives at Freeman Coliseum in downtown San Antonio. At BAMC, an additional scenario involving a tanker truck containing a chemical agent colliding with a bus carrying patients, was added to test the hospital’s ability to decontaminate patients before treatment... MORE

Steven Burton (right), emergency manager, briefs members of the Emergency Operations Center during the 2018 San Antonio Mass Casualty Exercise and Evaluation at Brooke Army Medical Center Oct. 11. The exercise simulated an active shooter scenario to test the capabilities of hospitals and emergency responders in the San Antonio area.

Flu shots available at WHASC, BAMC
October 15, 2018 — Flu shots available at WHASC, BAMC... MORE

Brooke Army Medical Center’s Ward 6T seeks dog teams
October 10, 2018 — Ward 6T of the Behavioral Health Department at Brooke Army Medical Center is looking for qualified and dynamic dog teams to aid in the department’s healthcare mission... MORE

Ward 6T of the Behavioral Health Department at Brooke Army Medical Center is looking for qualified and dynamic dog teams to aid in the department’s healthcare mission. Interested owners/teams should contact BAMC’s Ward 6T at 210-916-1085 to set up an in-person interview.

JBSA-Fort Sam Houston Town Hall Sept. 13 addresses lead paint in housing areas
September 14, 2018 — Residents at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston learned about the steps the military is taking to address the issue of lead exposure hazards at military housing units across the nation at a Town Hall Sept. 13 at the Military & Family Readiness Center... MORE

Brooke Army Medical Center earns The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval
September 13, 2018 — Brooke Army Medical Center has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. This accreditation is a reflection of the organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care... MORE

Sgt. Anthony Dimaio, noncommissioned officer in charge of Neuro Surgical Intensive Care unit, prepares to clean a pair of surgical scissors with a point of use kit Sept. 12 at Brooke Army Medical Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston. The kit is used to remove gross debris from instruments at patient bedside before being sent for sterilization. The pre-packaged kit saves the hospital roughly $300,000 to $500,000 annually.

Living legacy: 100-year-old Army nurse speaks to BAMC nursing students
August 22, 2018 — A class of nursing students at Brooke Army Medical Center had a special visit from a World War II Army nurse Aug. 7 as part of their training... MORE

A class of nursing students at Brooke Army Medical Center at Joint-Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston had a special visit from a World War II Army nurse Aug. 7. The 100-year-old Army nurse spoke to the students about her experiences and answered questions. Sheets was stationed at Brooke General Hospital at Fort Sam Houston and also worked there as a civilian nurse for many year before retiring.

Youth volunteers spend summer at BAMC
August 14, 2018 — The Brooke Army Medical Center Youth Volunteer Program kept 100 volunteers busy this summer, resulting in this year being the largest group so far. Each year, BAMC partners with the American Red Cross for this unique program, which spread volunteer opportunities across 18 departments in BAMC including the outlying clinics. ... MORE

Maleigha Boudy, answers phone calls at the front desk in Ante-Partum Aug. 1. Boudy participated in the 2018 Youth Volunteer Program at Brooke Army Medical Center.

BAMC receives accreditation as CenteringPregnancy site
August 6, 2018 — Brooke Army Medical Center is now accredited by the Centering Healthcare Institute as a CenteringPregnancy site. According to the Centering Healthcare Institute website, CenteringPregnancy decreases the rate of preterm and low weight babies, increases breastfeeding rates, and leads to better pregnancy spacing... MORE

Agnieszka Chauviere holds her daughter Emilia Jennifer. Chauviere decided to join the CenteringPregnancy group because she was new to the military family and to San Antonio.

BAMC residents participate in Joint Emergency Medical Exercise
July 25, 2018 — Physicians from the Emergency Medicine Residency programs at Brooke Army Medical Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston and Naval Medical Center Portsmouth participated in the 2018 Joint Emergency Medical Exercise, or JEMX, in mid-June... MORE

An emergency medicine doctor accompanies a casualty role player as they arrive at the triage location during the mass casualty portion of 2018 Joint Emergency Medical Exercise in mid-June.

BAMC pharmacies offer options for patient convenience
July 6, 2018 — The Brooke Army Medical Center Pharmacy Department offers several services to enhance the patient experience, implementing some new features to improve services and provide solutions to keep patients informed about their prescriptions... MORE

Genie Hernandez, Brooke Army Medical Center pharmacy technician, ensures every prescription pill is accounted for at the BAMC Main Pharmacy July 6. The Brooke Army Medical Center Pharmacy Department offers several services to enhance the patient experience, implementing some new features to improve services and provide solutions to keep patients informed about their prescriptions.

This HIV screening starts in the privacy of your own home
July 5, 2018 — The Air Force has developed a self-collection blood kit to encourage its active-duty members with a higher risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus to test for infection more frequently than what’s mandated by the military. The kits enable users to be proactive about their own health and potentially prevent the spread of HIV, which can lead to many health complications, including AIDS... MORE

The Air Force offers self-collection kits that include instructions, supplies to obtain a finger-prick blood sample, and a prepaid envelope to mail the sample to a lab for HIV testing.

JBSA Navy Medicine commands host Navy STEM externship visit
July 3, 2018 — San Antonio area Navy Medicine commands hosted 26 middle and high school guidance counselors, and high school chemistry and health professions educators June 27 at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston as part of a summer externship focused on high school student career preparation and exploration... MORE

Lt. Cmdr. Kirby Jahnke, Navy Medicine Training Support Center, shows medical instruments to a tour group of San Antonio middle and high school guidance counselors June 27. The tour provided educators and counselors with a general overview of the Navy, to raise awareness of Navy career opportunities through a tour of the medical training campus.

Naval Medical Research Unit-San Antonio hosts Alamo STEM educators visit to Navy Research Lab
July 2, 2018 — Scientists at the Naval Medical Research Unit-San Antonio at the San Antonio Military Medical Center campus at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston hosted 10 high school chemistry and health professions educators for a laboratory tour and “meet the scientists” career path discussion June 27... MORE

High school chemistry and health professions educators from the Alamo STEM Workforce Coalition program visited with scientists at Naval Medical Research Unit-San Antonio to learn about research career paths in Navy Medicine for their students.