92nd MDG re-designates squadrons

The 92nd Medical Group initiated the first phase of its re-designation program July 19, 2019, by hosting a ceremony renaming the 92nd Aerospace Medical Squadron to the 92nd Operational Medical Readiness Squadron and the 92nd Medical Operations Squadron to the 92nd Health Care Operations Squadron.

The re-designation is a two-phase program to increase mission readiness and ensure high quality health care by designating the two squadrons to care for service members and beneficiaries separately.

“The purpose of the medical re-designation is to better focus our resources to promote readiness and ensure our retirees and beneficiaries receive their health care benefits,” said Lt. Col. Michael McCarthy, 92nd HCOS commander. “We will have the 92nd OMRS assigned to active duty members, allowing us to focus on any readiness issues, and the 92nd HCOS to focus on beneficiary care.”

The second phase of the program will involve re-aligning caregivers within the new squadrons, alongside the mission they are closely involved with. Caregivers who service active duty deployments will be aligned with the readiness mission, while caregivers engaged with more beneficiary care will be assigned to the care of dependents and retirees.

“The medical staff as a whole won’t change a great deal, but some of our caregivers will move more into an active duty empanelment while others will have active duty members removed from theirs,” McCarthy said. “They will still provide care in the same place and provide the same quality of care with the only change being the patients they see.”

The second phase of realignment is currently not in place, but Air Force Headquarters will later decide a specific timeline for the program to continue.

“The vision of this program is to increase mission readiness by gathering every caregiver associated with medical readiness and putting them into the same squadron,” said Lt. Col. Heather Nelson, 92nd MDG commander. “Our goal is to maximize the continuous medical readiness of Team Fairchild and continue to provide the high quality health care that is delivered to all of our beneficiaries.”

Even though squadron names have changed, the priority for Team Fairchild’s 92nd MDG is to provide high-quality care for Airmen and their families while ensuring the success of the Rapid Global Mobility mission remains the same.

“I am very excited for the future of the 92nd MDG,” Nelson added. “Our Airmen are truly amazing medical professionals. I know they will embrace these changes and continue to provide world class medical support to Team Fairchild.”