Nurse Technician week proclamation signing

Published May 5, 2014
51st Fighter Wing Medical Group

OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Col. Rawson L. Wood, 51st Medical Group commander, signed a proclamation on May 2, which declared May 12 to 16 Nurse and Medical Technician Appreciation Week at Osan Air Base. The theme for this event is "Nurses and Technicians Leading the Way!" Captain Leonard McNeely, Flight Commander, Multiservice Nursing Unit has orchestrated the week's events and has rallied 38 volunteers to roll-out a memorable week of events.

According to the American Nurses Association, this year's theme for National Nurses Week is: "Nurses Lead the Way." Members of the 51st Medical Group, which includes 30 military, civilian and contract nurses, and 50 medical technicians will kick-off Nurse and Technician Appreciation Week on May 12 with a special ceremony and will culminate the celebration on 16 May at the Medical Group picnic.

The mission of the Mustang Medics is unique and differs from a traditional Military Treatment Facility. Its members support the 51st Fighter Wing's mission of "being ready to fight tonight" by managing the health and well-being of approximately 15,000 enrollees.

With such a key mission, it is important to highlight the caregivers and their accomplishments. The 51st Medical Group Chief Nurse, Lt. Col. Paul Miller has heralded the critical role medical technicians and nurses play in providing patient-centered medical care and expanded the integral medical team relationship throughout the patient care continuum.

"The nurses and medical technicians of the 51st Medical Group are top-notch, skilled professionals always striving to improve the quality of care and develop innovations to benefit our beneficiaries," Miller said. "I am truly proud of all [of them] and am honored to serve with them."

According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, the inspiration for National Nurses Week highlights the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, which is celebrated on May 12. The history of the nursing profession dates back to the 1850s when Florence Nightingale served as a nurse in the Crimean War. During this time, Nightingale assessed the need for scrutiny of unsanitary conditions in hospitals. Her work with the sanitary commission directly led to reduced death rates among the soldiers. Some of her accomplishments include, but are not limited to: health care reforms improving all sections of British society, the improvement of health care delivery, improved hunger relief in India and the expansion of acceptable forms of female participation in the workforce.

This week-long celebration raises awareness of the value of nursing and helps educate the public about the role nurses and technicians play in meeting the health care needs of the American people. Airmen are encouraged to thank their nurses and medical technicians throughout the year.