AFSOC announces 1st SOMDG Medical Services Award winners

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jeff Parkinson
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
Air Force Special Operations Command announced the winners of the 2016 Medical Services Awards, Nov. 22, here.

The AFMS awards program annually recognizes those who have made exceptional contributions to health care, education, training, research, leadership, information technology and communications.

“We are extremely appreciative and proud of the hard work our members put in each day,” said Col. R. Shane Day, commander of the 1st Special Operations Medical Group. “Having our individual winners awarded in this fashion means a lot.”

The 1st Special Operations Medical Group won 26 of the 52 awards they submitted including 17 individual awards and nine team awards.
“I am also proud of the numerous team awards that we garnered within the MDG that depict a ‘service before self’ mentality,” Day said. “This group has come a long way and we are constantly striving to improve our processes to provide the best care for our beneficiaries.”

For some recipients, this is not their first time winning an award, but for Airman 1st Class Abigail Bartleson, a dental assistant with the 1st Special Operations Dental Squadron, it was.

“I feel honored to have been recognized,” she said. “It is rewarding to know that my efforts throughout the year have been noticed by leadership and it makes me want to work even harder knowing that hard work pays off. I also feel grateful to my supervisor and direct leadership for taking the time to write me a package -- they have busy jobs, but still took the time to help me.”

A list of the awards are as follows:

Team Awards:
Outstanding Small Medical Logistics Account of the Year Award: Medical Logistics Flight
Outstanding Resource Management Team Award: Resource Management Flight
Medical Information Services Team Award: Medical Information
Management Flight
Outstanding Health Plan Management Team Award: TRICARE Operations & Patient Administration Flight
Biomedical Sciences Corps Small Team Award: Optometry Flight
Large Dental Clinic of the Year Award
Personnel Reliability Program Team of the Year: Flight and Operational Medicine Team
Outstanding Medical Home Award: Family Health Clinic
Best Ambulatory Clinic Patient Safety Program Award


Individual Awards:
Biomedical Clinician Category I Officer of the Year Award: Maj. Tracy L. Markle
Biomedical Specialist Civilian of the Year: Karl E. Ott
Biomedical Category III Officer of the Year Award: Capt. Heidi L. Shelstad
Clinical Dentist of the Year: Capt. Rachael L. Voigt
Dental Civilian of the Year: Kelly A. Marx
Outstanding Biomedical Equipment Repair Airman of the Year Award: SrA Temitope T. Odedele
Outstanding Base Bioenvironmental Engineering Airman of the Year Award: A1C Denis P. Marchelli
Public Health Airman of the Year Award: SrA Jerime W. Gorse
Physical Medicine Airman of the Year Award: SrA Astin R. Roberson
Physical Medicine NCO of the Year Award: SSgt Jennifer L. Enderud
Outstanding Air Force Diagnostic Imaging Technologist Airman of the Year Award: SrA Yavonda A. Brown
Outstanding Air Force Diagnostic Imaging Technologist NCO of the Year Award: SSgt Samantha M. Chase
Outstanding Dental Airman of the Year Award: A1C Abigail Bartleson
Outstanding Dental NCO of the Year Award: TSgt Misty M. Malson
SNCO Operational Medicine Excellence Award: MSgt Sean S. Hasty
SNCO Leadership Award: MSgt Ismael Paez Jr.
Civilian Nurse of the Year Award: Brigitte E. Brahms

“A great reward for a job well-done,” Day said. “And a word of support as they move forth to compete at the Air Force level.”