1st SOMDSS keeps clinic running Published Oct. 24, 2007 By Tech. Sgt. Sheri Kangas 1st SOW Public Affairs HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- A lot goes into running a base clinic, and people often forget there are quite a few folks working behind the scenes to make sure everything runs smoothly. The 1st Special Operations Medical Support Squadron does just that - they keep the clinic running like a well-oiled machine. The squadron, which is one of four under the 1st Special Operations Medical Group, is broken down into five flights performing a variety of jobs. The 60 active-duty members and 30 GS/contract workers do everything from fixing computers to managing a multi-million dollar budget. "The clinic supports a population of 22,000 folks; roughly 8,600 are active-duty members. Dependents and retirees make up the rest of our clientele," said Master Sgt. John Sanford, 1st SOMDSS superintendent. "Our squadron is responsible for providing support to the 352 people in the group. Even though there are four squadrons within the group, we function as a team with one goal in mind - patient care." The five flights belonging to the support squadron are: Logistics The medical logistics flight consists of 35 personnel who are responsible for managing a $13 million account. They provide support for the medical group by purchasing requested supplies. Logistics includes customer service, credit card purchases, prime vendor, medical equipment offices and numerous warehouse functions. The flight is also responsible for managing the medical equipment repair section, facility management and housekeeping. Resource Management/Systems Like a bank, resource management distributes money to the flights. They are also responsible for third party collections, which is collecting money from dependents who have insurance through a civilian employer. Their goal for the year was to collect $75,000 from outside agencies, but have far exceeded their goal and by collecting $194,000. They rank fourth in the Air Force. All money collected comes back into the medical group. Another component within RMO is systems. They are the people who fix computers. They are responsible for managing $2 million in equipment and more than 400 computers. The six members of the team are also responsible for updating medical software on more than 70 computers throughout the base. CSS The commander's support staff members stay busy advising the first sergeant and five squadron commanders on issues affecting all group members. They are responsible for managing all personnel programs to include the leave program, personnel information files, unfavorable information files, drug testing program, enlisted promotions, and awards and decorations. They are also responsible for in/out processing all group personnel. Tricare Operations/Patient Administration Also known as the TOPA flight, they are responsible for referrals, medical claims and any TriCare issues customers may have. The patient administration section is responsible for the upkeep of the clinic's 22,000 medical records. They also pull medical records on a daily basis for anyone having appointment. Medical Readiness The five-people team in the medical readiness flight stays busy preparing medics for deployment. They are responsible for training the base's 15 active-duty medics to deploy in support of air expeditionary force and Air Force Special Operations Command requirements. They are also responsible for security clearances, AEF monitoring and readiness issues. "The 1 SOMDSS plays a vital role in providing seamless medical operations support to our Air Commandos and their families. We are extremely proud to be a part of AFSOC," said Lt. Col. Kelly Klein, 1st SOMDSS commander. As you can see, the 90 members of the 1st SOMDSS stay busy keeping the clinic on track and running smoothly. These behind-the-scene people don't often get recognized by the general populace, but if the clinic were to open just one day without their support, the machine would come to a screeching halt.