Clinic personnel show appreciation to administrative staff members

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Dillon White
  • 341st Space Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  More than 25 Malmstrom Airmen celebrated the annual Air Force-wide "4A Appreciation Week" at the Malmstrom Clinic Oct. 22 to 26. 

The designation of 4A is a portion of the Air Force Specialty Code for enlisted medical administration and records personnel who handle a wide variety of tasks at Air Force medical facilities. 

During the week of appreciation, Airmen found balloons and candy on their desks, received free coffee at the medical clinic's café and attended a breakfast, pot-luck and luncheon. To finish off the week, they had a half-day on Friday, said 1st Lt. Tara Lovell, 341st Medical Support Squadron flight commander TriCare Operations and Patient Administration, or TOPA. 

4A Airmen at Malmstrom perform jobs ranging from filing and handling more than 30,000 medical records to ordering and maintaining approximately $4 million in medical supplies and equipment in support of Malmstrom, the 341st Space Wing, the Montana Air National Guard and the 819th RED HORSE Squadron. 

"The cornerstone of the 4A career field is records management," said Staff Sgt. Christena McManus, 341st Medical Operations Squadron NCOIC of TOPA flight. "I started in records and most Airmen start here before moving on to other jobs in the health management field." Sergeant McManus recently moved into a new office and is currently in charge of ensuring smooth operation of TOPA flight as well as patient travel. 

"When a patient needs to refer out of the Malmstrom Clinic for care in the local community, Helena or somewhere else in the U.S. like Bethesda, Md., I will help them fill out patient-travel forms, travel vouchers and help them access the Defense Travel System Web site.

" Airmen in records handle approximately 250 medical files a day and work hand-in-hand with doctors and nurses, said Airman 1st Class Oren Walker, 341st Medical Operations Squadron health services manager. 

"I think it is one of the most important jobs because the files hold a person's whole medical history and it is a large responsibility," Airman Walker said. "I send out files for people who are out-processing and make copies for people who are separating as well." 

4As rotate throughout the hospital in their careers and get a wide breadth of experience, Sergeant McManus said. They can work in offices that deal with the hospital networks electronic personnel files or work in a resource management office handling finances. During exercises and wartime, medical administrators will adapt to other jobs and fill new roles. 

"The medical control center coordinates medical responses. I like working in the MCC because it is like controlling chaos and knowing I had a part of making everything go smoothly is a nice feeling," Sergeant McManus said. Medical administration Airmen also man patient administration teams during warfare and exercises to better keep track of patients coming into a medical facility, Sergeant McManus said.