Military personnel join forces for surgery

A joint surgical team comprised of three separate branches assembled at U.S. Air Force Hospital Langley in December to perform an operation.

Consisting of a U.S. Navy surgeon, an Air Force nurse and an Army technician, the team was organized to perform a Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery to restore a patient’s sinus ventilation to normal function. Falling in line with the Tidewater enhanced Multi-Service Market, providing health care in a joint environment works to improve readiness by ensuring that health care providers have the capabilities they need while providing patients with convenient access to care.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Erni Eulenstein, Surgical Operations Squadron Operating Room flight commander says, “Allowing multiple services to operate at Langley has helped reduce the duplication of effort while also increasing efficiency.” If an operating room is not being used by the Air Force, it is often able to be filled by an Army or Navy surgeon to help increase utilization.

U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Dinchen Jardine, Navy Medical Center Portsmouth Department of Otolaryngology, served as the lead surgeon during the FESS procedure and appreciates the opportunity to utilize Hospital Langley’s facilities while working side-by-side with the Air Force and Army. “It definitely helps everyone see and understand best practices that then in turn can add to providing the best care possible for patients,” Jardine said.

Fort Eustis’ McDonald Army Health Center closed their operating room and joined the Navy in conducting surgical procedures at Hospital Langley in August 2018.