In San Antonio, construction is just finished on a new joint Veterans Affairs and Defense Department medical facility to be called the North Central Federal Clinic. Maj. Eric Peipelman, project manager for the 59th Medical Wing at Lackland AFB, Tex., calls the facility “a jewel” for both agencies that will serve as a test bed for similar clinics around the country. So far, the Air Force has identified some 5,600 current Wilford Hall Medical Center patients who live in the north central San Antonio area to receive care at the new clinic, which will include a pharmacy, radiology, lab, and optometry services. It is slated to open Dec. 4.
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.