MUNSON ARMY HEALTH CENTER, Ks.  –   The second Wednesday of every month Munson Army Health Center (MAHC), Fort Leavenworth, Kan., closes for training. Wednesday, Dec. 8, training included a skills fair and inter-service training.
One way that Munson utilizes training days is to provide the clinical staff an organized skills fair.
 “Training days are important for not only keeping skills sharp, but to ensure Joint Commission requirements for training are being met,” said Lt. Col. Ira Waite, MAHC deputy commander for nursing and patient services.
“Using our training days for hand -on training is a great ways to focus on sharping basic skills and refreshing skills that they have not used in a while,” he said.
 Many departments participated in the fair. There were several stations such as crutch fitting, taking vital sign, collecting blood specimens and throat cultures, earwax removal, intramuscular injections, suture and specimen removal, creating and maintaining a sterile field, and inserting intravenous catheter insertion (IV).
“In general everyone receives training in these skills during school, but people lose the ability to perform those skills without practice,” said Spec. Siaira Johnson, licensed practical nurse at MAHC. “This is especially true, if they’ve been doing referral management or other types of jobs.”
The feedback from the staff is positive. In a medical treatment facility, such as MAHC, there are so many different clinics and responsibilities, skills must be refreshed. In addition to the skills fairs, MAHC staff members must keep up their online trainings such as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) training, Cyber Security training, and other required trainings that are mandated.
In the Multiservice Specialty Clinic (MSC), the staff worked on their inter-service training. They were able to go deeper into differences between the branches of the military and also gave Soldiers a chance to work on their other trainings, including continuing education units to maintain their licenses.
“Training days are very beneficial to my staff in order to train, teach and validate our skills,” said Capt. Seth Hemker, MSC chief. “Training Days really allow the staff to further develop skills to provide better and safer care to our patients.”
Finally, an important aspect of training is readiness. A well- trained military medical force keeps our Soldier’s ready for deployment. “We may have to send Soldiers to help other units and I am confident that we can do that with the training we provide,” said Waite.
 “Our community at Fort Leavenworth benefits from a well-trained staff that can perform important skills to keep Soldiers, families, and retirees healthy. It goes right back to the beneficiaries,” said Waite.