Bureau Of Medicine And Surgery News

U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) departed Norfolk, Va. Saturday for New York City in support of the COVID-19 response efforts.The Military Sealift Command ship will serve as a referral hospital for patients not infected with COVID-19, providing a full spectrum of medical care to include general surgeries, critical care and ward care for adults, while allowing shore-based civilian hospitals to focus on their medical care devoted to the treatment of COVID 19 patients."The entire Comfort team safely…

The Military Sealift Command hospital ship, USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), departed Naval Station Norfolk today and is now underway and making final preparations to support relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. USNS Comfort can arrive in Puerto Rico as early as Oct. 3, but the final date and arrival location is to be determined. "The medical capability the ship can deliver can be done underway, it can be done in port, or it can be done at anchor. Between the helicopter capability we have and the boats we have, all of those things together give us the ability to be flexible in our mission," said Capt. Kevin Robinson, commander, forward command element aboard USNS Comfort.

1842 - Congress replaces the Board of Navy Commissioners, a group of senior officers who oversee naval technical affairs, with the five technical Bureaus, ancestors of the Systems Commands. One of the 1842 Bureaus, the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, continues to serve under its original name. 1862 - The daily rum issued to US Navy sailors on board vessels is abolished. On July 14, by an Act of Congress, the spirit ration ceases Sept. 1. Secretary of Navy Gideon Welles issues…

Navy Medicine released updated Zika Virus Infection guidance in NAVADMIN 121/16, May 26, communicating current information, travel precautions, and risk reduction measures to Navy and Marine Corps personnel. "The updated NAVADMIN includes the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for the prevention of sexual transmission of Zika virus; it also highlights recommendations for couples who are considering conception," said Cmdr. Alan Lam, deputy associate director, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) public health, emergency preparedness and response. The updated NAVADMIN also directs installation commanders to implement the secretary of defense guidance to control Zika virus-transmitting mosquitoes at Navy installations and in housing areas.

The U.S. Navy Surgeon General and Chief of the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Vice Adm. Matthew Nathan, embarked the People's Republic of China medical ship Peace Ark (T-AH 866) for a tour, while it is in port for the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014 in Pearl Harbor July 2. Not only is this the People's Republic of China's first time participating in RIMPAC, this also marks the first year that the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) is participating. "As a U.S. Pacific Command surgeon, one of my priorities is to develop health engagements with all of our world's nations, and we are working very hard to develop engagements with the People's Republic of China," said Rear Adm. Colin Chinn, Command Surgeon, U.S. Pacific Command.

Franciscan Alvernia University is to award an an Honorary Degree of Humane Letters to Vice-Admiral Matthew L. Nathan before he addresses the Class of 2014 at the upcoming May 2014 Commencement. Nathan is Surgeon General of the Navy and Chief of the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. Alvernia inform that Nathan’s education and naval background is extensive: he is board certified and holds Fellow status in the American College of Physicians and the American College of Healthcare Executives. He also holds an appointment as Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and is a recipient of the American Hospital Association’s Excellence in Leadership award for the Federal Sector.

Seventy civil service mariners, and approximately 400 Navy, Army and non-governmental organization (NGO) personnel aboard Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 20) returned to San Diego Sept. 14. They steamed more than 20,000 miles - nearly the distance of circling the equator - to Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia as the lead vessel for Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12), in a nearly five-month humanitarian and civic assistance mission that resulted in medical treatment for nearly 50,000 people.

Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort's Medical Treatment Facility changed leadership May 25 as Navy Capt. Kevin J. Knoop assumed command from Navy Capt. David K. Weiss during a ceremony aboard Comfort at Canton Pier in Baltimore. Comfort's primary mission is to serve as an afloat, mobile, acute-surgical medical facility to the U.S. military, with a secondary mission of providing hospital services for disaster relief and humanitarian operations worldwide. Comfort's Medical Treatment Facility, or MTF, is crewed and maintained by medical personnel from the U.S.

1842 - Congress replaces the Board of Navy Commissioners, a group of senior officer who oversaw naval technical affairs, with the five technical Bureaus, ancestors of the Systems Commands. One of the 1842 Bureau, the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, continues to serve under its original name. 1943 - Commissioning of USS Harmon (DE-678), first Navy ship named for an African American Sailor. 1944 - Carrier task group begins 3-day attack on Iwo Jima and Bonin Islands 1962 - Last flight of Navy airship made at NAS Lakehurst, NJ (Source: Navy News Service)

1842 - Congress replaces the Board of Navy Commissioners, a group of senior officer who oversaw naval technical affairs, with the five technical Bureaus, ancestors of the Systems Commands. One of the 1842 Bureau, the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, continues to serve under its original name. 1943 - Commissioning of USS Harmon (DE-678), first Navy ship named for an African American Sailor. 1944 - Carrier task group begins 3-day attack on Iwo Jima and Bonin Islands 1962 - Last flight of Navy airship made at NAS Lakehurst, NJ (Source: Navy News Service)

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced July 6 that President George W. Navy Rear Adm. (selectee) Adam M. Robinson Jr. has been nominated for appointment to the grade of vice admiral and assignment as chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery and Surgeon General, Washington, D.C. Robinson is currently serving as commander, Navy Medicine Capital Area/commander, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md. Navy Vice Adm. John D. Stufflebeem has been nominated for reappointment to the grade of vice admiral and assignment as director, Navy Staff, N09B, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Stufflebeem is currently serving as commander, Sixth Fleet/commander, Striking and Support Forces NATO/commander, Joint Headquarters Lisbon, Portugal.