Hilltop Times – Hill Air Force Base Weekly Newspaper Since 1948

The 75th Medical Group is celebrating Certified Nurses Day, Friday, March 19, by honoring its board certified nurses. Board certification of nurses plays an increasingly important role in the assurance of high standards of care for patients and their loved ones. Nursing, like health care in general, has become more complex.

The stomach flu has hit us this season but with basic preventative care we can keep our children and ourselves healthy.

What is the stomach flu? According to the Centers for Disease Control, the stomach flu is viral gastroenteritis and is an infection caused by a variety of viruses often resulting in vomiting and diarrhea. Many different viruses can cause gastroenteritis, but your health care provider can determine if the diarrhea is caused by a virus or something else.

Symptoms you should look for are watery diarrhea and vomiting.

Wingman Advocates and the Wingman concept are an important part of the efforts at Hill Air Force Base to carry the message of reaching out to others. The Wingman concept carries the weight of historical Air Force culture as the one who has your back -- the person who flies with you and supports you in your mission.

Rita Roybal, Wingman Advocate Program Manager, said that what makes the Wingman concept so powerful is how such positive actions have a tendency to spread.

Cancer prevention comes in many forms: a healthy lifestyle, vaccines and routine screenings. All involve your ability to make healthy choices, but TriCare makes those choices even easier by covering a vaccine that protects against cervical cancer, as well as routine screenings for early detection.

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 99 percent of cervical cancers are related to the human papilloma virus, or HPV.

The 75th Medical Group will open at 1 p.m. on March 22 in order to participate in the Operational Readiness Exercise.

A Vietnam veteran contacted Hill Air Force Base wanting to thank an "Angel in Camo" who recently came to his assistance at a crucial time in his life.

Sid Stroud Jr. found himself lost on the side of a road, somewhere near Santaquin, Utah, after heading home after a visit to the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City. A man, dressed in camouflage with sergeant's stripes on his sleeve, stopped to ask him if he needed help.

The Food and Drug Administration's advisory committee is recommending including pandemic H1N1 into next flu season's vaccine.

Committee members are agreeing that it's still somewhat early in the year to predict what may happen with the pandemic strain, but they agreed that pandemic H1N1's predominance, unpredictability and the relative absence of traditional virus strains warranted the need for the pandemic strain's inclusion into next season's vaccine.

The inclusion of the H1N1 pandemic virus in the influenza vaccine does not necessarily signal that the pandemic is over.

Even though we are right in the middle of the traditional peak of flu season, recent data shows that the flu hasn't been much of a problem this year. However, if you or someone you know is one of the few who are sick, statistics mean nothing.

A typical bout with the flu is usually no more than a miserable inconvenience, but this does not mean it should be taken lightly. So what is the best way to take care of someone who is sick?

Primarily, you should be able to recognize the warning signs that something more severe is occurring.

The 75th Medical Group will open at 1 p.m. on March 22 to participate in the Operational Readiness Center.

PHOENIX -- In honor of National Doctorsâ² Day on March 30, TriWest is offering an opportunity for service members and their families to say "thanks" to the TriCare doctors who have made a positive difference in their lives by visiting www.triwest.com/DrDay or the Facebook page, "Salute Your TriCare Doctor 2010." TriWest is accepting submissions through March 12.

From annual exams and immunizations, to surgical care and condition management, TriWest Healthcare Alliance's network of more than 150,000 doctors provide 2.7 million TriCare West Region service members, retirees and their f