Medics earn AF awards

  • Published
  • By Jonathan Rejent
  • Nucleus staff writer
KIRTLAND AFB, N.M. --  An officer and a civilian from the 377th Medical Group have received Air Force-level awards for 2011.

Maj. Lauren Wolf, 377 MDG chief of medical staff, was the field grade officer recipient of the 2011 U.S. Air Force Clinical Excellence Award. Lisa Esparza, 377th Dental Squadron chief of preventive dentistry, was the recipient of the Dental Civilian of the Year award. Both were recognized previously with Air Force Materiel Command level awards.

"A lot of great people that I've worked with helped and supported me through many of the projects that contributed to winning the award," said Wolf.

Although Wolf was stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, during much of the award period, Lt. Col. Jennifer Korkosz, 377 MDG Maternal-Child Flight commander, said she has added more accomplishments during her time here, such as implementing training for the Tri-Service Work Flow.

Wolf was part of a team at Elmendorf AFB that created the TSWF, an electronic-record form used for pediatric visits. The forms are now used throughout the Air Force, Army and Navy. Kirtland AFB was not using TSWF when Wolf arrived in July 2011; however, early this year, that changed.

"She worked with each technician, one-by-one, to get them trained," said Korkosz.

While stationed here, Wolf taught more than 100 people the TSWF's usage and effectiveness during the Uniformed Service Pediatric Seminar in Washington, D.C.

Wolf is also well versed in using "MiCare" -- an electronic method of providing patients with test results quickly and efficiently. Although the 377 MDG is not currently using MiCare, Korkosz said she expects that to change soon.

"Once MiCare is active, it's going to be great for us to have her as a resource," Korkosz said.

Unlike Wolf, Esparza was stationed here during the entire award period.

"I feel I have a purpose to educate our Airmen, not only on oral health, but to always strive to be the best they can be and take advantage of all the Air Force offers," said Esparza. "If you love what you do, it's infectious - our team loves our mission."

Among many accomplishments, she said she is very proud of the Preventive Dentistry Program, a data organization instruction that helped her team score 100 percent -- an Air Force first -- during the Health Services Inspection in 2010. The program is now used as a benchmark.

"I organized the information in a PowerPoint presentation. That way, the inspector doesn't have to go through multiple binders filled with paperwork," said Esparza.

Esparza led more than 30 outreach programs, educating Airmen on dental-related nutrition, creating custom mouthguards and warning of the effects tobacco can have on dental hygiene.

Airmen aren't the only people Esparza teaches. Each February during National Children's Dental Health Month, she and her team visit the Child Development Centers and Youth Center to educate the children during the annual "BEE Healthy" outreach campaign.

"We teach them how to brush and the importance of keeping up with dental hygiene," said Esparza.

The children are given "goodie bags" during these events, filled with a toothbrush, tooth paste, dental floss and other dental hygiene items.

"The quality of Esparza's work exemplifies what we try to do here at the 377 DS," said Lt. Col. Douglas Littlefield, 377 DS commander.