USAFSAM - Public Health and Preventive Medicine Mission: Promoting global health through education, training, consultation, research, epidemiological field support and diagnostic laboratory testing. Vision: Recognized experts in public health and clinical/surveillance laboratory testing, supporting the Department of Defense’s and Air Force Medical Service’s drive towards the healthiest and highest performing segment of the U.S. population by 2025. About Our Department: The Public Health and Preventive Medicine Department (PH), part of the 711th Human Performance Wing’s U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM), develops and implements the USAF public health curriculum to support AF & joint missions, training over 1,900 Department of Defense personnel annually. Additionally, this department houses the AF’s sole clinical reference laboratory, supporting 220 federal customers worldwide and 9.2 million beneficiaries. As the Air Force’s only infectious disease and precision medicine research laboratory, this department focuses on incorporating next generation sequencing and advanced analytics into pathogen identification, bio surveillance, disease surveillance, genetic determinants of health and medical readiness. The department also shapes AF health surveillance, executes DoD global influenza surveillance, defines AF food defense/safety, and delivers disease outbreak analysis across the globe. Divisions/Units Public Health Education/Training The Public Health Education/Training (PHD) Division provides up-to-date, comprehensive training to AF public health personnel, flight surgeons, Independent Duty Medical Technicians (IDMTs), medical commanders and external civilian partners. Its primary courses include PH Office Course, PH Apprentice Course, Operational Entomology Course, Contingency Preventive Medicine, and Hearing Conservation Certification. PHD instructors develop, write and teach curricula for all formal public health courses and workshops within USAFSAM. Additionally, these instructors serve as subject matter experts, supporting DoD, AF and base-level public health programs. PHD instructors also develop PH career development courses and the PH Comprehensive Medical Readiness Program training requirements used by the career field as readiness skills verification. Approximately 3,500 Community College of the Air Force credit hours are awarded each year, as well as 288 national certifications. Epidemiology Laboratory Services The Epidemiology Laboratory Services (PHE) Division is the DoD’s only clinical reference laboratory, offering specialized reference and confirmatory testing in support of DoD public health and medical missions. Additionally, it is the AF’s only reference laboratory within the Centers for Disease Control’s Laboratory Response Network. This division employs state-of the-art techniques to respond to and collaborate on disease outbreak investigations, and its personnel assist with health surveillance testing to plan effective public health interventions. It also maintains a Biosafety Level-3 capability to carry out AF-wide clinical mycology testing and provide rapid identification for emerging pathogens. PHE also leads the DoD Influenza Surveillance Program, which is a vital component to the World Health Organization Global Influenza Surveillance Program. Public Health Epidemiology Consult and Research Services The Epidemiology Consult Service (PHR) Division provides worldwide consultation services in public health surveillance, epidemiology and preventive medicine. This division maintains deployable teams for rapid on-site epidemiologic assistance with disease outbreak response. In order to improve operational capabilities and inform DoD healthcare policy, PHR personnel conduct analysis and research in entomology, food safety/defense, AF active duty/retiree mortality, hearing conservation, occupational illness, and infectious and chronic disease. Applied Technology and Genomics The Applied Technology and Genomics (PHT) Division is a Biosafety Level-2 laboratory, and the only research genetics laboratory in the USAF that can support several projects focusing on: bacterial/viral culture, DNA/RNA extraction, PCR amplification, DNA printing (primers/probes/synthetic constructs), next-generation sequencing, microscopy, analysis of genetic code, and secured storage of genetic code. Contact Information USAF School of Aerospace Medicine Attention: Public Health and Preventive Medicine Department 2510 Fifth Street Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 45433-7951. Email: 711HPW.Info@us.af.mil