Health Care Professionals
By Wayne
Spivak, BC-AIG, N-IC
National Press Corps
-Positions Open-
Do you have health care skills? Did you ever want to blend your career and vocation with your altruistic nature?
If so, the United States Coast Guard, though their volunteer component, the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary wants you!
Today the term Health Care Professional has more meaning than just physician or dentist. The term includes a whole plethora of highly trained and education men and women, from the entire spectrum of the health field.
Emergency Medical Technicians, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Pharmacists, Clinical Social Workers, Nutritionists and Therapists (Physical, Occupational, Vocational, Psychological, etc) are just a few of the health professionals that the Coast Guard is seeking.
Let me repeat and amplify this statement. Due to the increased demands of both the "new normalcy" and the Iraq War the Coast Guard's manpower requirement have increased exponentially.
To help fill this gap, the Coast Guard is seeking Auxiliarists to fill Health Professional slots throughout the Coast Guard! That means you can volunteer to provide health services to members of the Coast Guard family, right where you live and work!
Why where you live and work? Because there are members of the Coast Guard family, either at Coast Guard units or members of the Coast Guard Reserve that live in your area. They all require at a minimum yearly check-ups. Think about the savings to the Coast Guard if you could perform part of the yearly medical requirements where the Reservist or Active Duty member lives, versus having them drive for hours to reach a CG health unit?
By the way, this requirement for Health Care Professionals is now, today, as you read this article, not weeks or months away.
Authorization
In a recent announcement, the Coast Guard, following the requirements set forth in The Coast Guard Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996, Title VIII, Sec 802, provides that the "Coast Guard Auxiliary is to assist the Coast Guard as authorized by the Commandant, in performing any Coast Guard function, power, duty, role, mission, or operation authorized by law... and other support missions authorized by the Commandant."
To meet this ever-increasing demand, "The Commandant authorizes the utilization of Auxiliarists in the performance of health care activities for which they are already trained, found qualified, and licensed or registered." [COMDTINST 6010.2]
Requirements
Now before you go marching off to a military medical practice, as it might seem, this is the Coast Guard, so there is some paperwork that needs to be accomplished. The only other requirement is that you donate two days per month. You should read COMDINST 6010.2 at http://www.uscg.mil/hq/G-W/g-wk/g-wkh/g-wkh-1/Pubs/COMDTINST_6010.2.pdf, follow the application procedures as noted in the document and talk with Richard Lavy, MD, CG Auxiliary at 1-800-842-8740 X 7-0410, (202)-267-0410 or e-mail at: RLavy@comdt.uscg.mil.
Physicians (MD, DO), Dentists (DDS, DMD), Physician Assistants (PA) and Nurse Practitioners (NP) will need to have their credentials verified as well as request clinical privileges.
Any Auxiliarist (other than as those mentioned above.) who desires to utilize his/her health care skills by participating in Coast Guard health care activities also need to submit documentation of their training and experience.
Professional liability
Coast Guard Auxiliarist health care professional providers will not be held individually liable for civil damages as long as the Auxiliarist, after making full disclosure to the Coast Guard of his or her professional background and medical or dental qualifications, is assigned duties and acts within the scope of those duties.
Summary
As with any endeavor, as Auxiliarists we must follow the Coast Guard rules and regulations, all of which, for this program, are spelled out in COMDTINST 6010.2.
Utilizing your skills, training of your profession for the direct betterment of Coast Guard personnel is a great way to show team spirit.
So Ahoy, Health Care Professionals….. The Coast Guard needs you……
For more
information about join the Coast Guard Auxiliary, contact your local Coast
Guard unit (www.uscg.mil) or use the Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla Finder
(www.cgaux.org).
AuxGuidanceSkills.Info is geared to providing "Public Service Articles in the pursuit of Recreational Boating Safety" to that end, we will continue to add to our series on Help Wanted, Homeland Security, Public Education, Public Service, Vessel Safety and Environmental Issues, though the use of 'case studies', as our teaching tool of choice. In addition, our Leadership series offers those within the Coast Guard family, as well as outside, an insight into values that will improve their leadership skills.