New agreement helps collegiates earn clinical time

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
VALDOSTA, Ga. --  One of Moody Air Force Base's top medical experts signed a training affiliation agreement Aug. 9 with a local college president to provide students there a chance to complete clinical time.

U.S. Air Force Col. Mark Koppen, 23rd Medical Group commander, met with Dr. Ray Perren, Wiregrass Technical College president, to officially accept the terms of students from the new healthcare information technology (HIT) program completing their clinical requirements on base.

"Having students from the HIT program will be mutually beneficial to both of us and will expose the students to experts in our various administrative support specialties," said Koppen. "We greatly appreciate everything the Valdosta community does to support our medical mission and this is a great way in which we can reciprocate and help develop future health care leaders in this great community."

This new affiliation agreement will expand the training available to WTC students.

"We're honored to have this agreement with Moody and I look forward to a long, fruitful relationship with them," said Perren. "Through this, we get to help those who serve our country while also bettering our college.

"Because of the medical group's support, our students are able to expand their training into areas they otherwise might not be able to," he added. "It's definitely a win-win situation for both sides."

The 23rd MDG education manager believes both the school and the base will benefit from this agreement.

"This program also has the ability to be a powerful recruiting tool," said Mark Soliz, who was instrumental in coordinating the TAA. "They might be completing their clinical time at Moody and realize the Air Force is something they're interested in doing."

The medical students will complete training in five sections: medical coding, resource management office, group practice management office, information systems and outpatient records.

The first five HIT students are scheduled to start in late August. They will rotate through the five sections every three weeks throughout the semester to hone their skills in all the sections.
Students from the dental, laboratory and pharmacology programs at the college have already done clinical training on base.