MDS individuals, teams shine

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Two teams and two Airmen assigned to the 66th Medical Squadron have been named best in Air Force Materiel Command following an announcement last week.

Capt. Ryan R. Gustafson and Staff Sgt. Michael C. Trala each won individual awards, while the Dental Clinic and Bioenvironmental Engineering Element captured team awards.

"Throughout the 66th Medical Squadron we have tremendous talent dedicated to providing our patients with the best healthcare," said Col. Lynn M. Shinabery, 66 MDS commander. "Each of these award winners are the best in Air Force Materiel Command and I could not be more proud to serve alongside them."

Clinical Dentist of the Year

For the second year in a row, Gustafson, a general clinical dentist, is the command’s Clinical Dentist of the Year in the Company Grade Officer Category.

While serving as the interim flight commander, Gustafson led 14 members and 25 programs.

“Capt. Gustafson implemented a 24/7 dental emergency program that averted nine emergency room visits and saved the Air Force more than $4,000,” Shinabery wrote in the nomination write up for the award.

The nomination also highlighted the role he had in the clinic’s accreditation by The Joint Commission that certified the clinic as a Primary Care Medical Home organization.

“In addition to his stellar performance on duty, Capt. Gustafson performed equally well off duty,” said Shinabery. "He performed lifesaving CPR on a rescued hiker that resulted in him being presented the Air Force Commendation Medal."

Enlisted Health Services Management NCO of the Year

Trala, NCO in charge of the Referral Management Center, is the AFMC Enlisted Health Services Management NCO of the Year.

Among the accomplishments noted in his nomination write up, the MDS commander highlighted his work with patient safety reports.

“Sergeant Trala carefully investigated 21 patient safety reports that identified critical process areas in need of help,” Shinabery wrote.

Off duty, Trala is the MDS 5/6 president, an Honor Guard member and volunteered at Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps drill competition and Massachusetts Winter Special Olympics. He also completed his Community College of the Air Force degree.

Small Dental Clinic of the Year

The perennial recipient in the Small Dental Clinic category is the 66 MDS Dental Clinic at Hanscom.

"The Dental Clinic here is among the best I have seen throughout my military career," said Shinabery. "Their efforts in patient safety, Airmen upgrade training and improving processes are only a few of the accomplishments made by this group of exceptional professionals."

Biomedical Science Corps Team of the Year

The Bioenvironmental Engineering Element captured the command’s best Biomedical Sciences Corps Small Team of the Year.

"The Bioenvironmental team worked tirelessly throughout the year to mitigate the operational health risks for Air Force Life Cycle Management Center-Hanscom personnel," said Shinabery. “As an example, the team performed more than 50 workplaces inspections that resulted in them leading the way across the command in three Air Force metrics.”

Each of the MDS award winners will now move on to compete at the Air Force-level.