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Trusted Care Heroes are all of us

Senior Airman Taylor Scherff, 55th Medical Group Pediatric Clinic medical technician, tries to make three-month-old Isabelle Kittel smile in the Ehrling Bergquist Clinic at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., Sept. 12, 2017. Scherff caught abnormalities in Kittle when she began taking her vital signs which led to the infant being taken to a catheterization laboratory and then into an emergency heart surgery. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Rachelle Blake)

Senior Airman Taylor Scherff, 55th Medical Group Pediatric Clinic medical technician, tries to make three-month-old Isabelle Kittel smile in the Ehrling Bergquist Clinic at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., Sept. 12, 2017. Scherff caught abnormalities in Kittle when she began taking her vital signs which led to the infant being taken to a catheterization laboratory and then into an emergency heart surgery. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Rachelle Blake)

First Lt. Clarissa Carruth, 81st Inpatient Operation Squadron clinical nurse, pauses for a photo at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., April 5, 2017. Carruth implemented a new communication tool, Ticket to Ride, and created a unit advisory council where Airmen have a voice and can feel comfortable expressing their ideas and concerns during her time at the 81st Medical Group.
 (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jenay Randolph)

First Lt. Clarissa Carruth, 81st Inpatient Operation Squadron clinical nurse, pauses for a photo at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., April 5, 2017. Carruth implemented a new communication tool, Ticket to Ride, and created a unit advisory council where Airmen have a voice and can feel comfortable expressing their ideas and concerns during her time at the 81st Medical Group. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jenay Randolph)

Ian Bernard, a histopathology technician at the 10th Medical Group, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., was selected as a Trusted Care Hero by the Air Force Medical Care Service for his dedication to outstanding customer service in July 2017. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Julius Delos Reyes)

Ian Bernard, a histopathology technician at the 10th Medical Group, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., was selected as a Trusted Care Hero by the Air Force Medical Care Service for his dedication to outstanding customer service in July 2017. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Julius Delos Reyes)

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Lesley Colletta, 86th Medical Squadron pharmacy technician, pours medicine into a pill counter at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, July 13, 2017. Colletta’s efforts as a pharmacy technician saved the life of an infant earlier this year after she recognized a medical error and spoke up about a wrong dosing of the medication. Air Force Medical Service recognized Colletta as a Trusted Care Hero. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathan Bass)

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Lesley Colletta, 86th Medical Squadron pharmacy technician, pours medicine into a pill counter at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, July 13, 2017. Colletta’s efforts as a pharmacy technician saved the life of an infant earlier this year after she recognized a medical error and spoke up about a wrong dosing of the medication. Air Force Medical Service recognized Colletta as a Trusted Care Hero. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathan Bass)

Capt. Kelsey Pilcher, 48th Medical Group pediatric nurse practitioner, performs a check‐up on a newborn at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, Oct. 24, 2017. Recently, during a check‐up with one of her patients, Pilcher spoke up when she noticed that the lab test results differed from what she observed during her examination. Pilcher’s actions exemplified one of the nine principles of trusted care emphasized by the Air Force—the duty to speak up. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Malcolm Mayfield)

Capt. Kelsey Pilcher, 48th Medical Group pediatric nurse practitioner, performs a check‐up on a newborn at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, Oct. 24, 2017. Recently, during a check‐up with one of her patients, Pilcher spoke up when she noticed that the lab test results differed from what she observed during her examination. Pilcher’s actions exemplified one of the nine principles of trusted care emphasized by the Air Force—the duty to speak up. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Malcolm Mayfield)

Airman Justin Morris, 88th Medical Group Dental Assistant Technician apprentice, was named an Air Force Medical Services’ Trusted Care Hero for his efforts toward increasing patient safety and doing Zero Harm in August 2017. Morris, based out of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, brought a possible contamination issue to his supervisor that led to the Air Force adopting new procedures with dental tool kits. (U.S. Air Force photo by John Harrington)

Airman Justin Morris, 88th Medical Group Dental Assistant Technician apprentice, was named an Air Force Medical Services’ Trusted Care Hero for his efforts toward increasing patient safety and doing Zero Harm in August 2017. Morris, based out of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, brought a possible contamination issue to his supervisor that led to the Air Force adopting new procedures with dental tool kits. (U.S. Air Force photo by John Harrington)

FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- Trusted care. Two words, that when spoken could have a meaning vastly different from one person to another.

For Medical Airmen, that’s not the case. The words trusted care represent patients whose lives and personal safety depend on them. It also reflects the Air Force Medical Service’s unwavering commitment to provide safe and high-reliable healthcare.

Medical Airmen committed to delivering ‘Trusted Care, Anywhere’ are recognized as heroes by the AFMS for their dedication to upholding the nine principles of trusted care: speaking up, commitment to resilience, maximizing value to the patient, zero harm, respect for people, focusing on the people who do the work, systems thinking, constancy of purpose, and enabling every Airmen to be a problem solver.

One constant though amongst all heroes, to include those featured in this photo story is each one of them are dedicated to simply doing their job and caring for the patients they serve.

(Tech. Sgt. Julius Delos Reyes, Tech. Sgt. Rachelle Blake, Staff Sgt. Jonathan Bass, Senior Airman Jenay Randolph, Senior Airman Abby L. Finkel, Airman 1st Class Timmethy James, and Mr. John Harrington also contributed to this photo story.)