COOL, versatile corpsmen

NAS WHITING FIELD, Fla. - Two Sailors assigned to the Naval Branch Health Clinic (NBHC) at Whiting Field recently completed professional certifications to further their knowledge and skills within the medical community. Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class (HM3) Mansoor Kyemtore and Hospitalman Matthew Hampton utilized Navy Credentialing Opportunities On-line (COOL) to enhance their professional knowledge by earning certifications as a Clinical Medical Assistant and a Phlebotomy Technologist, respectively. Navy COOL provides active duty and reserve sailors a way to map their Navy education, training, experience and competencies to civilian credentials and occupations. It also allows sailors to pursue credentials throughout their military life cycle, from completion of technical training until they become eligible for transition opportunities. HM1 Holly Dean, leading petty officer of the base’s Military Medicine Clinic, noticed an opportunity to help further the professional knowledge and careers of her corpsmen by starting a Navy COOL program for the branch clinic. "When our corpsmen complete Navy COOL certifications they become more versatile and more educated," said Dean. "If laboratory requires assistance, we are confident that a certified phlebotomy technician from another clinic. Shortly after completing certification, HM3 Kyemtore had a chance to put his enhanced patient care to use while treating a respiratory-distressed patient. His training taught him the proper body positioning to allow for a proper reading of the peripheral capillary oxygen saturation. “I am not sure I could have figured out how to get the appropriate reading," said Kyemtore, had he not taken the training. (Source: NH Pensacola 06/26/19) Golden Triangle Note: NBHC Whiting Field is a part of Naval Hospital Pensacola (NHP) and its 10 branch health clinics across five states, including NAS Meridian and NCBC Gulfport, Miss., and NAS/JRB New Orleans. Corpsmen assigned to NHP and the clinics have completed more than 300 national certifications for clinical medical assistant, phlebotomy technicians, patient care technicians, clinical medical administrative assistants, and EKG technicians.