168th Wing Medical Group delivers medical and dental care to Northern Mariana Islands

Story by Senior Master Sgt. Julie Avey

168th Wing

A medical team from the 168th Wing provided healthcare services to the Northern Mariana Islands from June 10- June 28, 2024, embarking on a mission to provide essential medical, dental, optometry, and veterinary care to the residents of Saipan, Rota, and Tinian. This initiative, known as Operation Wellness 2024, was part of the larger Innovative Readiness Training Program, aiming to support the Northern Mariana Islands by delivering medical services to rural populations while enhancing the training and readiness of service members.

Lt. Col. Russell Pierce, 168th Medical Group physician, had the chance to go to Tinian and set up a medical clinic that included dental, ophthalmology, and medical services.

“I connected with the Army, and we set up a clinic and took care of the Tinian people,” said Pierce. “A lot of hypertension and diabetes training. We connected with the local clinic for the continued care.”

Pierce specializes in nutrition and helps educate outside of being a Guardsman.

He explained some of what was accomplished,“They did not have an ophthalmologist on the island, so we made 80 pairs of glasses. They have a dentist who only visits the island once a month, so a lot of dental care took place. There are a lot of stray dogs on the islands. The veterinarians spayed and neutered cats and dogs for training and to help with the stray population. He said they say the numbers will dwindle if you continue this after three years.”

Operation Wellness 2024 not only addressed the healthcare needs of the local communities but also contributed to the professional development of the participating service members. By offering hands-on training experiences, the mission not only improved the medical skills of the personnel involved but also strengthened their readiness to respond to various scenarios and challenges. The initiative alleviated the burden of accessing healthcare for the Saipan, Rota, and Tinian residents, fostered goodwill, and strengthened the bond between the military and the local population.

“I enjoyed meeting new people and supporting the medical mission in my career field as a medical admin,” said Staff Sgt. Yao Cai, 168th Medical Group health services management.

In addition, Cai was also able to provide translation skills as she is fluent in Mandarin. Her translating skills allowed for better communication, which in turn provided beneficial medical care.

Through successfully executing Operation Wellness 2024, the 168th Medical Group provided humanitarian efforts and received readiness training.

“As medics, we did intake of patients, vitals, and took their history before they saw the doctors,” said Airman 1st Class Hannah Wolverton, 168th Medical Group. “While the doctors may have seen 50-60 patients, we saw everybody, every single person. High blood pressure was the concern we saw throughout the entire trip. We provided education, how to change your diet and activity levels, and tools and resources.”

Wolverton also described her experience with the locals off duty, “When we got off work, it was nice to see everyone. Everyone was so nice and considerate. We were at one of the beaches, and one of the locals had a bunch of mangoes. He would cut them and give them to us. Those mangoes were the most delicious ever. I came back and did not want to eat the mangoes.”

The hope is that this mission’s impact will reverberate far beyond the time spent there, leaving a lasting impression on the communities served.

“My favorite part of being in Saipan was being able to provide medical care and bonding with people,” said Airman 1st Class Sierra Long, 168th Medical Group Aerospace Medical Technician. “You could tell on their faces when they walked in that they were so excited to be there and get the care. Many came in not just to get the care but to talk to people about what life is about there and their experiences and just bond with people.”

In total, the IRT team saw 5,627 patients and provided 43,895 procedures.

“On average, in dental care, we saw about 70 patients per day for dental care cleanings, extractions, fillings, and dental hygiene,” said Tech Sgt. Charity Sisco of the 168th Medical Group. “Amazingly, we transformed a high school into a working clinic.”

Sisco said the patients were lining up, and the schedule was packed during the first hour of the day. They had to close the schedule after booking the 10-12 hours they worked.

“Everyone was so grateful,” said Sisco. “The community had a dinner for us, and it was really nice.”

Approximately 300 service members participated in Operation Wellness 2024, a joint-service Innovative Readiness Training program serving the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands by providing no-cost medical services to rural populations and hands-on training experiences to promote service members’ mission readiness.

“It was a great experience to go as a PERSCO team and be a part of the mission as Force Support Squadron,” said Staff Sgt. Amberylynn Crisostomo, 168th Force Support Squadron. “It was good because we could work with our medical team and see more of our wing members and meet more people DOD-wide. It was nice to see the success of what everyone did at the end – all the training while there and meeting people.”