Practicing Auxiliary medicine

Everyday the Coast Guard Auxiliary assists the active duty Coast Guard in many capacities. Whether flying patrols, giving safety inspections or teaching boating safety classes, the Auxiliary is an essential part of the Coast Guard. The assistance that is given by the Auxiliary has extended beyond patrols, inspections or safety classes.

In early 2003, the Coast Guard implemented the use of Auxiliarist medical professionals to augment the active duty and Reserve medical needs of the Coast Guard.

Spearheading the initiative was Dr. Richard Lavy, a Coast Guard Auxiliarist and medical doctor. After the increase in personnel needs following September 2001, the Auxiliary stepped up to help with the medical needs of Coast Guard Reservists being called to active duty. This led to the formalization of the Auxiliarist participation in Coast Guard health care activities in January of 2003.

Currently, there are about 150 uniformed health care professionals in the Coast Guard. According to Rear Adm. Paul Higgins, Coast Guard health and safety directorate, the increase in Coast Guard personnel in 2001 meant the need for an increase in medical support, which Dr. Lavy's program helped augment. "There are only 13 Coast Guard Reserve physicians assistants and most of those are assigned to PSUs. The Auxiliarist medical program has the potential to save the Coast Guard more than $1,250,000 million per year. Since the program began, more than 400 auxiliarists have volunteered their professional medical services to the Coast Guard," said Higgins.

According to Higgins, "The Auxiliarist program has the same credentialing process that regular practitioners must meet in order to participate. These volunteers are terrifically important and fill the gaps needed for Coast Guard medical readiness."

"When I first joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary, I saw a need for more medical training at the stations I visited," said Dr. Lavy, an auxiliarist since 1994. "This observation led to a proposal for auxiliarists who were certified as emergency medical technicians or who possessed higher certification for emergency medical response to become instructors for the Coast Guard's 'LifeSaver' program."

This implementation of Auxiliary medical professionals eventually led to the establishment of auxiliary members being formally recognized as Coast Guard medical practitioners.

"Currently, we have 52 Auxiliarist medical professionals in clinics at air stations Clearwater and Miami, the Coast Guard Academy, training centers Petaluma and Yorktown, the Coast Guard Yard, stations Annapolis, Ponce Inlet, Fort Lauderdale and Golden Gate, just to name a few," added Lavy.

Recently, Dr. Lavy won a Capt. Niels P. Thomsen award for innovation for implementation of the Auxiliarist medical participation program.

"Having volunteers like Dr. Lavy is truly beneficial to the Coast Guard and is truly a meaningful way to help serve our country," added Higgins.

Story and photos by PA1 Barry Lane, G-IPA-1

COPYRIGHT 2005 U.S. Coast Guard
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group