The Air Force completed its final health services inspection as it transitions to a new method of assessing the performance of its medical wings: the unit effectiveness inspection. The Air Force Inspection Agency gave the 59th Medical Wing at JBSA-Lackland, Tex., an “excellent” rating during the final HSI in early February, according to a mid-February base release. The Air Force used HSIs for 30 years, inspecting the medical processes at medical units every three years to ensure that they adhered to the service’s standards. The goal of the new UEIs will be to ensure that military treatment facilities “provide safe and quality healthcare in an efficient, patient-focused, and professional manner,” states the release. “Patient safety is paramount and will always be a top priority,” said Col. John Sell, medical operations director at AFIA. “It’s our goal to ensure patients are receiving the best, safest care possible,” he said. (Lackland report by SSgt. Jerilyn Quintanilla)
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.