90 day stabilization period after deployment

[turkish]

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I'm a dermatologist deployed to Afghanistan as a GMO for 7 months, battalion surgeon over a small aid station. I'm PROFIS, and have been told by one of the senior physicians (who is organic to the unit I'm PROFIS'd to) that he may recommend I be kept at the unit's home station for 90 days after deployment for "stabilization". It's a complicated situation, but basically he and the other doc don't want to do the PDHAs/referrals/refills for this unit, and are "requiring" that I finish them before the unit redeploys...or else. He made it sound like a punishment, despite them praising me at every turn during this deployment.

Has anyone every heard of this happening? Is there any way out of it?

Thanks for any help or advice.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

What are your orders under PROFIS? Do they have you only as long as you deploy? What is your command stateside expecting of your return? It may not be the choice of that particular unit to keep you longer than the deployment. Contact your command stateside and determine what your requirements are. It sounds as if this senior doc wants to take leave from his unit at your expense on return from deployment.

 

[Lee]

Read ALARACT 306/2009 - it specifies the 90-day post deployment requirement.

 

[turkish]

I can't find that ALARACT, do you have a link?

I've NEVER heard of this actually happening to someone, despite any policies that may exist.

 

[Lee]

It's fairly standard - its meant to be in the best interest of the Soldiers with which you deployed. However, it may not apply to you because of your specialty.

Search for the ALARACT on AKO. I'd post a link, but I'm on my iPhone.

 

[Lee]

Either way, I'd strongly recommend that you assist with the post deployment efforts. Leaving before all the reverse SRP efforts are done is unlikely to be appreciated by the PAs or BDE Surgeon.

It shouldn't take more than 2 weeks - and the PDHAs can be started 30 days prior to redeployment.

 

[turkish]

Either way, I'd strongly recommend that you assist with the post deployment efforts. Leaving before all the reverse SRP efforts are done is unlikely to be appreciated by the PAs or BDE Surgeon.

It shouldn't take more than 2 weeks - and the PDHAs can be started 30 days prior to redeployment.

A few points worth noting-

1. I have already begun the PDHAs for early redeployers, and haven't given them one bit of resistance towards finishing the rest for the main body...but there are nearly 2,000 (by the BDE surgeon's own estimate) of them, and I'm only one person. He has told me it's not his nor the BDE PA's job to do them. I'm supposed to do that many in 30 days? Plus refills and referrals? Come on.

2. They brought this upon themselves by passing over their junior PA for promotion, who was at the end of his commitment. He is now leaving theater early to start retirement paperwork (he's prior service), and there won't be anyone in the rear now besides the BDE surgeon and PA to do the PDHAs...and like I said previously, they're refusing to do any.

3. I'm PROFIS for 6 months, not some lifer with this unit. I have a job to do, a lab to run, and residents to teach, back in my hospital, where others are covering in my absence. This is simply a ploy by the BDE surgeon and PA to trap me in so they can take block leave while I sit in around on Ft. Nowhere doing their work. Fraud, waste, and abuse? Right here, perfect example. Where am I going to live? I redeploy through CRC, then what? Ship out to Ft. Nowhere for 3 more months? I have a job, a life, a family. Enough is enough.

The point is- I'm happy to help out, and I've done everything I can to make life easy on these two people while I've been here. So far, they've been impressed and pleased. This is extreme laziness and aloofness, refusing to help, dumping all the medical redeployment readiness crap on me, then trying to trap me somewhere I don't belong for months while they take leave.

 

[a1qwerty55]

You've done your part. Your home Command needs to start pushing for your return asap. While they CAN keep you with the unit for 90 days, they usually don't and in your case most definitely should not.
Unless you plan on making the military a career (which I doubt as a Dermatologist) it is time to start agitating.

 

[Lee]

Sorry to hear of the issues.

First, thoroughly read ALARACT 306/2009 to determine if the 90-days applies to you, then take a look at ALARACT 013/2012 (which mostly does not apply), because there are some good references and POCs in the ALARACT. Once you've done your research, contact your hospital command and career manager for assistance.

Both ALARACTs can be found in AKO - search "AMEDD Professional Filler System"

 

[turkish]

Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it.

 

[244913]

Sounds like your typical bde surgeon- lazy ****bag administrator trying to foist everything off on the workerbees.

Turkish I'm a little confused. Are you in a bsb? If you're profis to a bn you shouldn't have 2000 people assigned. Is the bde surgeon trying to make you do pdhas for the whole bde? Are you co located with bde? If not then how can you do their pdhas before redeploying?

Bottom line this is not your job. Each bn in that maneuver Bde should have an organic pa and profis doc. They should be handling pdhas for their units and you for yours. When my unit redeployed our pdhas were done at an srp site by contract pas and nps which was a complete cluster but it got done. Your rear d docs can help put in all the consults and meds while the redeployers light out for block leave and you to home station.

Trust me you do not need to fear the Bde surgeon, as a dermatologist. Stand in the door and make him get off his lazy ass.

 

[Homunculus]

just be glad you only did 7 and are doing the 90 day thing stateside. 😛

we had folks coming back from theater who were caught in this thing over christmas, and weren't allowed to take leave (while they were conus mind you) to see their fam.

this policy first went into effect when i was in iraq doing a 12 month deployment, and all of the bn surgeons did our respective battalions while the level II did theirs. no one was caught up in the mess, and the rear-D providers picked up the slack when we returned. remember- when these units are deployed, the providers left in the rear are doing basically nothing, lol. we had the advantage of the brigade having planned initially on not having us post deployment, which helped. nowadays they may plan on the 90 day "gotcha" PROFIS clause.

my best advice is to get your home command involved and use the RVU and productivity and $$ angle. keep in mind though that you are theirs until the day you leave. a small part of me wants to tell you to be glad you were only there 7 months and not 12 or 15, but that's kind of mean and counter productive. but that is the mindet the line is going to have.

good luck.

--your friendly neighborhood OIF 08-09 caveman

 

[turkish]

I see where you're coming from, but I am on the back half of someone else's 12 month deployment, so they've had a PROFIS dermatologist covering as their Bn surgeon for the whole 12 months. Now they want 3 more so they can take leave asap, screwing me over.

Whoever wrote this clause was awfully short-sighted...the base this unit belongs to is HUGE, and has tons of providers. One thing these people haven't done is get me credentialed as a provider at their home station. If they don't do that soon, it'll be too late, and I won't be able to see their patients. Either they're bluffing, or are too disorganized to follow through on their own threats.

Oh, and on top of all this, I just got tasked to cover the local detention facility 24/7, It's only a mile away, and I have no vehicle. THEY CAN TAKE OUR LIVES, BUT THEY CAN NEVER TAKE OUR FREEDOM!!!

 

[rotatores]

I see where you're coming from, but I am on the back half of someone else's 12 month deployment, so they've had a PROFIS dermatologist covering as their Bn surgeon for the whole 12 months. Now they want 3 more so they can take leave asap, screwing me over.

Whoever wrote this clause was awfully short-sighted...the base this unit belongs to is HUGE, and has tons of providers. One thing these people haven't done is get me credentialed as a provider at their home station. If they don't do that soon, it'll be too late, and I won't be able to see their patients. Either they're bluffing, or are too disorganized to follow through on their own threats.

Oh, and on top of all this, I just got tasked to cover the local detention facility 24/7, It's only a mile away, and I have no vehicle. THEY CAN TAKE OUR LIVES, BUT THEY CAN NEVER TAKE OUR FREEDOM!!!

Ah ya...the flashbacks have returned. I was in a similar situation...however on the front end of my deployment. I had to cover sick call for 2 months while the organic (interned) trained GMO took leave. Meanwhile, my command was short staffed a board certified physician. The joys of military medicine.

 

[Homunculus]

I see where you're coming from, but I am on the back half of someone else's 12 month deployment, so they've had a PROFIS dermatologist covering as their Bn surgeon for the whole 12 months. Now they want 3 more so they can take leave asap, screwing me over.

Whoever wrote this clause was awfully short-sighted...the base this unit belongs to is HUGE, and has tons of providers. One thing these people haven't done is get me credentialed as a provider at their home station. If they don't do that soon, it'll be too late, and I won't be able to see their patients. Either they're bluffing, or are too disorganized to follow through on their own threats.

Oh, and on top of all this, I just got tasked to cover the local detention facility 24/7, It's only a mile away, and I have no vehicle. THEY CAN TAKE OUR LIVES, BUT THEY CAN NEVER TAKE OUR FREEDOM!!!

the credentials issue is easily addressed with the ICTB that should have been done pre-deployment by your home unit, so i wouldn't say they are bluffing. their credentials people call your credentials people and it's probably a done deal.

if you home command is persistent enough and has enough rank, they are your best advocate. unfortunately the line doesn't view us any differently than a medical asset, and with the emphasis on continuity of care it's hard to argue from a care standpoint that it's bad-- it just sucks for the person having so sit around and do the redeployment screens. if it helps, most of the guys say they have nothing going on/nothing to worry about because all they want to do is go on block leave. it's the 90 day re-assessment (pdhra) after reintegration that all their ptsd and substance abuse issues will come up. so if it's any solace, you should be able to burn through them pretty quick.

the other alternative could be to have someone who hates their job at your hospital (we always had disgruntled folks around) maybe come switch out for you. hell, we had an FP who was going to split her deployment who decided she liked afghanistan better and stayed the full year-- which angered the person looking forward to replacing her at 6 months, lol.

i really wish you the best, and if you find an approach that works let us know.

--your friendly neighborhood pdha ptsd caveman