Family Medical Services
Luke provides Family Medical Services for our military troops and their families. Our staff includes Family Practice Physicians, Family Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurses. We also provide case management and ancillary support services. Our providers are board-certified licensed professionals and work in military clinics or medical centers. We provide comprehensive medical care to the entire family including preventive medicine, behavioral science and community health. Our staff is knowledgeable in multiple disciplines including every disease entity, communicable diseases, travel medicine, pharmacology, and minor trauma. They perform medical examinations for routine, acute and chronic conditions, injuries from pediatric to adult, and all treatments are provided accordingly. In addition, Luke personnel have the experience to perform a wide variety of medical procedures. Our support staff teach patients and their families how to manage their illness or injury, explain post-treatment home care needs including diet, nutrition, exercise programs and self-administration of medication and physical therapy. In addition, family medical services personnel are certified in Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Life Support (ALS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS).
Women's Health Services
Luke provides a wide range of women’s health services primarily consisting of Obstetrics and Gynecology Services. These services include Labor and Delivery, Neonatal Intensive Care, Obstetrics, Lactation Consulting and Health and Wellness. Our staff includes Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, and Clinical Nurses who provide comprehensive primary care to women and their babies. Their expertise includes routine gynecological exams, antepartum and intrapartum management, postpartum care and immediate newborn care. Luke OB/GYN personnel have a broad knowledge of normal deliveries as well as their complications. Our staff is experienced in a wide range of medical disorders such as premature birth, forceps delivery, C-sections and fetal death. They are skilled in assessing women’s health issues and the physiological changes in the normal life cycle. Our staff provides care in both the Term Nursery and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with routine care of the term well newborn and teaching mothers the care of newborns. The advanced level of care provided to critically ill neonates includes continually observing, monitoring and assessing the patient’s condition. Often it involves life saving measures such as performing resuscitation within established Neonatal resuscitation algorithms; interpreting signs and symptoms of deterioration and initiating corrective action; and performing or assisting with complex procedures. Our staff also provides supportive care to patients and family during terminal illnesses. Luke OB/GYN personnel are licensed and certified by the American Heart Association in Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP).
Pediatric Health Services
Luke provides pediatric services at military installations for military families. We staff Pediatricians, Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses and support staff. Our staff is trained, experienced and certified to diagnose, treat and provide wellness check-ups to children. We manage and provide vaccinations for children and provide the required reporting.
Emergency Medical Services
Luke provides emergency medical services at military and government installations. Luke Emergency Medical Services personnel include Physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurses, and Emergency Medical Technicians both Basic and Paramedic. They are board-certified licensed professionals trained in all levels of emergency medicine as identified in JCAHO Level I, II or III Medical Treatment Facilities. Our staff performs the full range of emergency medical services including the ability and experience to adequately diagnose and treat diseases and injuries. They provide immediate evaluation and management of emergency patients providing definitive medical care to reduce the emergency medical condition until more specialized treatment becomes available.
Luke manages and staffs military installations with Emergency Medical Technicians, as well as physicians and nurses providing Emergency Room services not only to military personnel but in some instances to the public as well. All emergency medical services personnel assigned to the Emergency Department meet or exceed standards of practice as determined by the authority that governs military medical professionals in the same discipline. Our emergency personnel are certified in Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS).
Blood Bank Donor Programs
Luke’s Blood Bank Donor Program is staffed by Phlebotomists and Technicians with experience in collection and processing of red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, apheresis platelets and recovered plasma. In addition, the staff is proficient in setting up mobile collection sites, interfacing with donors and overseeing all aspects of the blood drive.
Luke has been involved in the development, implementation and staffing of several blood donor centers. The first of these centers was Keesler Air Force Base where we employed more Medical Laboratory Technicians and Phlebotomists than any other contractor in the program. This center was involved not only in blood drives at Keesler but at many other locations across the nation as our staff travels to many other bases throughout the year. We have been looked at as the model for other bases to use in similar programs.
The military blood program directly helps military personnel and their family members who need blood or platelets. All units collected stay within the military. Some units will go out with transports as they deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq. Some blood, however, will stay locally and be used to help military families at home.
Mental Health and Social Services
Luke provides a wide range of mental health services for the military and their families. Our staff consists of Psychiatrists, Clinical Psychologists, Clinical Social Workers, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Physician Assistants and Mental Health Technicians. We also provide additional specialized support staff as needed. Our staff interviews, assesses and treats the individual, family or couple in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Our staff is trained and experienced in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We also employ Speech Pathologists who are extensively trained in the area of TBI.
Luke fully understands the diagnosis and treatment of TBI and PTSD. Military personnel who have suffered a traumatic brain injury can exhibit a wide range of functional changes affecting thinking, sensation, movement, language and emotions. Some symptoms may appear immediately after the injury while others may not appear for days or weeks. Because of the nature of the injury and the symptoms, sometimes people may not recognize or admit that they have a problem. In post-concussion/mild TBI patients, recovery occurs within weeks or months but a small percentage have persistent symptoms. TBI is often associated with severe multiple trauma, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or undiagnosed concussions.
Accurate screening of patients who are at risk for a TBI is important in order to ensure that they are appropriately treated. Our Mental Health Services personnel are trained and experienced working with patients who have suffered both PTSD and TBI. Rehabilitation is effective using an interdisciplinary approach and close liaison with the patient, family and care givers. We focus on issues such as retraining in activities of daily living, pain management, cognitive and behavioral therapies, and pharmacological management. Our Mental Health Services personnel play an important role in providing ongoing support in the community, monitoring for complications, behavior and personality issues, social integration, career coping skills and return-to-work issues.
Our staff fully understands the importance of providing mental health and social services for families during deployments, prior to deployment and post deployment. We work very diligently with families and support functions to resolve crises and problems. We work with local agencies as needed to provide support where needed. We are also active in suicide prevention and provide additional training, briefings and discussions to increase awareness and to identify possible indicators of problems.
PSYCHIATRISTS
Luke's Psychiatrists are highly trained, specialized and board certified in psychiatry. They establish mental status evaluations, formulations, diagnoses and detailed treatment plans. If necessary, referrals for further diagnostic psychological or medical testing are issued. Our psychiatrists determine whether long-term residential treatment is necessary and work with the staff to make appropriate arrangements. Our Psychiatrists also provide crisis interventions and referrals for psychiatric hospitalizations. They have sufficient experience to effectively provide psychiatric medical services for patients and family members as it relates to family therapy. Luke’s Psychiatrists have Doctor of Medicine licensure and have completed a psychiatric residency training program as approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. They maintain a current Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certificate and possess a controlled substances registration certificate from the Drug Enforcement Administration.
CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALISTS
Luke’s Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) are Advanced Practice Nurses that are clinical experts in assessment, diagnosis and treatment of illnesses. They function independently to provide theory and evidence based nursing interventions towards the patient’s improved care. They provide clinical expertise to effect system-wide changes to improve programs of care. The CNSs work with other nurses to advance their nursing practices as well as improve the Traumatic Brain Injuries Education Programs by participating in the TBI rehabilitation programs.
All Clinical Nurse Specialists are graduates of a National League of Nursing accredited school of nursing in a recognized advanced practice nursing education program and are certified. They have a Master’s degree with at least two years of practice, possess a license as a Registered Nurse to practice in the U.S., maintain current certification in Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and have a medical surgical certification at the national level as a CNS in their area of specialty.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS
Luke’s Clinical Psychologists help patients deal with illnesses such as stroke and chronic pain, injuries such as spinal cord injury, and personal crises such as divorce or the death of a loved one. The Psychologist applies psychological procedures and techniques, including interviewing, behavioral assessment, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and psychological/psychodiagnostic testing in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of psychological and neuropsychological disorders. This includes individual, family, group and couples therapy, as well as alcohol and drug treatment evaluations. They also provide consults with medical personnel, legal authorities, military commanders and school districts as required.
Luke’s Psychologists have a Doctor of Philosophy degree in clinical or counseling psychology from an accredited psychology program. They have completed an American Psychological Association (APA) accredited internship/residency in clinical psychology and are licensed to practice psychology in the U.S.
Luke’s Clinical Social Workers specialize in social work aspects of psychiatry using techniques pertinent to both fields. They are concerned with helping people find ways of dealing with mental health problems. The Clinical Social Worker provides screenings, clinical assessments, treatment, case management, consultation, referral and education. This may involve individual, family, group or couples therapy. Child, adolescent and family social work services include evaluation, treatment, consultation and training.
Luke's Clinical Social Workers have a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree and are licensed to practice social work in the U.S. In addition, they have a minimum of two years in the independent practice of clinical social work in child, adolescent and family therapy within the past five years.
Laboratory Operations
Luke operates medical laboratories for clinics and medical centers. Our laboratory personnel set up equipment and supplies to collect blood samples and perform many tests that aid physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of conditions such as bacterial infections, blood disorders, cancer, diabetes, heart attacks, kidney and liver diseases. In addition, we screen blood donors and perform phlebotomy services in accordance with the American Association of Blood Bank standards and Food and Drug Administration regulations, policies and guidelines.
Physical Therapy Services
Luke provides complete physical therapy services for the military and their families. Our staff includes Physical Therapists and Physical Therapy Assistants/Technicians who provide a full range of therapy from Orthopedic, General Medicine and Surgery, Primary Care, Rheumatology and other referrals. Our therapists test and measure the patient’s strength, motor development, sensory perception, functional capacity, and respiratory and circulatory efficiency. Therapists are also experienced in training and rehabilitation for prosthetics. They plan and prepare written treatment programs based on these evaluations and administer manual exercises to improve and maintain function.
Luke’s Physical Therapy personnel maintain current, unrestricted licenses to practice in the U.S. and its territories. They are certified in Basic Life Support and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and possess a background with proficiency in manual therapy and orthopedic care. In addition, they are accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Commission and hold a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral degree in Physical Therapy.
Internal Medicine
Luke provides a wide range of internal medicine specialties. Our staff includes Physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurses and support staff. Our staff provides the diagnosis, management and nonsurgical treatment of medical disorders and conditions. The internal medicine specialties we provide include Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Pulmonology, Rheumatology, Otolaryngology and Audiology. Our internists are board certified in their specialty, have completed residency or fellowship in internal medicine and are capable of performing the full range of services in their field of expertise.
Dental Services
Luke provides full dental services at military installations. We staff the dental clinics with Dentists, Dental Hygienists, Dental Assistants and Dental Laboratory Technicians who provide care for active military personnel and their families. We also provide Orthodontists and Oral Surgeons. Our Dentists examine, diagnose and treat diseases, abnormalities, injuries and dysfunctional disorders of the oral cavity and its associated structures. Our Dentists also perform routine preventive, periodontal, oral surgery, endodontic and prosthodontic treatment.
Our Dental Hygienists perform oral prophylaxis, provide preliminary periodontal examinations involving diagnostic tests and x-rays, provide oral health education, prepare treatment plans for plaque control and apply topical fluorides and desensitizing agents to the teeth. Each Dental Hygienist is licensed and a graduate of a dental hygiene school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the ADA.
Pharmacy Services
Luke operates a number of pharmacies for military installations. These include outpatient pharmacies and clinical, inpatient pharmacies. We staff pharmacies with certified and licensed Pharmacists who have formal training and experience in pharmacy operations. Our Pharmacists cover inpatient and outpatient duties on all shifts. We also staff Pharmacy Technicians at pharmacies.
Our staff fills inpatient and outpatient prescriptions, supports physicians’ requests, monitors for drug interactions and reports adverse drug reactions. Pharmacy personnel also perform quality improvement duties including drug storage inspection, inventory maintenance and reviewing expired supplies. Luke Pharmacists are registered and licensed.
