The satellite Kittyhawk Pharmacy has been following a strict set of protocols to keep its customers safe, requiring them to drive through a line while Airmen screen them and deliver medications to their vehicle.
Chief Master Sgt. Jennifer Maitland, 88th Diagnostics and Therapeutics Squadron superintendent with oversight of the Kittyhawk Pharmacy, said 48 members of the Chiefs Group would take four-hour shifts, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., to relieve the volunteer Airmen.
“Throughout COVID-19, the pharmacy has had to dramatically change how we operate to ensure that our retirees, dependents and other customers get the same level of care and service as they received pre-COVID-19,” Maitland said. “Our patient population is at the highest risk for COVID-19 and COVID-19-related difficulties, so we want to keep them out of the building to keep them safe. Since COVID-19 started, we instituted our ‘Drive-in Kitty-Fill-A’ to provide curbside service to those who are highest at risk.
Credit: Wesley Farnsworth
Credit: Wesley Farnsworth
“Throughout this time, Team Wright-Patt has been giving us active-duty volunteers to be able to continue our services,” she said. “So today Team Wright-Patt chiefs, first sergeants, squadron superintendents and senior NCOs (non-commissioned officers) are working the entire day to give those volunteers a day off.”
The idea for the “Freedom Friday” came from Maitland, Chief Master Sgt. Jason Shaffer, 88th Air Base Wing command chief, and Chief Master Sgt. Daniel McCain, 88th Medical Group superintendent. The volunteers they relieved have been trained and working at the pharmacy for 30 days or more as their duty station.
“It is hard work, and these chiefs and superintendents are really earning their paycheck today,” Maitland said. “It is a way for us to say ‘thank you’ and a way for our senior enlisted leaders to see what the pharmacy has been doing since COVID-19 began and show how we appreciate them giving us volunteers to maintain our mission.”
Senior Airman LaKenya Partridge, pharmacy technician and point of contact/trainer for the augmentee volunteers, said she appreciated the “chief relief.”
“It’s good to see that our leadership cares and is coming down to help our volunteers,” she said. “Without our augmentees and volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to operate the drive-thru as smoothly as we do.”
“We appreciate it a lot,” said Capt. Rebecca Seagraves, pharmacist and officer in charge who designed the new pick-up system and secured the tents and other equipment required for it. “But they don’t know what all it takes. It’s cool that leadership has come to see what we do every day. That means a lot to us and I know it will mean a lot to our Airmen to get a jump on their weekend.”
Credit: Wesley Farnsworth
Credit: Wesley Farnsworth
The Kittyhawk Pharmacy has been distributing between 2,000 and 3,000 medications per day through its single-point drive-thru line, Maitland told the relief volunteers during their training to act as ticket runners, computer technicians and ID verifiers.
Maitland delivered the happy news to the volunteer Airmen as they were relieved.
“We appreciate how hard you all have been working. I am a pharmacy technician and I understand the struggle. I understand what it’s like to deal with patients day in and day out. You guys had no experience in doing this and you came here, jumped right in and made our mission high-function, so to thank you, we have brought in all these amazing chiefs, first sergeants, superintendents and senior NCOs to take your vests from you and tell you to have a extra-long good weekend,” she said.
Eyes widened and cheers erupted.
Airman 1st Class Allen Tang, 88th Operations Support Squadron, air traffic controller, had been volunteering at the pharmacy for three months.
Credit: Wesley Farnsworth
Credit: Wesley Farnsworth
“This is fantastic and a really good surprise,” he said. “It’s been fun. The pharmacy staff is super-friendly and if you have questions, they take care of it. I’ve been meeting new people, too.”
Senior Airman Jason Whitehead, 88 FSS Military Personnel Flight personellist/retention counselor journeyman, had been a three-month volunteer as well, with his final day planned for Aug. 7. He was pleasantly surprised to end his volunteerism early.
“It’s been a very fun experience for me. I’ve liked working with the team and leadership here. They have been diligent in taking care of us. I’ve been getting to help out,” he said.
Whitehead said he would head home to play the “Call of Duty” videogame.
“I’m very grateful for the chiefs and the leadership here to help us out and give me a day off,” he said.
Shaffer said the event was modeled after the selfless leadership mantra Col. Patrick Miller, 88 ABW and installation commander, talked about when he assumed command.
“This idea of giving back to the Airmen took off and flourished,” he said. “These guys are killing it, outside of their work centers and doing a thankless job of serving at least 2,000 prescriptions a day, about 150 cars per hour. They are working hard. For us to give one day lets these Airmen know we care about what they do because they are helping this mission.”
Following his shift, Senior Master Sgt. Lonnie Locklear, Military Personnel Flight, 88th Force Support Squadron, said, “Working at the pharmacy was fun. We take so many things for granted. To be able to see how much goes on to make the pharmacy a success was really eye-opening. I also enjoyed the fact that our Airmen got a much-needed break and that we got to see what they go through on a daily basis.
“The job would’ve been much harder if we didn’t have good trainers,” Locklear said. “Luckily the pharmacy staff took care of us. A Senior Airman was our supervisor for the day – it goes to show how much faith and trust the pharmacy team has in each other – a top-notch process with top-notch Airmen.”
Chief Master Sgt. Joseph Newton Jr., command chief, 88th Mission Support Group, said, “During the initial training, when the pharmacy leads were going over the responsibilities it was a little overwhelming for us, but after getting the process down by actual working through it, it was really fun.
“It was also nice to give the Airmen who have been working the pharmacy get a little break. I wish we could have done more for them,” he said. “I also really enjoyed helping out and seeing firsthand how appreciative the members receiving their prescriptions were.”
About the Author