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BULLSEYE
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LABORATORY, from page 1 _____
everyone else is messed up, everybody
else is delayed. If we do our job like the
experts and professionals that we are, it
helps to facilitate patient care.”
Hallstrom, a retired Air Force laboratory before they can work in the sections,”
technician, uses her military experience
and knowledge as a lab tech to be a ‘bridge’
between the di erent departments of the
lab and to assist the ow of communication.
While patients only see the phle-
botomy department, there is much more
going on behind the scenes within the
laboratory that patients don’t get to see,
and each is just as important as the other.
“Working in the laboratory is so much
more than just ‘pushing buttons’ on the
analyzers,’” said Vivian B. Candelario,
99th MDSS Hematology laboratory tech-
nician. “Laboratory technicians actually
perform detailed quality control, mainte-
nance procedures and troubleshooting on
the analyzers. We have to be able to inter-
pret the results from the analyzer to ensure Platelet Count, Prothrombin time/interna-
accuracy and reliability. Medical Technol-
ogists, like myself, must have a Bachelor’s
ART, from page 1 ______________
Mike O’Callaghan Federal Hospital held
an art exhibition, “An Art of an Art,” con-
taining 10 years of Anakwa’s work, but not
only is this artwork used for display, the
doctor uses his art as an integral tool for
communicating with patients.
Since his adolescence and growing
up in Ghana, art has played a role in
Anakwa’s life.
“I started painting, my father was
teaching me,” said Anakwa. “I was 16 and
painting in black and white. en all of
a sudden, I gave up painting and started
using pen.”
Through his childhood, it became
apparent that Anakwa life contains two
passions: science and art. From his ado-
lescence to schooling, Anakwa found a
way to fuse the two together.
“When I was in high school, I did sci-
ence,” said Anakwa. “Normally a science
student wouldn’t do art, but I added art as
an additional subject and I did very well
in it. So when I went to college, some of
the guys from high school who did art
were there with me doing art and I tagged
along with them.”
Once Anakwa came to the United
States to complete his residency, his art
was put on hold while he spent most of
his time studying and practicing at St.
Anges Hospital, Baltimore. ough he
had taken a break from art, it was not to
be permanent.
“When I graduated in medicine and
came to the United States in 2001, I did my
residency from 2001-2004 in Baltimore at
St. Agnes hospital,” said Anakwa. ”During
that time I didn’t do much artwork. But
a er that when I rst worked in Nevada,
in a small town called Overton, I started
doing the drawings again, and the rst
one I drew was the hippo.”
News
degree and be board certified as well.”
“Every lab technician undergoes a
rigorous training process in each area
of the lab and their competence in per-
forming procedures must be assessed
said Candelario.
For example, the hematology section
is just one section, but it requires the
knowledge of many scienti c disciplines.
e individuals that work in the hematol-
ogy section must have an understanding
of immunology, hematology, molecular
biology, genetics, biochemistry, and
pathophysiology. The same principle
applies to each section of the clinical
laboratory.
“Patient laboratory results play a vital
role with diagnosis,” said Tamisha Cherry,
99th MDSS Blood Bank medical labora-
tory technician. “Hematology provides
Hemoglobin, Hematocrit, Platelet Count,
tional normalized ratio, Partial rombo-
plastin and other coagulation studies that
help determine what types of products to
transfuse and how much is needed. Chem-
is Hippo, drawn in black and white
ink, hangs now in the break room of the
internal medicine section of Nellis AFB.
It is only one piece of the comprehen-
sive grouping of art work on display for
Anakwa’s exhibition: ‘An Art of An Art.”
“ is exhibition is for a period of ten
years that I’ve been in Nevada, and out of
that ten years, ve of it has been at Nellis,”
said Anakwa. “ is is a premier institution
and I haven’t done an exhibition before. To
have the privilege to launch my art career
here at Nellis AFB is huge.”
e artwork hanging in the internal sec-
tion only serves as aesthetic images to look
at while walking the halls, but it also serves
as a way to better connect with patients.
“It’s something out of the box, but I fully
support it,” said Maj. Paul Bott, Medical
Services Flight Commander, 99th MDOS.
“It shows not just our coworkers, but
also our patients that our physicians do
other things and they have other talents.
at way we can be more personal with
patients and show them another side of
their doctor.”
Seeing this other side to their doctor
is important, especially in Anakwa’s case
since he is a primary care physician at
MOFMC.
“As far as being in internal medicine, he
has over 800 patient empaneled to him, so
he’s their primary care provider,” said Bott.
“Doctor Anakwa also covers in-patient
wards for us. He’s very personable and
easy to talk to. His patients love him and
you can tell because his clinic is always
full. ey’re always here and I think a lot
of them make a point to just come and see
him to tell him to tell the truth, he takes
great care of them.”
His art not only hangs on the walls of
the internal medicine section, but it serves
a vital role in Anakwa’s day-to-day interac-
tions with patients.
istry tests for bilirubin and haptoglobin,
and urinalysis tests for microscopic red
cells. ese tests aid in assessing if a trans-
fusion reaction has occurred.”
It is these kinds of tests that have to be
precise and accurate, and have no room for
failure, as it is vital to the patient’s health. as the hemolysis may also be present in
“ e Transfusion Service performs
routine and compatibility testing to sup-
port the transfusion needs of a number
of specialty services, including surgery,
obstetrics, and emergency transfusions,”
said Cherry. “We provide products to
save the patient’s life.”
Even though each section is special-
ized in the tests they perform, all of the
lab sections work together to provide the
best patient care.
“Many of our sta are trained to work
in multiple sections within the labora-
tory and when sta ng is short in one
section, sta is moved around to ensure
adequate coverage,” said Rocky Craw-
ford, 99th MDSS chemistry technical
supervisor. “In the chemistry section,
we share information concerning the
condition of specimens. We alert the
Dr. Cyclopea Anakwa, 99th Medical Operations Squadron internal medicine doctor,
describes his artwork to an airman at the Mike O’Callaghan Federal Medical Center during
his “An Art of An Art” exhibit at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., April 21. The artwork hanging
in internal not only serves as aesthetic images to look at while walking the halls, but it
also serves as a way to better connect with patients.
“On a daily basis, I’m quick to explain
to my patients, without grabbing a book,
‘these are you lungs, we think that is some-
thing here on the right side,’” said Anakwa.
“For example, diabetic teachings. When I
nish through everything the diagrams I
give them depicting re ned sugar, unre-
ned foods, carbohydrates, and some of
them will rip them o and ask me to sign
them.”
The art serves an important role in
communicating with patients, serving as
easily digestible diagrams that patients can
understand quickly.
Anakwa’s art ranges from that which
helps patients easily understand their con-
ditions to his art that is used for decoration
3April 29, 2016
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other sections if there is a problem with
the quality of a specimen which could
a ect the accuracy of results.
“For, example, if chemistry receives
a specimen that is hemolyzed, we will
notify the hematology department of this
the hematology specimen, and the results
they obtain could be adversely a ected,”
said Crawford.
It’s obvious that the professionals in
the clinical lab enjoy their job and care
about their patients, making sure they
get the best care by providing quick and
accurate test results.
e Airmen and civilians that work
in the 99th MDSS Laboratory deliver
world-class support and should be high-
lighted year round as their vast training
and knowledge lead to the timely and
accurate dissemination of vital informa-
tion to physicians that helps save lives.
“Truth be told, physicians rely on
the lab results to be able to e ectively
diagnose and treat patients. Lab techs
are the ‘behind the scenes’ partners of
physicians,” said Candelario.
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Kevin Tanenbaum
and discussion, Anakwa maintains a rm
philosophy for art pieces.
“It’s one thing to have an art piece that
you drew and not show it to anyone. I don’t
see the use of that art piece, you didn’t give
it to anyone or show it to anyone you just
nished the artwork and kept it the closet.
at is not art, art is an idea and a passion,
but it always has to be shared, even if it’s
only shared with one person. e person
who bought it or the person you gave it to,
that person is going to share it and it will
continue on being shared.”
It is with this concept in mind that
Anakwa is holding his rst art exhibition,
‘An Art of An Art,’ at Nellis AFB in the
MOFMC.