Articles

April 6, 2026

Primary Care Behavioral Health program brings whole-person care to JBSA clinics

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — A routine visit to a primary care clinic at Joint Base San Antonio can mean more than a prescription refill or annual checkup. Through the Primary Care Behavioral Health program, service members and families can address stress, sleep concerns, chronic pain and other issues that affect overall health and readiness, all in one familiar setting.

April 6, 2026

Lifeline in the Sky: KC-46 and Medical Teams Unite for Critical Care Exercise

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — A KC-46 Pegasus from Oklahoma, typically a lifeline for jets, recently became a crucial link in a high-stakes aeromedical evacuation exercise.

March 23, 2026

59th Medical Wing to transition Wilford Hall Emergency Department to Urgent Care Center

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO–LACKLAND, Texas — The 59th Medical Wing announced that the Emergency Department at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center will transition to an Urgent Care Center beginning April 4, 2026, at 8 a.m., shifting services to support non-life-threatening care.

March 23, 2026

Maj William R. Hoffman, MD Recognized with Raymond F. Longacre Award for Excellence in Aerospace Behavioral Health

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — The Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) has announced that Maj Hoffman, Medical Director, Joint Integrated Clinical Medicine Research, Office of the Chief Scientist, will be honored with the Raymond F. Longacre Award during the upcoming Honors Night ceremony at the annual Aerospace Medical Association & Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society Annual Scientific Meeting.

March 19, 2026

59MDW/ST Welcomes Dr. Jeremy Neslon, VelocityTX Chief Innovation Officer, to Strengthen Strategic Innovation Partnership

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — The 59th Medical Wing Science and Technology Directorate (59 MDW/ST) was honored to host Jeremy Nelson, PhD, on his visit to Joint Base San Antonio Lackland following his appointment as the new Chief Innovation Officer for VelocityTX. His visit marks an important milestone in our continued collaboration.

Feb. 13, 2026

Dr. Niemeyer Honored with 2026 AMSUS Lifetime Achievement Award for Transformative Impact on Federal Healthcare

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — Dr. Debra Niemeyer, Director of the 59th Medical Wing Chief Scientist’s Office, Science and Technology, has been selected to receive the 2026 AMSUS Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the highest honors in federal medicine. The award recognizes her career-long contributions to advancing military medicine, improving healthcare delivery, mentoring future leaders, and strengthening federal health systems across the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and U.S. Public Health Service. This prestigious honor reflects her enduring impact on national healthcare, military readiness, and innovation, and will be presented at the AMSUS Annual Meeting.

Jan. 29, 2026

Combat Casualty Care Technology Receives FDA Breakthrough Designation for the “AI-GUIDE”

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — The Defense Health Agency marked a major milestone in battlefield medicine after the FDA granted Breakthrough Device Designation to the AI-GUIDE system, an AI-enabled robotic ultrasound device developed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory. Designed for austere and high-stress environments, AI-GUIDE helps frontline medical personnel rapidly and accurately establish vascular access, a critical capability in treating noncompressible torso hemorrhage, a leading cause of preventable combat deaths. The achievement reflects close collaboration among the DHA, 59th Medical Wing, 959th Medical Group, Brooke Army Medical Center, and MIT researchers to accelerate life-saving innovation for warfighters.

Jan. 16, 2026

Empowering Innovation: A Research Look at SASW 2025’s Impact on Business Development

JBSA-LACKLAND, Texas — Dr. Scott Walter, the Director of Technology Transition/Transfer for the 59th Medical Wings Office of the Chief Scientist, along with Michael "Mic" Borcherding, Director of Innovation for VelocityTx co-chaired a panel session titled “Leveraging SBIR, CDMRP, and MTEC to Accelerate Dual-Use Solutions” at the San Antonio Startup Week (SASW). SASW 2025 was held 20 – 24 October 2025 for entrepreneurs, startups, and small business owners to support business development and featured educational panels, workshops, pitch competitions, and networking opportunities. The free, five-day event celebrated its 10th anniversary and was held downtown San Antonio, with Geekdom as the central location.

Jan. 14, 2026

Enhancing En Route Critical Care: Nontechnical Skills Prove Vital for Better Outcomes

JBSA-LACKLAND, Texas — A recent study published in Military Medicine Journal highlights the critical role of nontechnical skills in improving the performance of En Route Critical Care (ERCC) teams. As the nature of warfare evolves, the demand for medical care in combat zones is expected to intensify, potentially overwhelming current ERCC capabilities. This has spurred a need for innovative methods to assess and enhance team performance in challenging operational environments.

Jan. 13, 2026

Local Airmen requesting shaving waivers must make appointments at JBSA-Lackland, JBSA-Randolph

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas — All Joint Base San Antonio Air Force members who need a shaving waiver will need to make an in-person appointment at either Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center at JBSA-Lackland or the JBSA-Randolph Clinic in the coming weeks, according to medical officials.