European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 2, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday june 2,1994 the stars and stripes Page 3wanted medical liaisons for army by Effie Bathen Staft writer officials at the army a 7th medical come in Heidelberg Germany Are looking for 44 people. Its a Tough search because they re needed to fill patient Liaison positions throughout Europe with the following qualifications fluency in English and the local language a Bachelor of science degree in a health related Field and a Good bedside manner. A patient Liaison assists americans who Are being treated in nonmilitary hospitals. They help with translations explain the local medical system and otherwise assist the patient and family members. The qualifications Are one of the main reasons applicants Are difficult to find said Marilyn Ellicott a registered nurse and the chief of Quality services for the army Hospital in Frankfurt Germany. The medical command has announced openings for 22 patient liaisons and will be announcing another 22 positions within a few months said command spokeswoman Barbara Slifer. By last weekend Slifer counted 20 slots filled out of 64 positions. Currently there is a surplus of korean and serbian interpreters Ellicott said. But most of the patient Liaison positions require language skills for Germany Belgium and Italy. A summer rotations and under Lap Are another reason that the positions have been slow to fill Slifer said. Often per Orinel receive orders to leave Europe before replacements arrive. The role of patient Liaison has become increasingly important in army communities where the troops Are drawing Down and . Medical facilities Are reducing services or closing. With More . Id card holders Rej a a via. A. Y a x i amps amps Jimi Jones this old unexploded bomb forced the evacuation of a housing area near the stars and stripes compound in Griesheim Germany on wednesday. Old bomb discovered by Jimi Jones staff writer Griesheim Germany a an unexploded bomb found in a housing area wednesday caused the evacuation of 16 families As Well As workers in some buildings at the adjacent stars and stripes Complex. A a they be assumed its an old British smoke projectile a said ten Viedt a Darmstadt spokeswoman who was on the scene. A there were no external markings nothing on the outside to help identify it. They be called experts in England to try to get an  construction workers found the dented Container which measures about 5 inches wide by 18 inches Long while replacing underground pipes in the parking lot at the housing area in Griesheim. Explosives experts said the rusted canister contained an internal fuse and possibly a Spray Type of chemical agent. A member of the initial explosive ordnance team on the scene described the rusted canister As ordnance dating Back at least to world War ii and possibly to world War i. In addition to the housing area and the stripes Complex the evacuation radius of about 100 Yards covered a Small German pension. Viedt said the . Military explosive team was expected to remove the canister. Viedt said a German explosives team also had been called. However she said no confirmation had been received that they would come. German police were also on the scene. Ceiling health care on the Economy it has become Clear that some european hospitals arc better than Many americans gave them credit for Ellicott said. In Germany for example hospitals cd pct More family involvement but the training and philosophy Are much closer to american standards than Many people expect she said. A a we have blown it. We totally missed the Mark. It is to our detriment we have not taken More advantage of them a Ellicott said. The medical command also is seeking ideas on How to make a 24-hour assistance service work she said. Around the clock service will be a major goal for the next year. One proposal being considered is a a paid Volunteer network in which assistants would be on Call possibly paid a retainer and a fee per Call. A your patient Liaison cannot be there everyday for every patient a Ellicott said. Liaisons will be required to visit hospitals daily and assist with communication Between patients and providers to include translating medical records. They will also facilitate and coordinate other tests and needs for the patients Between the Host nation Hospital and military facilities. Similar go Between services have Long been available through air Force and Navy medical facilities although on a smaller scale said spokesmen for those services. In the naval Hospital at Rota Spain bilingual employees help with outpatients said capt. Dennis Cole the hospitals executive officer. Generally bilingual Hospital employees make arrangements for such things As diagnostic testing. They also accompany patients to the local medical facility Cole said. In How paying off re of Ion by sue Palumbo Mediterranean Bureau Iraklion Crete a if practice makes perfect by the end of the year the . Air Force will be an expert in dosing bases in the Mediterranean. A i hate to say it but the air Force is really getting Good at this a said air Force col. Donald w. Edwards who commanded the 7276th air base group at Iraklion air station. By the end of August Iraklion air station on Crete will close its doors. So will bases at san Vito Dei Normanna Italy and Torrejon Spain. During a ceremony april 11, the air Force officially closed Iraklion but More than 100 Active duty military and family members remain at the air Difese. All but a handful will leave by june 30. Iraklion is not the first base Edwards has closed. He was the executive commander of hell Nikon a Greece which closed in 1991.although Edwards said every base closure has a life of its own he was Able to avoid Many of the mistakes made at Hel Len Ikon Iraklion had its closure ceremony Early to avoid a manpower and equipment shortage. Also Iraklion personnel were better Able to estimate what was needed to close the base without creating extra materials to dispose of he said. Iraklion a isolation makes it difficult to dispose of excess equipment. At most bases it is a simple matter to Load up a truck and cart off the goods. Supply personnel at Iraklion have to find a truck and a boat. They also Send out shopping lists of available merchandise through military communications networks to advertise surplus materials. A we ended up having to use the Tele phone to Call commands and find out if Altey needed something a said air Force master sgt. Tino theoharatos chief of Materiel management and operations. A a it a a Good feeling to see this stuff go where it is needed instead of ending up in Salvage  theoharatos said he faced some Competition from Torrejon and san Vito which Are also trying to unload supplies and equipment. As offices closed and people transferred. Those left behind were consolidated into a few buildings on one Street. The once vibrant and Beautiful base by the sea became a virtual ghost town. Small White signs saying a off limits Are tacked up neatly on almost every door. Deserted playgrounds once overflowing with children Are a solemn reminder of what once was. Edwards said one of the most important lessons he Learned from earlier closures is to be flexible especially where people Are concerned. Original plans had called for everyone to Send off household goods in april As base housing closed. Officials reworked the plan to allow families to keep their goods a Little longer. Officials then moved those living off base into on base housing so they  have to stay in a hotel for several weeks. When people complained about the impending gym closure officials solicited their concerns a we found out that the big concern was really basketball a which is an outside court anyway a a and free weights a Edwards said. A we just moved those into one of the buildings that would be open longer. There Are simple things that can be done to keep the Quality of life As High As  still by Dave Melancon Wiir Burg Bureau Wurzburg Germany a officials say plans for pioneering joint .-rus-Sian peacekeeping training Are continuing despite an announcement tuesday that the july exercise May move to the United states. A we have no official instructions on a postponement or cancellation of the exercise a said maj. Michael Mckency 3rd inf div spokesman. A we Are continuing to plan for the exercise As scheduled until we Are officially notified otherwise. On Russia Mission despite objection about 250 soldiers from 3rd inf dives 1st in 15th inf regt in Schweinfurt have been preparing to train with about the same number of soldiers from the 27th guards motorized Rifle div. Russian members of parliament and a delegation of . Senators meeting in Moscow said tuesday that because of russian nationalists objections the .-russian exercise should take place in the United states instead of Russia. The 10-Day mock peacekeeping operation was to have taken place the first week of july at the russian units Headquarters in to Skoye in the Volga military District. Maj. Gen. Leonard d. Holder jr., 3rd inf div commander and Gen. Maj. Anatoliy Mikhaylevich Sid Yakin the russian commander met several times last year in Wurzburg Moscow and Washington d.c., to plan the Mission. Division soldiers will continue their preparations Mckinney said. Published reports said president Clinton will choose when and where the exer Cise will take place. Both countries lawmakers agreed to delay the exercise because the russian nationalists denounced the Mission As an attempt to undermine russians Independence. Sen. Sam Nunn chief of the . Delegation and chairman of the Senate armed services committee said both countries Are committed to the exercise. But the presence of . Soldiers on russian soil is a sensitive subject in the former soviet Union the Georgia Democrat said