Preventive medicine is just one of the many features and responsibilities of the Medical Department, in the effort to stop sickness from occurring aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).

From flu shots and birth month recall, to potable water and food inspections, preventive medicine is a small program that has a big impact on the ship.

A crew of three medical Corpsman, the only preventive medical technicians on Abraham Lincoln, has the responsibility of preventing the spread of illness and educating the ship in creating a proactive, healthy environment.

The first line of defense and the greatest threat to preventive medicine is personal hygiene habits. Depending on the Sailor's habits, the best preventive medicine practices are literally in the hands of the crew.

"The best things that Sailors on Abraham Lincoln can do is wash your hands, wash your clothes, wash your body and keep your living spaces clean," said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Brandon Schram, a preventive medicine technician. "If you can keep the areas that you stay in clean, the chances of you getting sick are less. Good hygiene is huge."

The preventive medical technicians who stress good hygiene also promote safe sex practices. The medical department provides sexual health counseling and education for all members to educate crew members on the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STD).

"You need to care for yourself and protect yourself when you can," said Chief Hospital Corpsman Patrick Lumas.

Although many of the factors that work into preventive medicine rely on the individual decisions of the Sailors serving aboard, other environmental factors, to include the ship's water and food, need extra attention as well.

The ship's water is tested weekly in port and daily while underway for harmful bacteria. All spaces that hold food are routinely inspected for safe storage practices. This includes all vending machines, the ship's store, food storage and all galleys and messes.

"With this amount of personnel and everyone eating and drinking from the same sources, if a source is contaminated then a full-blown outbreak can occur," said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Naphtali Odongo. "Once one person catches it, it is so easy for it to spread all over the ship."

Since there are only three preventive medicine technicians
aboard, responsibility for health falls on all crew members. From taking care of personal hygiene, to reporting any suspicious food or water, more can be done to help stop the production and spread of communicable disease and sickness.

If you would like more information, or help from the 'Navy's finest preventive medicine team,' as Chief Lumas says, visit the medical department.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), visit www.navy.mil/.