BAMBERG, Germany — Hundreds of medical professionals from the German Klinikum in downtown Bamberg were given a tour of the Warner Barracks medical and dental clinics on Wednesday evening.
While taking tours of the clinics was on the agenda — as well as sharing a little food and drink — the main reason for inviting the German doctors and nurses on post was “to get face time with who we’re referring American soldiers to,” said Sgt. 1st Class Steven Cruze, senior enlisted adviser for the clinic.
The medical clinic is only equipped for sick call care, Cruze said. For advanced care, patients have to go off base.
One of Warner’s patient liaisons, Renate Nagan, came up with the idea of having the Germans visit when she moved here from Katterbach three years ago. It has been an annual event ever since.
“It’s more personal to be able to see each other,” she said. “Not only doctors and nurses are here, but everyone who has some kind of patient contact.”
One of the visiting pediatricians liked the idea.
“It’s very nice to be invited here,” said Dr. Daniel Windschall. “We have many American patients. It’s nice to see where [the Americans] live and work.”
Windschall went on to talk about one patient he has, a 16-year-old girl, with whom he’s worked for three years. Her father ended up being re-assigned, but they managed to move back to Bamberg so the girl could continue her treatment.
“There are families who are here for many years, and we get to watch some of the kids grow up,” Windschall said.
Besides talking shop and listening to a few remarks from the garrison commander, one thing that caught the Germans’ attention was a camouflage-netted display where one soldier was demonstrating how he trains others in basic lifesaving skills using a $30,000 dummy. SimMan, according to Sgt. John Braley, Warner Barracks’ medical readiness noncommissioned officer-in-charge, “is the most modern simulation mannequin in the Army.”
While SimMan’s chest rose and fell and a speaker added gunfire and chaos, Braley showed onlookers things he teaches other soldiers who take combat lifesaver classes.
