All Branch Topic (ABT) Do COs control the distribution of AD personel at their hospitals?

[Perrotfish]

This might be a weird question, but does a hospital CO have the ability to change the total number of active duty personnel assigned to each department? Or is that set by some higher authority? For example if there are 8 corpsmen in an Admin department, could the CO decide admin only needs 4 people, and the other 4 need to work on the Ward from now on?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[DoctaJMa]

I would think no...even at the unit level there is an MTOE...this dictates how many of each MOS is needed...it apparently takes an act of God to change the MTOE from what i was told from my division surgeon and chain of command when i asked for an additional PA...but as for the hospital setting im not sure

 

[backrow]

Yes, the CO can do that and does frequently with enlisted personnel. That's why you see ship personnel cranking (working in the Mess even though they are whatever other rate) or you get corpsmen from your department assigned to gate duty instead of clinic.

In general the Navy says you get X number of people with Y rating or specialty. The CO doesn't have the ability to change the number of billets though as that comes from up high.

 

[jabreal00]

Billets for AD personnel are set at a higher level; HRC and the Surgeon General's office, at least in the Army. Hospital CO don't have that much power in terms of creating new active duty spots, especially for physicians. For enlisted folks, they can rotate people to the hospital who are assigned to various clinics or units within the post that the hospital is in. However, each Brigade or unit has it's CO who has equal say in allowing enlisted folks to help out at the hospital taking vitals or other corpsman type activity. Many allow this because it gives their corpsmen clinical experience that they can bring back with them to the unit to train other medics. The commanding General officer has the most influence in getting a new active duty position. I know this because I PCSed to a location that previously didn't have a position for my speciality because the commanding general at the base made a stink about creating a new slot there and HRC and the surgeon general's office signed off on it.