Nurse and Tech Appreciation Week: Celebrating those who keep our Airmen mission ready
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Every May, Nurse and Technician Appreciation Week shines a spotlight on the heart of military medicine, the nurses and technicians who provide, lead and adapt every day.
U.S. Air Force Capt. Michelle Maciocha, 355th Medical Group registered nurse and family health officer in charge, and Airman 1st Class Kaisy Cochrane, 355th MDG aerospace medical technician, go above and beyond to provide the Desert Lightning Team with the highest level of care.
Maciocha plays a dual role in the clinic, coordinating care for patients while managing a team of medical professionals.
“I love nursing. I absolutely love nursing,” she said. “I did four years at Brooke Army Medical Center before this, and I liked the hands-on patient care.”
Though transitioning to clinic life meant stepping away from a more direct approach to care, Maciocha saw it as an opportunity to take on a broader set of responsibilities.
“It’s been a good challenge for me to step back from nursing and take more of an Air Force role,” she said. “I feel like I’m more comfortable in the Air Force now versus just nursing.”
Driven by her desire to improve access to care, Maciocha helped launch a procedure clinic, which partners with providers and pharmacists to help patients get seen faster and more efficiently.
“It was more challenging than I expected, lots of protocols, meetings and logistics,” she said.
As an aerospace medical technician, Cochrane brings a patient-first attitude to every shift. She greets patients, takes vitals and gathers medical history before they meet with providers. But for her, it’s about more than routine tasks.
“I enjoy helping people,” Cochrane said. “I wanted to be somewhere where I could care for people and actually make a difference.”
Cochrane also performs procedures such as wart removals, cryotherapy, skin tag removals, punch biopsies and battlefield acupuncture.
“Battlefield acupuncture is something not a lot of people know about,” she said. “But I’ve seen patients come in with pain, go through it, and leave saying, ‘Wow, I have no pain.’ Seeing people like that is very uplifting.”
Whether conducting routine procedures or helping patients through follow-up treatments, she finds meaning in the small moments.
“Seeing patients leave in less pain than they came in with, that’s the rewarding part,” Cochrane said.
From hands-on leadership to heartfelt care, Capt. Maciocha and A1C Cochrane demonstrate the dedication and innovation that keep Davis-Monthan’s medical team mission ready.