health.mil

Emily Greene  |  health.mil

February 02, 2012

The final day of the 2012 Military Health System Conference started with a rousing, "Hell Yes!" from a crowd approximating 4000 military medical professionals affirming their pride in serving their fellow comrades in arms.

Air Force Surgeon General Charles B. Green and Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Charles R. Cole, chief, medical enlisted force stepped on stage this morning to outline steps the U.S. Air Force Medical Service is taking to adapt and evolve as the medical mission changes.

Green and Cole highlighted the technological advances in mobile medical facilities and equipment as well as mobile applications and knowledge sharing tools and techniques. This coming year the new Expeditionary Medical Support teams will have the capability to move 38 medics and their mobile hospital on one C-17 aircraft. Once on the ground, the team will be able to care for patients within 20 minutes of arrival. Advancements in air transport and care of patients and knowledge sharing are also ongoing.

While technology and equipment is important, Green and Cole placed the greatest emphasis on the people who comprise the military medical community, both in the Air Force and across the sister services. They both spoke about the growing joint nature of military medicine, informed by past experience and evolving as the need for inter-service collaboration increases.

To illustrate the advantages of joint service medical operations, Green and Cole highlighted the outstanding work of the medical staff at the recently closed the Air Force Theater Hospital at Joint Base Balad. Green said the joint medical staff there had left an immeasurable imprint on the country through the accomplishment of their mission.

As the two top Air Force medical personnel spoke about the future of military medicine they laid out six qualities that are essential for patient centered care. It is through readiness, accessibility, preparedness, organization, respect and trustworthiness that medical personnel will develop partnerships with their patients, they said.

"It's all about trust," Green said. "In order to earn that trust, we have to be trustworthy."

Cole said another component for maintaining and advancing the delivery of healthcare and promoting good health, is the development of medical personnel at all levels. He said in order to retain trained medical staff to include medics, doctors, nurses and everyone in-between, they must be challenged and engaged.

While the domestic health care mission grows, international partnerships are an essential element of the future of military medicine said Green. Global health engagement is an important and enduring mission which strengthens friendships between nations he said.

Green and Cole closed their remarks with a heartfelt thanks to U.S. military medical professionals both in attendance and around the world.

"We are indeed very proud to be your partners, and we're going to do great things together long into the future," Green said.

In a few days, the 2012 Military Health System conference will be in full swing. Today’s countdown update highlights awards ceremonies that will be held during the conference which runs from Jan. 31 to Feb.2, 2012 at the Gaylord Convention and Conference in National Harbor, Md.

On Tuesday, Jan. 31, three awards will be presented. The Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Military Medicine Award will honor a uniformed MHS physician. The winner possesses the qualities of a caring and compassionate physician by demonstrating ethical behavior, empathy and service to others. Dr. Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of defense for Health Affairs, will present this award.

The USU Excellence in Teaching Awards from the Uniformed Services University of Health Science in Bethesda, Md. will be presented to two military medical facilities for their overall support of the USU’s teaching programs. And, the Department of Defense’s Patient Safety Awards will recognize outstanding efforts to improve the delivery of healthcare to patients.

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the Healthcare Innovation Program Awards will be presented. A total of four individuals – a mix of civilian and military - will be recognized based on innovative programs created at a military health facility to improve access, cost and quality of care to enhance the military readiness of service members.

Finally, the Building Stronger Female Physician Leaders Awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, Feb 2. These annual awards recognize influential female physicians in the military for their accomplishments, leadership and services.

For more on the 2012 MHS conference, to watch plenary session videos and view photos, visit heath.mil/2012mhsconference.

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