Recommended Content:
Health Readiness
The Military Training Network or MTN, an organization within the Military Health System that oversees life-support training for more than 350,000 medical and nonmedical personnel across 345 military facilities around the globe, has moved to the Defense Health Agency or DHA to serve the needs of its customers more efficiently. The MTN transferred to the DHA Sept. 16, 2019.
Formerly a part of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the MTN develops and implements policy guidance and ensures standards compliance for resuscitative training programs for specific military medical and nonmedical practitioners. This ensures Department of Defense personnel receive mission-essential training to meet the medical requirements of the Services.
Practitioners at military medical treatment facilities or MTFs must remain proficient in basic life support, advanced life support (ALS), and pediatric advanced life support, (PALS) depending upon medical specialty. The MTN ensures MTFs have the required training materials and access to subject matter experts in required fields to support life support courses.
While the transition to the DHA should be transparent for training recipients, the MTN will be in a better position to meet the training needs and requirements of MTF commanders. One of the main benefits of coming under the DHA, according to Air Force Lt. Col. Jon Sinclair, MTN director, is, “It will provide MTN the ability for enhanced communication with our customers and to improve training at our sites.”
“This is an important transition that aligns with the requirements of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2017,” explained Air Force Col. Christine Kress, acting director, DHA Education and Training Directorate. “This transition will streamline oversight and administrative reporting requirements, allowing more time for instructors to provide life-saving, resuscitative training to those who need it most.”
The MTN was established in 1982 to coordinate resuscitative medicine training in the uniformed services. Since then, the program has grown to include more than 12,000 instructors, and 500 program directors and program assistants who provide critical training to more than 120,000 medical personnel at MTFs annually.
“The MTN is a one-stop operation that provides immediate response to issues, concerns, guidance, standards, and policies to the American Red Cross Training Sites,” explained Jacqueline L. Wyman-Steward, U.S. Army Medical Department Activity Program administrator, Fort Riley, Kansas
“The inception of American Red Cross ALS and PALS, together with MTN’s transition under the DHA, offers clinicians a voice to provide firsthand feedback on course development and training across the MHS,” said Air Force Maj. Liberty Orada, DHA MTF division policy and program analyst. “The collaboration between our clinical communities and the American Red Cross is essential in producing an evidence-based training program that is compatible with the military culture in support of our men and women downrange.”