Program Notes
The Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment teamed with the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in an event to highlight their respective services’ wounded, ill and injured programs for Marines, sailors and their families.
The commanding officer of the Wounded Warrior Regiment, Colonel Greg Boyle, hosted special guest Rear Admiral Karen Flaherty, deputy chief for wounded, ill and injured warrior support, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. The event was held as part of Warrior Care Month, in which Secretary of Defense Robert Gates designated November 2008 to increase awareness of programs and resources available to America’s wounded, ill and injured servicemembers, their families, and those who care for them. “We need to make it easier for our troops and their families to benefit from all of the assistance now available to them,” Gates said.
Addressing the audience, Admiral Flaherty reinforced that Marines and sailors stand shoulder-to-shoulder as they care for wounded, ill and injured and their families. Flaherty highlighted the Navy’s efforts to ensure beneficiaries have timely access to the highest-quality health care. She further addressed the Navy’s commitment to strengthening total force psychological health and reducing stigma associated with care through informed prevention combined with proactive outreach, education and training.
Boyle spoke of how the Wounded Warrior Regiment has grown from himself and three other Marines just over 18 months ago, to today’s staff of nearly 400 around the world that care for wounded, ill and injured Marines and families. Discussing the regiment’s capabilities, Boyle stressed the importance of the Wounded Warrior Regiment’s call center. The call center (available 24/7) receives calls and also conducts outreach calls to those Marines who have been wounded since 2001. “This allows us to check on these Marines to identify any needs they may have to get them the help they need,” Boyle said.
Underscoring the Wounded Warrior Regiment’s permanency, Boyle stated, “It is not a knee-jerk reaction, but rather an institutionalized program that will endure to take care of Marines and families well into the future.” In addition to the regiment’s headquarters at Quantico, Va., there are Wounded Warrior battalions at Marine Corps Base Camp, Pendleton, Calif., and Marine Corps Base Camp, Lejeune, N.C. These east and west battalions provide on-site barracks designed as healing centers for outpatient care, allowing wounded warriors to recover in a supportive on-base environment.
Assistance provided by the Wounded Warrior Regiment is not a process; it is a personal relationship. “We believe in our Marines and Marines take care of each other,” said Boyle. He stressed the importance of program awareness and encouraged attendees to ensure Marines and families do their best to spread the word about the Wounded Warrior Regiment and its programs and services. The Wounded Warrior Regiment call center can be reached at 1-877-487-6299 or www.woundedwarriorregiment.org.
“We are making significant and expeditious strides in our program and continue to identify and pursue new initiatives. We stand fast on our commitment to care for our wounded Marines and their families,” Boyle concluded.
Stryker Medical Evacuation Vehicle
The Stryker Medical Evacuation Vehicle (MEV) has proven itself in combat as part of the seven Stryker brigades that have deployed over the past several years to the Middle East. In January 2009, the MEV begins its first journey toward deployment with heavy combat brigades throughout the Army. The first 30 MEVs are set to be fielded to the 3/3 Infantry Brigade out of Fort Benning, Ga. In January, 16 MEVs will be deployed for field testing, followed by another 14 vehicles in February. The 3/3 Infantry Brigade is expected to deploy to Iraq in 2009. The Stryker MEV is one of 10 configurations of an entire class of light armor vehicles. Reaching speeds of up to 62 miles per hour, the MEV can keep up with the fighting forces, it is the ground evacuation vehicle of choice in theater.
The MEV is unarmed, except for the smoke grenades to provide cover, and fast, able to race over rough terrain at highway speeds, and it has a satellite communications system that connects it to the combat forces. It provides ground evacuation of casualties for the force with a crew of three medics who can provide basic medical care. It can ride in a C-130 aircraft, yet has more room for equipment than the M-113 ambulance.
The vehicle can take four soldiers out on stretchers and hold them in litters; six if they’re able ambulatory or can sit up. It is equipped with enough critical-care gear to stabilize a patient until he gets to a forward support medical team. It might be tailing a combat unit up to the front lines, grabbing wounded men straight from the field, or it might shuttle between the rear units and the battalion aid station, which is just behind the actual shooting. As one medic described it as “tailgate medicine,” a way station where soldiers are either patched up and sent back to fight or evacuated to a hospital in the rear. The Army awarded the contract for the family of Stryker vehicles on November 17, 2000 to General Dynamics Land Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics.
DoD Blade Server
Apptis Inc., a provider of IT and communications services to the federal marketplace, recently announced it has been awarded a $4 million contract from the DoD Defense Health Systems Support (DHSS) to provide operational and maintenance services and support for the worldwide deployment of the Military Health System’s Enterprise Blade Server (EBS).
A complex system, the EBS contains several components that require around-the-clock monitoring within its operations center. High availability and more than 99 percent uptime are vital to the EBS, because it houses critical medical applications for the Military Health System (MHS).
Under the terms of the agreement, Apptis will play a key role in giving centralized administration support through remote management and monitoring of the EBS sites at military treatment facilities worldwide. Apptis currently supports more than 75 sites and expects 26 additional sites to be brought online within the next year. In addition to providing project oversight and complete and accurate monitoring of the EBS, the Apptis team will be tasked with proactive troubleshooting and problem resolution.
As the incumbent of the initial contract signed in September 2005 and the EBS deployment contractor, Apptis designed and created the MHS Blade operating center. Apptis will continue to maintain the blades’ infrastructure and all hosted applications to achieve minimal touch labor at military treatment facilities, ultimately preventing catastrophic system outages by ensuring the system’s uptime.
“We’re very pleased to continue working with the DoD’s Military Health System and recognize the great responsibility we have been given in maintaining key health care applications for the military,” said Tom Pike, group vice president, health care systems and engineering for Apptis.
TBI Program Support
Dynamics Research Corp., a provider of innovative management consulting, engineering, technology and information technology services and solutions to federal and state governments, recently received an $11.4 million task order under the TRICARE Evaluation, Analysis, Management and Support (TEAMS) indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract, to provide program management support to the traumatic brain injury and psychological health program. The task order, which is under the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and TRICARE Management Activity, has a one-year base period with four option years.
“DRC is honored to apply our program management expertise on this critical program to support our injured soldiers,” said James P. Regan, DRC’s chairman, president and CEO. “This first task order under TEAMS provides another important customer in the DoD health sector, an area we have targeted for growth.”
DRC will assist in the coordination of projects, initiatives and activities in support of implementing the recommendations and requirements within the purview of the Force Health Protection and Policy Programs Directorate. The objectives include improving program coordination, managing funds/budgeting tasks, developing scheduling, streamlining information handling/sharing, monitoring program performance and managing projects portfolio.
DRC was one of 23 companies awarded the TEAMS contract with a total ceiling value of $5 billion. The TEAMS contract provides the Military Health System with the ability to order services for its organizational conflict of interest (OCI) Category 2 non-purchased care support needs. This contract has a term of a single base year and nine option years. DRC was selected for the TEAMS vehicle Category 2, Program Management Support, due to extensive management services expertise and proven performance supporting defense, national security and civilian government.
Deep Penetrating Light Therapy
LED Technologies LLC has recently announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared its DPL Therapy System for the relaxation of muscles and relief of muscle spasms, temporary relief of minor muscle and joint aches, pains and stiffness; temporary relief of minor pain and stiffness associated with arthritis; and to temporarily increase local blood circulation. This clearance launches the way for the therapy system to bring temporary pain relief technology directly to the consumer without a prescription.
“This FDA clearance marks a considerable landmark for our company as we demonstrate our leadership in LED light-based science and develop innovative LED applications for the medical, professional and home use markets,” commented Brent Safer, director of operations and designer of the DPL Therapy System. Minor pain is becoming all too common as our active and aging population become more prone to sports injuries, arthritis and the muscle and joint pain that accompanies the aging process. The American Pain Society estimates that 45 percent of the population seeks medical help for persistent pain. Medical economists estimate that pain costs the United States more than $100 billion every year, including over 500 million workdays lost and 40 million doctor visits.
There are possible applications of the system beyond the minor pain relief field. Currently, LED Technologies is developing new deep penetrating light treatments for wrinkle reduction, TMJ, fibromyalgia, acne and a variety of other pain and wound healing applications. ♦
* Compiled by KMI Media Group staff