Enhancing Military-Civilian Medical Synergies: The Role of Army Medical Practice in Civilian Facilities
Abstract
The Armys Office of the Surgeon General (OTSG) and U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) oversee the staffing and operations associated with their missions to support military operations and provide care to a wide range of beneficiaries. These services require different types of medical and auxiliary personnel and are provided in both deployed and garrison environments. Army medical professionals must acquire and maintain the high level of proficiency required to fulfill the Armys medical missions. The medical care demands in a combat setting often do not mirror those in U.S. medical treatment facilities (MTFs). Further, the demands of beneficiary care sometimes outweigh the capacity of MTFs in garrison. Although the Army takes MTF capacity and beneficiary demand into account in assigning medical personnel to MTFs, MTFs sometimes enter into agreements with civilian organizations in local communities to meet shortfalls in proficiency training and to provide beneficiary care. One type of agreement allows for MTF-based care providers, mostly physicians, to provide direct care to Military Health System (MHS) beneficiaries at civilian hospitals; there are similar resource-sharing agreements with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers; and, at some locations, Army MTFs share medical resources with other services in multiservice markets (MSMs). These arrangements are largely intended to improve the timing, quality, and efficiency of care for beneficiaries, but they also help military medical professionals maintain clinical proficiency. Yet another type of agreement, which is intended solely to enhance proficiency, enables such military medical personnel to provide care to civilian patients, in a training context.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1013837
Entities
People
- Gary Cecchine
- Melinda Moore
- Michael A. Wermuth
- Paul M. Colthirst
Organizations
- RAND Corporation