CONTACT: Randy Lescault
A&PA, MRB , USAREC
502-626-0801
Nov. 20, 2015
Story and photo
By Gini Sinclair
The Medical Recruiting Brigade was the third and final stop for a group of medical recruiters with the Swedish Armed Forces. An envoy of three Swedish medical recruiters visited Fort Knox from Oct. 21, until Oct. 24, 2015, to find out how the U.S. Army recruits healthcare professionals. Marine Maj. Lennart Hammarstrand, head of recruitment, Swedish Armed Forces, Centre for Defence Medicine, acted as lead for the group with Maria Westin, registered nurse and staffing officer for the Air Force and Adriana Dobrin, recruitment officer specializing in public relations and Information Technology.
The three were on a journey to refine methods of medical recruiting for the Swedish military. Their first stop was with the British military, next they moved their fact-finding mission to Canada. The catalyst for their fact-finding trip was an increase in requirements for personnel. This year the 12-person office Hammarstrand heads brought 20 people into the Army, Navy, Air Force or Homeguard. Next year the requirement will be for 140 medical specialists in 12 different specialties.
Visiting Fort Knox was arranged through the Office of the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army. While the majority of their time was spent with the MRB, the envoys spent several hours learning about the services provided by the Health Services Directorate, Headquarters, U.S. Army Recruiting Command and the Mission Support Battalion.
Coincidentally, the three visitors from Sweden arrived at the MRB during a week of intensive brigade training. The Governance Forum incorporated quarterly briefings and training for the five battalions within MRB while providing assistance to the Swedish medical recruiters.
No formal activities were scheduled for the group on their arrival day. On Oct. 22, 2015, they came to MRB headquarters where they briefed and were briefed by Col. Timothy Hudson, commander, MRB, Jackie Allen-Peters, chief S2 (analysis division) and a representative of the MRB Advertising and Public Affairs Office.
Hudson provided an overview of the MRB organization and then discussed specifics of recruiting. He explained the challenges faced by the recruiters seeking healthcare providers to join the U.S. Army.
"We offer financial incentives, but it doesn't always compete with what is available outside our system. We are asking older individuals, already established medical professionals to join the Army as healthcare providers," Hudson said. "Many of our doctors come to us straight from medical schools. We have our own residency programs to provide an opportunity for continued training. And, we do have the advantage of being able to offer the chance to practice as a professional healthcare provider without the overhead costs of office, staff, and insurances."
Hammarstrand said in Sweden they do not have the difficulty of pay differences between the military and the civilian doctors.
"We believe you should not lose money if you are in the military," Hammarstrand noted. "But we do not feel you should make more money. The salaries are about the same for those working in military medical facilities and in civilian hospitals. Our doctors are employed by civilian hospitals.
"We [the military] don't have the medical care for military provided other than when they are in the field or deployed," Hammarstrand continued. "If I need to go to the doctor I will go to the same hospitals as any Swedish citizen."
Allen-Peters explained how research done by her office aids recruiters in their jobs. The analysts in S2 provide information such as demographics, locations of college where majority of medical students graduate as well as research into practicing professionals.
Hammarstrand said his office did not have as robust a public relations or marketing office as the MRB. They primarily rely on contacting people registered in a national database. Dobrin noted she does some advertising, providing pamphlets, posters and website ads about working as a medical professional in the Swedish Armed Forces. Westin added that many of the people who come to their office to join the military are interested in going on a humanitarian mission. The Swedish military, while not a member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is very active with NATO and does join forces with the coalition members to provide support in crisis.
Following the briefing sessions Hammarstrand, Westin and Dobrin were taken to the Mission Support Battalion on Fort Knox to visit the primary assets for medical recruiting. The DRASH -Deployable Rapid Assembly Shelter, has various peripheral multi-media systems and displays, to include monitor/DVD player to explain Army medical career opportunities/programs. The Medical Marketing Semi includes prosthetics and Army led research in the field of Traumatic Brain Injury. Training is highlighted by a station with a state-of-the-art mannequin used in Army medical simulation centers across the country. Videos with testimonials from medical professionals about opportunities and experiences available in today's Army complement the interactive displays.
That evening the Swedish medical recruiters attended the MRB Dining Out where they met Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Joseph Carvalho, Jr., the Deputy Surgeon General and Deputy Commanding General (Support), U.S. Army Medical Command and the guest speaker for the event.
On Oct. 23, Hammarstrand, Westin and Dobrin visited the Health Services Directorate to find out how the Health Services Directorate handles reviewing, approving and selecting medical candidates. According to Capt. Christopher Foster, Current Operations Officer, S3, their MRB escort, while with HSD the group was very interested in the process used by medical selection boards.
Following that visit they traveled to Louisville, KY, to talk with recruiters at the Louisville Medical Recruiting Center. Foster said the Swedish recruiters were very interested in the center's operations and asked a lot of questions.
"We have enjoyed our visit here," Hammarstrand said, "and are very interested in what we have learned."
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