In recent years, Army healthcare recruiters have sought to dispel some of the myths of modern Army medicine. In the mind of many Americans, Army medicine still conjures up images of conscripts serving in dusty tents with dirt floors, with medics holding IV bottles and flashlights so the surgeons can do their life-and-limb saving work . While working in austere, battlefield environments is certainly one of the Army's key capabilities, today most Army healthcare professionals actually spend 10% or less of their working career in operational medicine, and when they do, it is in modern, sealed, temperature-controlled mobile and fixed facilities with top of the line equipment.
To address these misperceptions, the Army recently deployed a new asset to help win over the best qualified healthcare professionals in the United States. The Medical Marketing Semi (MMS) rolled out to various university campuses across the north eastern U.S. recently in a bid to better educate students, residents and working professionals about Army service and Army medicine.
The MMS was conceived and initially designed by a working group consisting of representatives from several commands, including the Army Medical Recruiting Brigade; the Accessions Support Brigade; the Office of the Surgeon General, and the U.S. Army Recruiting Command. Together, they put together a list of items the MMS needed to highlight, and developed four information stations that feature:
• High Tech medical innovations developed by Army and civilian partners, including micro-current bandage technology, a malaria rapid detection kit, a portable oxygen generator and a noise-cancelling stethoscope
• Highlights of Army research, and the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and injuries, and quality of life improvements, including the Army's partnership with the NCAA to gauge the impact of repetitive head injuries, and state of the art prosthetics
• A SIM MAN Mystic 3G to demonstrate the Army's commitment to realistic, high-tech training. The SIM MAN medical mannequin can simulate life-like symptoms and diagnostic scenarios, from a heart attack to a collapsed lung and other ailments
• A section highlighting various opportunities for medical, dental and nursing students or residents, including full scholarships, payment of college loans, continuing medical education, and other benefits of service. This section includes video testimonials from currently-serving Army medical professionals
After the initial design concept was agreed upon, the ASB team and their contractors began the work of procuring the van and tractor unit, and setting up the various displays, videos, and equipment. The U.S. Army Recruiting Command staff put together a video called 'Injury to Recovery', which realistically portrays the Army's life saving care of a warrior wounded on the battlefield, who is quickly assessed, evacuated and treated.
After many months of obtaining equipment, installation, wrapping the exterior of the vehicle with Army branding, mounting an exterior 'Jumbotron' screen and training exhibitors, the MMS was ready to hit the road.
"Customer involvement was essential to the process," said Accessions Support Brigade (ASB) operations officer, Maj. Bryan Cecrle. "The goal was to design, build and launch an effective medical marketing asset in one year," he said, "and we accomplished that."
The first round of stops was the 1st Medical Recruiting Battalion (1st MRBn), headquartered at Fort Meade, MD. There, Army healthcare recruiters arranged stops at top-producing pre-health programs in the northeast, including Johns Hopkins, the University of Maryland, and Georgetown University.
"It was an honor to be the first Company to showcase the latest addition to the Army Exhibits fleet," said Capt. Nicholas Triche, Commander of the Military District of Washington Medical Recruiting Company. "It captured some fine examples of the cutting edge technology and medical advancements that we have to offer," he said.
"The MMS helps attract pre-health students and medical professionals to hear more about Army Medicine careers, and stimulates questions," said Capt. Theresa Nowak, Center Officer in Charge of the Elkridge Medical Recruiting Center. "The audiovisuals and interactions at the SIM Man station, advances in burn care, prosthetics and bandaging were most intriguing to me," she said. Nowak is an experienced Army Nurse who served in Iraq.
In addition to the MMS, the 1st MRBn healthcare recruiters arranged a series of information sessions with Army subject matter experts for pre-health students at each campus. During the session, an Army physician, nurse and dentist described life as an Army healthcare professional, and answered students' questions.
"The session on the Army's Health Professions Scholarship Program was wonderful!" said Ms. Katie Cruit, Assistant Director of the Johns Hopkins University Office of Pre-Professional Programs and Advising. "The panel of professionals provided students a direct look into what it is like to be a health professional in the Army. We had several students who were very interested and followed up with me for additional contact information," she said.
After several stops in the District of Columbia area, the MMS moved to Blacksburg, Va. to the campus of Virginia Tech for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. Virginia Tech was specifically singled out for the ceremony based on the consistent large number of pre-health program graduates who apply for and receive the full healthcare scholarships available from the U.S. Army.
"It's appropriate this Army exhibit is here because of the blend of military services present," said Col. Timothy Hudson, commander of the U.S. Army Medical Recruiting Brigade during the ceremony. "I am here with a senior Air Force officer, and, on each deployment I have been on, I have served beside Navy and Air Force doctors and nurses," he said. "Many of our top healthcare professionals started their careers with a full military scholarship to medical school, which is why we chose to dedicate this new asset here, where we have so many successful scholarship recipients" he said.
Maj. Gen. Randal Fullhart, Commandant of Cadets of the 1,080-strong cadre at Virginia Tech, helped cut the ribbon.
"This new exhibit van provides an opportunity to tell the Army and military medicine story," he said. "It's an inspiration to young men and women who are looking for a way to serve."
The MMS will proceed to multiple locations up the east coast, including stops in Pennsylvania, NYC, Connecticut and Vermont before returning to its home base at Fort Knox, Ky., to prepare for its next round of exhibits in the south and south western U.S.
"The Army is the face of the Nation, and reflects the inclusive culture and unique diversity that are the hallmarks of the American way of life," said Col. Brian Cavanaugh, the Accessions Support Brigade commander. "It is vital that we support our Army healthcare recruiters with exhibits like this, and help them connect the American people with America's Army," he said.
Social Sharing