GARMISCH, Germany -- Regional Health Command Europe conducted its bi-annual Fall Medical Surgical Training conference Nov 20-22 in Garmisch, Germany.
The bi-annual surgical training conference is an opportunity for physicians and other medical providers to maintain their continuing medical education requirements here in Europe, rather than traveling back to the U.S.
The training focused on operational medicine and lessons learned from the Joint Trauma System as well as from NATO and Partnership for Peace Allies. Approximately 240 military and civilian healthcare providers participated in the training event along with military medical personnel from Norway.
According to Col. Patrick Contino, Regional Health Command Europe Clinical Operations Chief, the most recent training was held in Wroclaw, Poland in May, but the medical surgical training has taken place for more than 30 years.
Contino said, "The main purpose of the training conference is to provide health care providers with live continuing education without inheriting the costs and time lost to comparable training in the U.S. The training in Europe helps providers recharge their batteries, build resiliency, and interact with providers from partner nations."
Lectures were based on the Joint Trauma System clinical practice guidelines which enables standardization of training and implementation of operational medicine from Role I through Role III facilities.
Multiple topics were addressed in several specialty tracks including primary pare, physical therapy, pediatrics, nursing, behavioral health, anesthesia, orthopedics and optometry.
A series of hands-on operational training corresponded with the lectures. This training utilized advanced mannequins with the ability to simulate cardio and pulmonary simulations, as well as procedure models for chest tubes and cricothyroidotomy. Contino indicated they even used human volunteers for the focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) ultrasound exam and walking blood bank stations.
In addition to surgical training, the event also serves as a platform for multi-unit and multi-national communication and planning.
"This training enhances the readiness of the medical personnel and provides an environment to share information across many specialties and with other nations' military medical personnel," added Contino.
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