Photo By Spc. Eric Cerami | U.S. Army Col. Michael Poss, the garrison commander at Fort McCoy, meets with...... read more read more
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FORT McCOY, Wis. – About two dozen local health care leaders joined their Task Force McCoy counterparts to discuss the current and anticipated capacity to provide quality medical care to Afghans here Sept. 9, 2021.
Col. Michael Poss, garrison commander, welcomed the group and explained the Task Force McCoy mission.
“We’re pretty good at the away game in other countries. This is a new mission,” Poss said. About 1,350 Soldiers have “descended on Fort McCoy. Simultaneously the IA [interagency] piece stood up as well. Three weeks ago we started receiving our first Afghan guests. We’re still building the plane while flying it.”
Poss noted that he appreciated the “partnership and support” of the local health care teams.
Col. Matthew Fandre, the Task Force surgeon, stressed that “we drastically need your help and appreciate your assistance. I’m truly honored to be part of the Afghans’ American journey that started here.”
Fandre explained the current capabilities of the medical assets supporting Operation Allies Welcome, which includes the medical exam that is part of the process required for the Afghans to leave and resettle. The Task Force medical team also provides acute and emergent care and screening for infectious diseases, conducts COVID-19 testing and administers age-appropriate vaccines.
“We want to keep the Afghans as healthy as possible and get them through the process,” Fandre said.
Dr. Mary Reed, a KBR contractor, explained how the Task Force clinic is organized and synchronized for the delivery of health care. The clinic is run by more than 200 clinicians and support staff. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., the clinic can also provide x-rays and ultrasound, along with performing some patient observation.
While the clinic is the main effort, coordinating specialty care in the local communities is also a key task.
“We’ve seen a phenomenal response from the county [Monroe] and the state [Wisconsin]. I’ve seen no friction at any point,” Reed said. “Amazing things are happening in the community.”
Eric Borgerding, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Hospital Association, said “I’m proud to support this important mission.” His greatest concern was the capacity at Fort McCoy.
“We understand the stress and the challenge, but there is a pandemic outside the gates. The capacity of our hospitals was stressed before the Afghans arrive,” Borgerding said. “One of the big concerns in front of our hospital is what can we expect, what is Fort McCoy’s capabilities.”
In answer, Fandre said, “We won’t establish a hospital here. We’ll continue to expand what we can do here as we gain a better understanding of patient needs by looking at demographics and health conditions. We’ve learned a lot in three weeks.
Dr. Paul Mueller, physician leader for Mayo Clinic La Crosse [Wisconsin] region, asked about the length of time the Afghans would be supported at Fort McCoy to anticipate demand.
Avery Avrakotos, representative for Department of State, said that “we’re working through how long the Afghans will be with us. We’re currently working with resettlement agencies. Currently, there’s no end date on how long the operation will last at Fort McCoy. It’s too early to predict a model for the length of stay for the population that’s here.”
Overall, the community engagement provided a launching pad for future networking and collaboration to support the Afghans while at Fort McCoy.
The Department of Defense, through U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for up to 50,000 Afghan evacuees at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides Afghan personnel essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan.
| Date Taken: | 09.09.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.10.2021 14:43 |
| Story ID: | 404913 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 162 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Building and Anticipating Health Care Capacity for Afghan Support, by Cheryl Phillips, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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