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NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (Feb. 15, 2024) —The 2024 Annual Meeting of the Society of Federal Health Professionals (known as AMSUS) closed its meeting with a final plenary session on Feb. 15, at the Gaylord Conference Center. Maj. Gen. Anthony McQueen, Deputy Army Surgeon General, represented Army Medicine and addressed the closing plenary audience on medical issues and the future of Army Medicine.
The theme for the annual meeting was, “Beyond Duty: Empowering, Honoring, and taking Care of those Who Serve Our Nation.”
McQueen addressed issues that included using the past to prepare for the future, persistent modernization, Army health system gaps versus large scale combat operations gaps, challenges in the future operating environment, priorities in Army Health System transformation, and supporting partners.
McQueen noted that the past helps to inform what is likely to be needed in the military medical future. Facts such as casualty counts from the past lead to the question “are we ready?” for what the future will bring.
He stated that persistent modernization covers the entire range of medical thought and theory, from doctrine and policy, to training and material, and developing leaders and personnel. These are the factors that drive modernization change. Factors that were considered fixed such as the “golden hour” and quick access to surgical capability, for example, are now being reconsidered by how to handle prolonged care if a casualty cannot be evacuated.
McQueen explained that changes in the future operating environment regarding casualty evacuation and treatment will need to be considered when timely evacuation, by current standards, may not be possible. Factors such as distance to aid, continuing threats, and limited resources must be developed into newer doctrine and practices to clear the battlefield and optimize the return to duty of injured, ill, or wounded personnel in contested environments.
He provided Army Medicine modernization priorities such as protected wheel ambulances, CBRNE readiness, long-range assault-ambulance aircraft, blood products at the point of need, telemedicine, and IT solutions. The ability to move injured Soldiers is a key focus of medical modernization.
McQueen said Army Medicine also needs to mitigate possible constraints of time and distance of medical capabilities by working with our allies and partners. Our theater medical commands have “a local health engagement cell that’s increasing our ability to establish partnerships” in those regions where they operate.
Partners, including the private sector, can help to build combat-ready medical formations, sustain health, help with continuous medical transformation, and strengthen the Army medical profession.
McQueen explained that these medical focuses are in lockstep with the Chief of Staff of the Army’s priorities of warfighting, delivering combat-ready formations, continuous transformation, and strengthening the profession.
Army Medicine’s slogan is “Combat-ready medicine, this we’ll defend.” McQueen's overarching message was that Army Medicine will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Army wherever it goes — delivering medical care anytime, anywhere, anyplace.
| Date Taken: | 02.15.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.21.2024 08:43 |
| Story ID: | 464109 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 65 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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