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Since 2004, the number of suicides among active-duty service members has increased dramatically. The rise in military suicide rates may be associated with psychological health problems and/or interpersonal and family stressors. Research has suggested that of those who commit suicide many had visited a health care provider within the month prior to their death.

On Sept. 27 from 1 to 2:30 p.m., the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury will host the webinar, "Managing Suicidal Behaviors.”

This 90-minute training event will educate health care providers about their role in identifying and managing suicidal behaviors. This webinar will:

    Review the public health significance of suicide 
    Describe screening and assessment methods for identifying suicidal patients 
    Identify interventions for managing suicidal behaviors

Continuing education units and continuing medical education credits are available.

Register for the webinar.

The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury is hosting a webinar, “Concussion Management in the Deployed Setting: New 2012 Military Acute Concussion Evaluation (MACE) and Clinical Algorithms” on July 26 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Capt. Gail L. Hathaway was selected to assume command of the Navy Medicine Education and Training Command (NMETC) at a recent Change of Command ceremony held at Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, FL.

The occasion also marked the renaming of the Navy Medicine Support Command (NMSC).  Commissioned Nov. 1, 2005, the command is now known as NMETC. The realignment of NMSC stems from the Navy Surgeon General's vision of streamlining Navy Medicine into a more effective, efficient and responsive organization that improves accountability, and command and control.

NMETC is part of the Navy Medicine enterprise, a global health care network of 63,000 Navy medical personnel around the world who provide high-quality health care to more than one million eligible beneficiaries. Navy Medicine personnel deploy with sailors and Marines worldwide, providing critical mission support aboard ship, in the air, under the sea and on the battlefield.

Read more about Navy Medicine Support change of command.

Instructors and staff of the Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) received an extraordinary opportunity when three military surgeons general made joint all-hands appearances during a visit to METC at Fort Sam Houston, Texas on May 30. 

Lt. Gen. Charles Green, surgeon general of the Air Force; Vice Adm. Matthew Nathan, surgeon general of the Navy and chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery; and Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, surgeon general and commanding general, U.S. Army Medical Command and their senior enlisted leaders addressed the METC audience and answered questions.

“The six of us are here for a couple of reasons. The first is to say ‘thank you’,” Nathan told the METC audience during the all-hands call.  He added, “We want to support integrated training, iron out wrinkles and smooth out seams. You represent the future and set the culture for integration.”

The purpose of the visit was to ensure that METC continues on the path to joint success, and to ask what they can do to help maintain efforts to integrate training among the services.

In addition to the all-hands calls, the surgeons general held discussions with senior leaders from METC and the Army, Navy and Air Force component commands that support METC. They also toured METC’s Basic Medical Technician Corpsman Program and Department of Combat Medic Training where they observed students engaged in the classroom, laboratory simulation and a live training exercise.

 
The Department of Defense Patient Safety Program has launched a new online learning module. The Intermediate Course on the Patient Safety Reporting System (PSR) is intended to help patient safety managers develop the decision-making skills needed to effectively classify and administer patient safety event data in the PSR. The self-paced, interactive training program supports the PSP’s ongoing effort to eliminate preventable harm in military treatment facilities.

 
The Intermediate Course on the PSR takes approximately one hour to complete and is currently open for enrollment.  For more information and to register, click here.
 

Medical providers for the military health system are invited to share feedback on a recently released psychological health toolkit and mobile app.

The feedback will help the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury improve the Co-occurring Conditions Toolkit: Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health and corresponding mobile app for smartphones and tablets.  To make it easy to share thoughts, DCoE has created an online survey that only takes a few minutes to complete. The online survey is voluntary and responses are anonymous.

In addition to collecting feedback on the advantages and disadvantages of the toolkit, DCoE is seeking recommendations and suggestions for future TBI clinical resources and tools.

The Co-occurring Conditions Toolkit: Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health is a user-friendly, comprehensive clinical guidance tool for primary care providers, featuring evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and recommendations from the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. It provides tips for an effective first appointment; guidance on clinical assessment; treatment recommendations; medication information; and patient education websites.

For more information on the tool kit, free mobile app and training video, visit the DCoE Blog.

The Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) hosted medical officers from the Nigerian navy this month for a tour and discussions about medical training capabilities and curriculum, the first step in an ongoing effort by METC, in coordination with U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVAF), to assist the Nigerians with improving their military medical training capabilities.

Working through NAVAF, METC will assess the Nigerian navy’s medical training programs, make recommendations for improvement and help with curriculum development. Part of the NAVAF mission is to support medical capacity building in partner nations through Africa Partnership Station (APS).  APS is a series of activities designed to build maritime safety and security in Africa through working together with African and other international partners.

 

The Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) has reached full operational capacity, co-locating virtually all enlisted medical training to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas on Sept. 15. 

METC has become the largest medical technical education center in the world, after co-locating five major medical learning institutions at Fort Sam Houston, constructing 11 new buildings, renovating six Army Medical Department Center & School (AMEDD C&S) facilities to support METC students, and spending over $1 billion on equipment, furnishings and construction.

More than 24,000 students are projected to graduate each year, with an average daily student load of 8,000.  By service, the student breakdown includes approximately 45 percent Army, 31 percent Navy and 24 percent Air Force. METC also employ an operating staff and faculty of more than 1,400.

METC produces the world’s finest medics, corpsmen, and techs, supporting our nation’s ability to engage globally.

 

Here are a couple of pictures from a mass casualty drill held at Naval Medical Center San Diego on May 18.