WASHINGTON, May 15, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- The Friends of the Uniformed
Services University (Friends of USU) will host a lunch
and panel discussion on Wednesday, May
22, 12:00-2:30 p.m. at the
National Press Club in Washington,
DC., to discuss the history, present state, and future of
military medicine, focusing on the importance of USU as the
integral center of learning for those who are educated and trained
to care for those who go into harm's way.
The Defense Health Agency's recent stabilization efforts—its
pivot from a previous strategy to gut the capacity of military
treatment facilities and reduce the number of military medical
billets within the Department of Defense, illustrates the impact
these cuts have had on the 9.4 million MHS beneficiaries and
clinicians. "I know we have serious issues," said DoD Assistant
Secretary for Health Affairs Martinez-Lopez, upon release of the
new strategy to rebuild the MTF system. "We have a plan to fix our
situation." But what if the nation had no military medical
expertise? How confident would our service members and their
families be to serve in combat if we had no military medical
professionals who are trained for and practice to serve their
unique medical needs?
Panelists will include:
Dr. Ronald Blanck, DO, LT Gen MC,
USA (Ret), Former U. S, Army
Surgeon General, former Chair of the Uniformed
Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) Board of
Regents. Dr. Blanck is the moderator and coordinator of the panel
and program;
Dr. Jonathan Woodson, MD MSS
MGEN, USA (Ret), President of
the Uniformed Services University of the
Health Sciences, responsible for the academic, research and
service mission of the university. Formerly, Dr. Woodson, a
Vascular Surgeon, was the Sec of Defense for Health Affairs;
Carol Romano, PhD, MS, RN, RADM,
USN (Ret), the USUHS Dean and Professor of the Daniel K. Inouye
Graduate School of Nursing. Dr. Romano is a former Assistant
Surgeon General and Chief Nursing Officer for the US Public Health
Service;
Richard "Tom" Thomas, MD DDS MGEN, USA (Ret), former President of the Uniformed Services University of the Health
Sciences, currently the Associate Vice President and Dean of
the West Virginia University School of
Medicine Eastern Division and Chief Medical Officer for WVU
Medicine Berkeley and Jefferson Medical Centers; and
Tyrone Willis, Command Master
Sergeant, MBA USA (Ret.), a senior
enlisted leader, experienced medic and a Recruitment Specialist at
USU.
The event is free but requires an RSVP. Media wishing to attend
the event or interview the panelists should contact Tammy Alvarez, President of the Friends of USU
at (301) 502-1303 or alvycomm@aol.com
View original
content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/imagining-combat-without-military-medicine-what-would-that-look-like-302146930.html
SOURCE Friends of the USU, Inc.