Falls Church, Virginia —
us air force Medical practitioners are working with sister services to partner with the United Arab Emirates to build a complex trauma, burn and rehabilitation capabilities hub in Abu Dhabi.
of US Department of Defense Committed to sharing best practices in trauma, burns, and rehabilitative medicine with partners. Initiatives for global health.
In 2017, the Secretary of Defense directed elements of the Department of Defense to work with the UAE on a series of bilateral cooperation initiatives to deepen and expand military-to-military ties between the United States and this key regional partner. . His one of these initiatives focused on building an intensive and long-term bilateral joint military trauma and rehabilitation care capacity within the UAE. This culminated in the Abu Dhabi Secretariat in the United Arab Emirates. US Central Commandestablish the Trauma, Burn, and Rehabilitation Medicine Program (TBRM) and begin its first operation in 2019.
Since its inception, US Air Force medics have participated in the TBRM program. The TBRM program uses global health engagements to share the military’s medical knowledge. This will increase readiness, strengthen international military-civilian partnerships, and support U.S. strategic priorities.
In January 2023, the UAE Ministry of Defense, in partnership with the TBRM team, hosted the first annual Emirates Military Health Conference, providing a forum for civilian and military medical professionals to exchange knowledge and skills. . At the conference, UAE Armed Forces Surgeon General and Brigadier General Dr. Aisha Al-Dahheri highlighted the continued improvement in trauma care organized by this unique partnership between the two armed forces and the private sector. Did.
“The purpose of the meeting was to exchange knowledge and skills and enhance military-civilian cooperation to strengthen trauma, burn, and rehabilitation capabilities,” said Eric, US Air Force Deputy Chief of Trauma for the US and UAE TBRM Team. Lieutenant Colonel Dessouci said. .
In support of this goal, the TBRM team and its UAE partners have adopted a comprehensive approach to strengthening trauma care infrastructure at the national level that benefits both the military and private sectors.
Airmen from the TBRM team will work with policy leaders from the Abu Dhabi Ministry of Health to establish a regional trauma infrastructure, as well as with the UAE Military Medical Service Corps and Mayo Clinic clinicians to develop trauma programs that meet the needs of the wounded. was built. Civilian and military patients at Sheikh Shaqbout Medical City, his 760-bed hospital in Abu Dhabi jointly run by the United Arab Emirates government and the Mayo Clinic.
“The TBRM program provides a unique opportunity for airmen to work with partners to develop trauma care systems,” said DeSoucy. “The U.S. Air Force and the United Arab Emirates Department of Defense have been able to leverage their experience in combat casualty care to create a robust trauma care system.”
At Sheikh Shaqbout Medical City, the TBRM team worked with Emirati private partners to establish an independent trauma program and train a trauma resuscitation team. They have also built large-scale blood transfusion protocols, designed performance improvement and patient safety programs, and published multiple Sheikh Shaqbout Medical City clinical practice guidelines.
The team’s collaboration has reduced mortality in trauma patients despite an increase in trauma patient hospitalizations and injury severity over the past two years.
“By focusing on systems-based and evidence-based care in the setting of a robust performance improvement program, the entire team has contributed to improved patient outcomes,” said U.S. Air Force Director of Trauma, Arab Emirates TBRM team. “It’s been rewarding to see how trauma care has improved over time. By leveraging the strengths of our partners’ experiences, the impact has been enormous.”
Established relationships at Sheikh Shahbout Medical City and support from the UAE Ministry of Defense and U.S. Central Command will allow Air Force medics to practice in the hospital in the future while deployed in the region between missions. gender exists.
“This maintains individual preparedness and empowers medical personnel roaming Sheikh Shaqbout Medical City to function and adapt in a cross-cultural environment while maintaining competence in critical skills in a large trauma center. We can develop at the same time,” Gavitt said.
Gavitt also emphasized the impact of this military-civilian cooperation on programs and airmen.
“Working in a mixed trauma system where there is so much diversity in training and background knowledge has been a learning experience. It’s important to learn how to leverage your strengths and your respective skills,” says Gavitt. “This international partnership will enable the exchange of best practices between partners and improve Airmen’s cross-cultural communication, cultural competencies and interoperability in the setting of global health engagement.”
The TBRM program, supported by the UAE Ministry of Defense, will help build resilient joint forces and develop intra-theater military readiness platforms to support the US Department of Defense and other partners.
“When I am standing at the bedside of a trauma patient, I can affect that one patient. “The TBRM program is an opportunity to expand cooperation and build an unparalleled network of partners across the U.S. Central Command region.”
The enduring goal of the program is to support a comprehensive and sustainable UAE trauma, burns and rehabilitation medical capacity and civilian trauma care, combat casualty care and subsequent recovery and rehabilitation of civilians and armed forces. to establish an in-theater military readiness platform to personnel.
“The TBRM team is establishing military and civilian trauma care systems with UAE partners to sustain skills and develop a robust and resilient health infrastructure for all involved. We all appreciate that we can achieve great things by working with them,” said DeSoucy.