Tri-Service Model

[narcusprince]

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Any truth to the rumor that the DOD will merge navy army and airforce medicine into one tri-service model?
The Prince

 

[Homunculus]

Any truth to the rumor that the DOD will merge navy army and airforce medicine into one tri-service model?
The Prince

someday. but if the experiment of the tri-service model at the new Walter Reed National Medical Center that was BRAC'd together a couple of years ago is any indication, it's going to be a loooooooong process full of posturing and negotiations. who leads this new tri-service model? who get's the money? who gets absorbed? who runs GME? NNMC and WRAMC already had joint programs and are miles away from each other. imagine that on a national scale . .

the purple suit idea is a great one, but i don't think we'll see it for at *least* 20-30 years.

--your friendly neighborhood purple people eater caveman

 

[elderjack21]

someday. but if the experiment of the tri-service model at the new Walter Reed National Medical Center that was BRAC'd together a couple of years ago is any indication, it's going to be a loooooooong process full of posturing and negotiations. who leads this new tri-service model? who get's the money? who gets absorbed? who runs GME? NNMC and WRAMC already had joint programs and are miles away from each other. imagine that on a national scale . .

the purple suit idea is a great one, but i don't think we'll see it for at *least* 20-30 years.

--your friendly neighborhood purple people eater caveman

I agree...no doubt the level of complaining would be tremendous from whoever is absorbed or forced to change...

 

[NavyFP]

I disagree. There will be a Unified Medical Command with a 4 star Medical Corps Officer overseeing the operation of the three services and reporting to the Dep SecDef within 5 years. We won't be completely purple for quite some time, but the MedCom commander will be able to balance the deployment inequities, coordinate GME and allow placement of physicians by specialty and not necessarily uniform color.

 

[NavyFP]

Didn't the AF just tank this plan six months ago?

The initial one, yes. The JTF they just set up in DC will grow, and the AF will be powerless to stop it.

 

[elderjack21]

I disagree. There will be a Unified Medical Command with a 4 star Medical Corps Officer overseeing the operation of the three services and reporting to the Dep SecDef within 5 years. We won't be completely purple for quite some time, but the MedCom commander will be able to balance the deployment inequities, coordinate GME and allow placement of physicians by specialty and not necessarily uniform color.

I hope you are right, I think it would open up tons of new opportunities to military physicians. New places to train, new duty assignments, different deployment opportunities...

May even make it more (or maybe less) appealing for recruits...for me it would be a plus...but I guess if you were joining a force to not get deployed...then it may be a minus.

One HPSP application wouldn't be bad either.

 

[NavyFP]

😱

What about the nuclear deterrent?

 

[NavyFP]

The only downside would be if the AF is as crappy as everyone says. Imagine joining the Army, looking at some pretty decent Gen Surg programs, then getting stuck down at Kiesler?

Although CPR continues. We need to call the code on Kiesler. I doubt they will get RRC acreditation back.

 

[IgD]

I don't really see what having a unified medical corps would do right now. If the concept is sound why don't have have "one military" instead of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force? I've observed that one of the strengths of our military is diversity and the fact each service has a different ethos. Continued centralization of military medicine would erase that and is going to make things worse. I think we need to de-centralize the system and put control back into the hands of the hospital commands and medical officers on the ground. What is so hard about rightsizing the number of billets to meet the mission?

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

Because we have billets in each other's hospitals, treat each other's service men and women, and have all the same residency programs. When you have duplicate services under different commands, you start to wonder why you need three different command groups all doing the same thing.

Not to mention the IA deployments. Two staff from my dept have been called up to do long deployments - one was a 15monther with the Army in Afghanistan.

The big question is how will "evening up deployments" effect those of us who are doing GMOs and will be coming out residency with an enterily different structure going against new staff w/ a totally different path to get through residency.

 

[Dr. Wexler]

Because we have billets in each other's hospitals, treat each other's service men and women, and have all the same residency programs. When you have duplicate services under different commands, you start to wonder why you need three different command groups all doing the same thing.

How is this different than other non-medical duplicate services? Every service has truck drivers. Three services fly fixed wing aircraft. Why have service specific lawyers or chaplains?


Increasingly the services are eager to show they don't carry union cards. The Navy is willing to send sailors into support positions in Iraq that would traditionally be filled by Army personnel. Same for the Air Force. Each service is trying to prove they are valuable by doing their "fair share". But eventually won't people start to wonder why there are four different services if they are all doing the same thing on the ground?

If it makes sense to combine these duplicate medical services, does it also make sense to combine other duplicate services?

 

[IgD]

How is this different than other non-medical duplicate services? Every service has truck drivers. Three services fly fixed wing aircraft. Why have service specific lawyers or chaplains?

Your comments get to the heart of the matter. IMHO, it is more a matter of not having enough uniformed physicians rather than a question of resource efficiency.

 

[elderjack21]

But eventually won't people start to wonder why there are four different services if they are all doing the same thing on the ground?

If it makes sense to combine these duplicate medical services, does it also make sense to combine other duplicate services?

While most of the focus is on Iraq/Afghanistan right now. There are other theaters of operation and may be future wars to be fought that will require more than just "boots on the ground." Plenty of people war game these scenerios and each of the branches has their own specific part to play.

 

[Dr. Wexler]

It is disingenuous to argue that "all three services fly fix wing aircraft", since the Air Force does this for a living, while the other services merely utilize fixed-wing aircraft for support. Anyone can pick out small support roles that superficially mimick other services.

You're right. My example isn't perfect. Certainly there are certain aircraft that only one service flies. Still, I submit we could sit down and make a huge list of jobs that at least two services have. I am not sure where you would draw the line to distinguish a "small support role" from something more significant. Are you?

It's just something to think about.

 

[Shouldice Repai]

Although CPR continues. We need to call the code on Kiesler. I doubt they will get RRC acreditation back.

Just curious as to where you are getting this from. I heard that they may D/C the Peds and OBGYN programs at Keesler, but plan to continue with IM and Gen Surg. I am curious to see where Keesler fits into the big scheme of things as the Army continues to take over more of the programs at Wilford Hall and Wright Patt is essentially being downgraded to a super clinic. Although, I heard rumors they are trying to increase positions in FP and Gen Surg at Travis and possibly add back an IM residency.

 

[NavyFP]

Just curious as to where you are getting this from. I heard that they may D/C the Peds and OBGYN programs at Keesler, but plan to continue with IM and Gen Surg. I am curious to see where Keesler fits into the big scheme of things as the Army continues to take over more of the programs at Wilford Hall and Wright Patt is essentially being downgraded to a super clinic. Although, I heard rumors they are trying to increase positions in FP and Gen Surg at Travis and possibly add back an IM residency.

Scuttlebut from the Navy GME side.