title: Joint Task Force Andrew: the 44th Medical Brigade mental health staff officer's after action review.
abstract: The massive Department of Defense deployment in support of Hurricane Andrew relief cast the military medical departments in a new role. Military medical personnel were challenged to apply the traditional principles of combat medicine to a noncombat environment, within the continental United States, within an existing health care infrastructure, in a role subordinate to local civilian health care agencies. As a medical "subject matter expert" assigned to the Joint Task Force Andrew Surgeon's staff, the author worked at the civil-military interface. The lessons learned in his role as a special staff officer should benefit any health care provider involved in disaster relief. They focus on problem areas peculiar to the disaster relief scenario.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Holsenbeck
mesh_terms: D004190:Disasters; D005431:Florida; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000639:trends*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000639:trends*; D012066:Relief Work / Q000458:organization & administration*