title: An innovative medical civil-military operation training program.
abstract: The San Antonio Military Pediatric Center has developed an innovative humanitarian civic assistance (HCA) program. Many medical HCA programs focus on short-term medical interventions and provide transient benefit. To have a more lasting impact, this program focuses on public health surveillance. U.S. military medics conduct random household nutritional surveys and train in austere settings and on rounds in Honduran hospitals. Since 2001, >200 military medics have been trained in population assessment, primary medical care in developing nations, and other skills critical for medical civil-military operations. All activities are coordinated with the host nation. Public health data are collected and reported to Honduran public health leaders, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and nongovernmental organizations, to assist with program and policy development. This innovative project is a potential model to improve both military training and host nation benefit from HCA programs.
authors.affiliation: San Antonio Military Pediatric Center, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, TX 78236-9908, USA.
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lougee
authors.forename: Teresa M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Kemmer
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lynch
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002959:Civil Defense / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000193:education*; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000193:education*; D018529:Nutritional Support / Q000379:methods; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States