Medical | Soldier Systems Daily Soldier Systems Daily

Archive for the ‘Medical’ Category

SOFWERX – SBIR 25.4 Pre-release: Aviation Goggle Mount & Operator Portable Oxygen Generation Device

Friday, February 7th, 2025

The USSOCOM Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program will soon be accepting submissions for the technology area of interest:

Special Areas of Interest
Phase I:
SOCOM254-003: Aviation Goggle Mount

The objective of this topic is to research and develop an innovative Aviation Goggle Mount capability that will be employed on various aviator helmets with various night vision goggle systems (i.e. AN/AVS-6 and Wide Field of View Aviation Goggles (WFOVAG) and shall interface with an Aviation Night Vision Imaging System (ANVIS) mount that is used by Special Operations Forces.

Direct to Phase II:
SOCOM254-D002: Operator Portable Oxygen Generation Device

The objective of this topic is to develop applied research toward an innovative capability to improve oxygen therapy at point-of-need in an austere pre-hospital environment. The goal is to develop a field instrument that is rugged, compact, and able to provide oxygen to patients and oxygen generation capabilities as far-forward as possible to reduce the need for oxygen cylinders.

SOFWERX will host a virtual Q&A session for the areas of interest on 18 February at 2:00 PM ET.

Click Here to RSVP (RSVP NLT 17 February 2025 11:59 PM ET)
Submit your proposal: (Submissions open 26 February 2025 12:00PM ET (Noon))

Posted in Aviation, Medical, Optics, Research, SOF | No Comments »

Arctic Angels Rehearse MEDEVAC Operations Ahead of JPMRC

Wednesday, February 5th, 2025

FORT GREELY, Alaska — On a frigid early morning along the Alaskan frontier, the 25th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team and the 1-52nd General Support Aviation Battalion, Arctic Aviation Command — both of the 11th Airborne Division, — conducted a medical evacuation rehearsal ahead of Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center 25-02, near Delta Junction, Alaska, Jan. 18, 2025.

The MEDEVAC rehearsal comes only days before the start of JPMRC 25-02, the Army’s newest Combat Training Center, focusing on large scale combat operations in remote and extreme Arctic winter conditions, where the ability to reach and treat casualties is key.

“Rehearsal is very important,” said 2nd Lt. Allen Sanchez, a platoon leader assigned to Charlie Company, 25th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division. “We have to practice our skills because, at the end of the day, we have to be prepared for things that may change in real-life situations.”

The Donnelly Training Area and its extreme cold temperatures, high winds and ever-changing conditions presents challenges, but learning to operate in that environment is vital for building soldiers that live up to the division’s motto: Arctic tough.

“This rehearsal is essential because we are in an Arctic environment, where resources are limited,” said Spc. Brandon Martinez Segura, a combat medic assigned to Charlie Company, 25th BSB, 1st IBCT, 11th Airborne Division. “So we need to practice getting all casualties out of this environment and to safety.”

With mere hours of daylight during the winter months, rehearsing in darkness is nearly unavoidable, but is critical to ensuring combat medics are prepared to treat any injury, no matter the conditions.

“It is crucial that we practice how to properly aid a patient in the cover of night; we hope to gain experience and learn from our mistakes,” Sanchez said.

By PFC Makenna Tilton, 27th Public Affairs Detachement

Posted in Army, Guest Post, Medical | No Comments »

TRICARE Online Patient Portal Decommissioning: Download Your Health Records Now

Sunday, January 26th, 2025

FALLS CHURCH, Va. –

On April 1, the TRICARE Online Patient Portal will no longer be available. The Department of Defense’s new electronic health record—MHS GENESIS—has replaced the TOL Patient Portal. As part of the transition, the DOD is decommissioning the TOL Patient Portal.

If you want to keep a copy of your legacy health records for personal use, you must download them from the TOL Patient Portal before April 1.

“All military hospitals and clinics have transitioned to MHS GENESIS. We encourage you to take these important steps to save your personal health records before the TOL Patient Portal decommissions,” said Rear Adm. Tracy Farrill, Principal Deputy, Assistant Director for Health Care Administration, and Military Health System EHR Functional Champion at the Defense Health Agency. “Your medical history is a valuable resource for managing your health, and saving your records now ensures you have access if you need it.”

Here’s what you need to know before the TOL Patient Portal decommissions.

Why is the TOL Patient Portal decommissioning?

The MHS GENESIS Patient Portal has replaced the TOL Patient Portal. As detailed in the TRICARE Choices in the United States Handbook, MHS GENESIS allows you to access your EHR 24/7. You can also book and cancel appointments, request prescription refills and renewals, see clinical notes and certain test results, and exchange secure messages with your military healthcare team.

The change from TOL to MHS GENESIS eliminates the need to maintain two systems and streamlines EHR management.

What will happen to my records?

Provider access: Your provider will continue to have access to your complete health records.

Personal access: You can use the steps below to download your legacy records for personal use before April 1. You can also request a physical copy from your military hospital or clinic’s records management office. To do this, you’ll need to complete a request form in person, and then return at a later designated time to pick up the records. Beginning April 1, if you want your legacy health records, you’ll have to follow this process.

What should I do now?

To keep copies of your legacy health records, follow these instructions:

Visit www.TRICAREOnline.com.

Log in: Sign in using your DS Logon, CAC, or DFAS myPay credentials. If you don’t have a DS Logon, you’ll need to create one by clicking “Need An Account.”

Access: On the TOL homepage, click the blue “Health Record” button to view your personal health data.

Find data: Select “Download My Data.” You’ll see several data categories.

Customize: Choose the person, data types, date range, and format for the records you want to download.

Download: You can choose to download your records in portable document format (.pdf) or as a (.xml) continuity of care document. The CCD format allows you to share your data with family, caregivers, providers, and healthcare systems, or to document data in your preferred personal health record.

Save: After downloading, you can either open the file or save it securely for future use. You can also print your records and store them in a safe place.

Important details

Your records won’t transfer to MHS GENESIS once TOL decommissions.

Your TOL health records only reflect periods of time when your military hospital or clinic was using TOL. Note: If you moved from one duty station to another, and one military hospital or clinic used TOL and the other used MHS GENESIS, your records in MHS GENESIS may have gaps. You’ll find these “gap” records in the TOL Patient Portal. Be sure to download them.

You can only download your records from the past 30 years, from the date you log in to TOL.

Protect your health information. When you download or print your personal health information, it becomes your responsibility to keep it safe. Use secure options. Avoid saving personal data on unsecure devices or platforms.

It’s also important to know that if you’re planning to file a claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs, this decommissioning won’t affect your ability to do so. Providers will still have access to your complete health records.

Can I see my children’s health records?

Yes. You can view all available health data for your children under the age of 12. For children aged 12 to 17, you may view COVID-19, coronavirus, and flu test results, as well as allergies, vitals, and immunization data.

Due to state privacy laws, there are limits to what health data you can view online for your children aged 12 to 17. You can request printed results from your child’s clinic or provider.

Don’t wait—take action

Remember: The TOL Patient Portal will only be available until April 1. Take the time now to download and store your health records to ensure you can easily access them if needed.

To get started or learn more, visit the TOL Patient Portal.

By TRICARE Communications

Posted in Medical, Press Release, Veterans | 1 Comment »

HunterSeven Offering Cancer Screening for Veterans at SHOT Show

Monday, January 20th, 2025

Posted in Medical, SHOT Show, Veterans | No Comments »

Serco Wins $247m US Army Contract to Support Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) System

Friday, January 17th, 2025

Serco, the international provider of critical government services, has been awarded a new contract to support soldier readiness and performance within the US Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) System. The contract starts immediately and has an eight-month base period plus four one-year option periods. The estimated total value is $247 million (£203 million) if all options are exercised.

Serco and its contract partners will support the US Army’s initiative to enhance soldier readiness, support optimal physical and non-physical performance, significantly reduce injury rates, and streamline rehabilitation post-injury. Serco will provide training support to 45 US Army brigades at 15 locations across the United States.

Serco supports the entire career lifecycle of military personnel. Our broad range of capabilities include recruitment, onboarding, training, development, health services, assistance transitioning back into civilian life and veteran support programmes.

This new contract follows three other recently announced US defence contract wins:

A $193 million contract rebid to deliver transition to civilian life career training and counselling services on behalf of the Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Services Transition Assistance Program. The contract has a 1-year base period plus four 12-month option periods.

A $97 million new five-year contract to provide programme management and business performance improvement support to Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).

A $33 million contract rebid to provide psychological health outreach support for the US Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. The contract has a 9-month base period and four one-year option periods.

Mark Irwin, Group Chief Executive of Serco, said:

“Serco has a long, distinguished history of supporting the armed forces around the world and this win builds on our existing strength in the defence sector. We have a strong pipeline of further opportunities in the sector, which is now our largest sector globally.

“We are proud to support the US Army’s efforts to revolutionise how they empower and equip soldiers to take charge of their health, fitness and wellbeing. This contract reflects our ability to support members of the Armed Forces at every stage of their career in the military, from helping governments recruit the right personnel to providing training, development, and health support during their period of service, through to supporting them in their transition as they leave the military and re-enter civilian life.

“We will continue to use our broad set of capabilities, skills and expertise to impact a better future for customers, communities and countries.”

Posted in Army, Contracts, Medical, Press Release | No Comments »

Soldier Instructors and Staff Become Combat Lifesavers

Saturday, January 11th, 2025

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. — Sixteen U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers with the 166th Regiment – Regional Training Institute recently completed a Combat Lifesaver, or CLS course, instructed by the RTI’s Medical Battalion Training Site, Dec. 16-20, 2024.

The CLS course is a 40-hour program and covers a wide variety of topics pertaining to medical field care. A CLS-trained Soldier is capable of providing advanced first aid and lifesaving techniques in combat situations.

“In the CLS course we cover everything that happens from the point of injury until a casualty is evacuated and transported to the next level of medical care,” said Sgt. Joshua Nassau, a MBTS combat medic specialist and CLS course instructor.

During the course, students trained on head injuries, hypothermia treatment, pain management and antibiotics, splinting and applying tourniquets to wounds, calling in a 9-line medical evacuation, various patient reports, documentation and more.

This course was unique in that all instructors and students were 166th Regiment RTI staff members.

“It’s been a great week of camaraderie building,” said Sgt. 1st Class Wellington Brown, a CLS student. “Since we’re all with the RTI, we’re able to bond and develop together while, having a good time while getting some great training.”

But what’s the value in the RTI conducting a CLS course for its own instructors and staff? Nassau provided some insight, saying, “If something happens to one of these instructors’ students in the field, having this training allows them to respond immediately and provide the needed medical care until a medic arrives.”

This makes sense, considering CLS-trained Soldiers are not intended to replace medical personnel outright. But their training can help slow the decline of a wounded Soldier’s condition until medical help arrives, and then a CLS can provide further assistance to that medic and the patient.

“It’s a very hands-on course, which is good for retaining all the knowledge we’ve learned,” said Brown. “I see a lot of value in the course and would recommend it to others.”

By SFC Shane Smith

Posted in Army, Guest Post, Medical, Training | No Comments »

Medical First-Aid Support: Rheinmetall to Deliver Up to 120 Rescue Stations to the Bundeswehr

Thursday, January 9th, 2025

The Federal Office for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) has commissioned Rheinmetall to deliver up to 120 rescue stations to the Bundeswehr. The order will be booked in January 2025 and values in a high double-digit million euro range. Delivery of the initial ten ballistic protected and six unprotected systems is scheduled between 2025 and 2027.

The contract also includes an option for a further 104 armoured and unarmoured systems, as well as corresponding training for the appropriate personnel. The highly mobile aid-stations are used by the Bundeswehr medical service to provide surgical and internal emergency care for the armed forces. If need be, the systems can be set up and dismantled within the shortest possible time.

Each system includes an air conditioning unit, a power generator and an emergency surgery container equipped with the latest medical instruments. The aid-stations are part of the Bundeswehr’s Modular Medical Facilities (MSE) system.

Posted in Contracts, International, Medical, Press Release | 1 Comment »

Dr Frank Butler Receives Presidential Citizens Medal for Groundbreaking Contributions to Trauma Care

Sunday, January 5th, 2025

President Joe Biden presented Dr. Frank K. Butler, Jr., with the prestigious Presidential Citizens Medal in a ceremony at the White House, Jan. 2, 2025.

This award, one of the highest honors a civilian can receive, recognizes Butler’s extraordinary contributions to battlefield trauma care and his enduring impact on both military and civilian medicine.

Dr. Butler’s legacy began during his service as a Navy SEAL, where he developed an intimate understanding of the unique challenges faced in combat environments. Transitioning to medicine, he spearheaded the creation of Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) in 1996, revolutionizing battlefield trauma protocols. TCCC’s principles—focused on prehospital care—were initially adopted by elite units such as Navy SEAL Teams and the Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment. Over time, these protocols became the standard of care across the U.S. military and influenced trauma care worldwide.

During his 11 years as Chair of the Department of Defense’s Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care, Butler led a multidisciplinary team of trauma care experts who drove advancements that saved thousands of lives during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The innovations he championed—including the widespread use of tourniquets and hemostatic dressings—not only improved survival rates in combat but also reshaped emergency medical responses in civilian contexts. His push to train and equip every soldier with these life-saving tools has had far-reaching effects, from military operations to first responder and law enforcement agencies worldwide.

Butler’s influence extended beyond the battlefield. As a member of the White House advisory team on civilian IED injuries and a founding member of the Hartford Consensus Working Group, he played a critical role in the development of the national “STOP THE BLEED®” campaign. Launched in 2015, this initiative empowers bystanders to act as immediate responders, significantly improving outcomes for victims of severe bleeding.

Over his illustrious career, Butler has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the American College of Surgeons Distinguished Military Lifetime Achievement Award, the Military Health System Battlefield Medicine Innovation Award, the U.S. Special Operations Command Medal, and the Military Health System Research Symposium Distinguished Service Award, a lifetime achievement award. Notably, he was the inaugural recipient of the Tactical Combat Casualty Care Award, now named the “CAPT Frank K. Butler” award in his honor.

The Presidential Citizens Medal is awarded to citizens of the United States of America who have “performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens.”

Butler’s groundbreaking contributions have left an indelible mark on military medicine and the nation. From transforming the way trauma is treated on the battlefield to influencing global trauma care standards, his work has saved countless lives.

As President Biden presented the medal, he highlighted Dr. Butler’s unparalleled dedication to saving lives and advancing medical care, noting that his work “revolutionized trauma care.”

Story by Sharon Holland, Uniformed Services University

Editor’s note: If you’d like to know more about CAPT Frank Butler, MD, (USN, Ret) who started out as a UDT/SEAL, check out the upcoming War Docs Podcast episode, “NAVY SEAL TO DOCTOR: A JOURNEY OF RESILIENCE AND TRANSFORMATION”

Dive into the captivating story of CAPT (Ret) Frank Butler, MD, a Navy SEAL who swapped combat boots for a stethoscope, demonstrating that resilience and dedication know no bounds. This episode reveals how military discipline and a medical family heritage inspired a seamless transition to a career in healing. Join the podcast for an enriching conversation about courage, commitment, and the pursuit of a medical mission. Perfect for enthusiasts of military and medical narratives, this story is sure to inspire and motivate. The episode featuring Dr. Butler will be available on YouTube on 6 JAN 25 and will launch on all major podcast platforms on 10 JAN 25.

Posted in Guest Post, Medical, Veterans | 2 Comments »