Military Partnership Training Programs
Overview
Based on a 1995 General Accounting Office (GAO) report that said only five percent of U.S. military medical treatment facility diagnoses matched battlefield injuries, Scottsdale Healthcare later launched the nation’s first community hospital-based training program.
Today, that program serves as a national prototype for clinical excellence in readiness training and military-civilian partnerships.
It began in April 2004 when 24 military medical professionals from the Arizona Air National Guard participated in a two-week training pilot program. Since that first class, more than 500 military personnel have trained at Scottsdale Healthcare facilities. Training Affiliation Agreements (TAAs) are in effect with multi-state Army and Air National Guard units as well as Active Duty and Reserve Air and Army forces.
In addition, when it comes to regional disaster preparedness, the program focuses on a practical, integrated and proactively coordinated approach. Through partnerships with the both the military and industry, Scottsdale Healthcare continues to develop programs and technologies aimed at training military and civilian medical personnel. The goal is operational excellence to better protect the community in times of disaster. Such planning led to the initial Coyote Crisis Campaign in 2006. The partnership enables further collaboration on many fronts to enhance our community healthcare system.
This partnership is a platform that enables military physicians, nurses, medics, and other ancillary medical personnel to sustain their skills in combat readiness. All branches of the military, Active Duty, Guard and Reserves may participate. The curriculum is modified to meet individual branch training requirements
RSSTP (Readiness Skills Sustainment and Training Program)
Hallmark program first initiated with the Air National Guard to meet pre-deployment training needs. Modeled after the Air Force’s C-STARS (Center for Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills), this program’s participants take part in a two-week intensive didactic and clinical rotation coordinated with trauma and intensive care service medical directors.
The course originally was structured for the Guard and Reserve components to fulfill their Readiness Skills Verification/Critical Skills requirements while on Annual Training. It’s success has expanded to Active Duty personnel.
RSSTP partners with the Maricopa Integrated Health System and offers trauma, burn, orthopedics, EMS ride along, wound care/hyperbaric, intensive care unit, pediatric trauma, behavioral health and operating room experiences. All branches of the military including Active Duty, Guard and Reserves forces may participate.
Scottsdale Healthcare orientation is a prerequisite.
JTTP (Just in Time Training Program)
Provides deployment readiness for individuals or groups and is tailored to meet billet requirements including clinical experience, skills review, assessment and priority setting prior to deployment. Training is tailored to meet the trainee’s individual needs.
Scottsdale Healthcare orientation is a prerequisite.
Seasoning/Phase III Skills Proficiency Training
A 90-day clinical rotation for Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard medical technicians. Clinical rotations are built around the participants’ learning needs. It provides real-world clinical training for enlisted personnel to reinforce knowledge by increasing skills and abilities learned during Phase I and Phase II training.
The member is assigned to a civilian preceptor who ensures that the member receives appropriate experiences and supervision to assist the person to acquire the required proficiencies.
Scottsdale Healthcare orientation is a prerequisite.
Trauma Lectures
Conducted during Readiness Sustainment Skills Training Program (RSSTP). During the two days of lectures there are approximately 12 one-hour lectures given on:
Abdominal Trauma, Blast Injuries, Brain Trauma, Burn Trauma, Chest/Thoracic Injuries, Facial/Airway Management, Mass Casualty/Battlefield Triage, Pelvic/Extremities Fractures, Spinal Trauma, Trauma Management/Shock, Wound Care/Hyperbaric and Stress Management.
Continuing education credits are available for nurses and enlisted medics. CME pending.
Scottsdale Healthcare orientation is not required to attend lectures.
Medical Simulation
Medical simulation is a branch of simulation technology related to education and training in military medical fields. It can involve simulated human patients, educational documents with detailed simulated scenarios and casualty assessment in military combat situations and emergency response. Baseline information is collected in the pre-training session and evaluated again post-training for areas of improvement. Scenarios can be developed to mimic a multitude of disease, injury and medical emergency situations for all levels of medical professionals. Technological advances in the past two decades have made an increase in the wide spread use of simulation labs especially by the U.S. Military who have used the resource to better prepare their medical providers for what they have encountered in the Middle East war zones, humanitarian efforts and National disasters. Equipment for the simulation lab is a partnership of Scottsdale Healthcare, the National Guard Bureau, Luke Air Force Base, Gaumard Scientific and other equipment providers.
Equipment for the simulation lab is loaned to Scottsdale Healthcare by the National Guard Bureau and Luke Air Force Base. In addition to equipment, Luke provides a full-time technician and a full-time trainer to run the lab and to maintain and program the equipment to run scenarios.
Scottsdale Healthcare orientation is not a prerequisite to Medical Simulation training.
NTP (Nurse Transition Program)
Prepares Active Duty Air Force nurses with less than 6 months of clinical experience to work in AF hospitals. It is an 11-week orientation program composed of didactic, simulation lab experiences; hands-on skill training and direct patient care with a qualified Scottsdale Healthcare preceptor.
Scottsdale Healthcare is the largest site of 10 in the nation hosting up to 20 new graduate Air Force nurse participants per class. Four classes are scheduled each year. The Air Force has placed two full-time nurse educators on site who provide direct supervision. When not working with nurse participants, these nurse educators are available to train Scottsdale Healthcare staff and provide direct patient care.
STARS-P (Sustainment of Trauma and Resuscitation Skills Program)
Provides rotations to maintain clinical skills and is a long-term approach for ongoing trauma experience for specialty surgeons, physicians and clinical professionals. These rotations provide hands-on experience in the trauma center, emergency department, operating room and the intensive care unit. Rotations may be of any length of time from days to months to years. Long-term rotations are intended to provide ongoing skill sustainment and integration of the health care professional into everyday operations of Scottsdale Healthcare. We are a pilot site and development partner for this program in conjunction with Luke Air Force Base.
For additional information on any of the mentioned programs, please contact:
Randy Derr, RN, BSN
Military Partnership Clinical Director
Tel: 480-882-5709
Lenore Portante
Military Partnership Coordinator
Tel: 480-882-6577
R. Vance Nesbitt
Medical Simulation Lab Coordinator
Tel: 480-882-5784
