Off the Battlefield, U.S. Army Health Care Teams Win Hearts and Save Lives

Off the Battlefield, U.S. Army Health Care Teams Win Hearts and Save Lives

		U.S. Army pediatrician Maj. Megan M. O'Brien, M.D., examines an infant in Ash Shumali, Iraq, as the child's mother looks on. Army photo by Master Sgt. Lek Mateo, 56th Brigade Public Affairs Office. (PRNewsFoto) FORT KNOX, KY USA

FORT KNOX, Ky., Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Across language barriers, amidst hostile environments and in remote areas of the world, teams of U.S. Army Health Care professionals measure success in patients saved, hearts converted and smiles won. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050809/CGTU019 ) During Army Medical Department (AMEDD) deployments, humanitarianism plays a key role in winning the confidence and respect of local communities. In 2005 alone, Army Health Care teams conducted 25 humanitarian operations in 16 countries. The teams perform medical procedures, help rebuild health care facilities, donate medical equipment and supplies, offer professional training and provide vaccinations. Army Health Care teams of diverse specialties have remained in Iraq and Afghanistan to provide civilians with an increased level of care -- upgrading hospital supplies, performing complicated surgeries and training teams of health care providers. Army Nurse Capt. Tara Hayden, deployed with the 28th Combat Support Hospital in Iraq, recalled that one of her most touching cases involved three young Iraqi boys who played with an improvised explosive device when it exploded. All three boys required extensive surgeries, yet many Iraqi hospitals lack sufficient expertise and technology. Capt. Hayden's team responded quickly. "It didn't matter to our staff that the boys were Iraqi -- they were in desperate need of the finest medical care and they received it," said Capt. Hayden. Army Health Care teams also train and educate local doctors, working to advance global patient care. In one example at the Baghdad Convention Center, Army Health Care teams and Iraqi doctors organized and lectured at a three-day neonatal resuscitation clinic for local obstetricians, pediatricians and family practitioners. Participants listened to lectures on up-to-date techniques and equipment. "Our ultimate goal is to decrease the high infant mortality rate in Iraq," said Capt. James Wayne, 3rd Brigade Combat team surgeon. "The doctors we worked with are sharp and enthusiastic ... they all want to make sure the medicine they practice is as current as possible." Working together, Army and Iraqi doctors hope to cut Iraq's high infant mortality rate in half by the end of 2005. To combat poor health care practices in these countries, Army Health Care teams make regular visits to communities within Iraq and Afghanistan, offering clinics, providing medical assistance to civilians and teaching citizens of war-torn nations better health and hygiene habits. In Balad, Iraq, for example, Army teams provided more than 400,000 children with up-to-date immunizations, and taught adults sanitation and hand- washing techniques to prevent the spread of germs. In Al Fadruz, Iraq, American and Iraqi health care teams performed "tailgate medical" stops, positioning Humvees in the streets to treat villagers. In addition, Army Officers distributed items such as candy, pencils and bottled water to children. "Getting used to being mobbed by a bunch a 3-footers is hard, but the smiles on children's faces make everything worth it," said Staff Sgt. Douglas Barbieto, a medic of Company C, 29th Support Battalion. "I know we make a difference." Elsewhere, in Herat, Afghanistan, U.S. Army Reserve Officers taught first aid to hundreds of students and teachers at local schools to combat unsafe practice methods. "The Afghani students were very eager to learn about first aid," said Cpl. Shannon Kelley, 401st Civil Affairs Battalion. "We hope to teach them a better way of caring for themselves and for others." Humanitarian acts are critical to AMEDD's role, and not just in battle zones. U.S. and foreign officials seek Army's Health Care teams' expertise to provide relief and to reduce suffering around the globe. At any given moment, even when the U.S. military is not at war, more than one thousand Active and Reserve Component medical Officers are likely to be in remote villages overseas. To learn more about the U.S. Army Health Care teams, log on to http://healthcare.goarmy.com or call 800-USA-ARMY, x.740. INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT (AMEDD) From nurses and entomologists to veterinarians, dietitians and physicians, Army Health Care offers more than 90 professional health care career paths -- more than any other military service. Army Health Care annually employs more than 73,500 Active-duty professionals and 72,000 Reserve Soldiers, interacting with more than 200,000 patients on an average day. The Army's health care system is an $8 billion per year venture, employing 145,000 people and managing the care of three million beneficiaries. The active Army is augmented by a Reserve Component, comprised of health care professionals in Reserve units throughout the United States and abroad. One of the largest health care networks in the world, AMEDD operates more than 600 world-renowned hospitals, clinics and facilities around the globe. AMEDD encompasses six corps: Dental, Medical, Medical Service, Medical Specialist, Nurse and Veterinary.