I am doing some research into finding ways to make value-added improvements to the Medical, Healthcare & Member/Family Support Services area of the Department of the Navy. Thought this might be a good forum to query for general ideas and inputs.
One area i'm looking into is Navy vs. Marine Corps career pathways. For instance, does BUMED or the SG need to establish a green (MARCOR) pathway to advancement in the DON for medical officers? I've been reading/hearing about cases where many otherwise talented and qualified medical officers are passed up for promotion if they do not get a certain amount of "blue" time...at a MTF hospital for instance. Would this affect the willingness/morale of some from being deployed/re-dployed to in-theater environments supporting the Marine Corps for long periods of repeat tours in the perception that it may hurt their career? Eliminating this type of perception may help remove such negative perceptions. -- anyone have input on this, whether it is a legitimate concern or not?
Another area i'm looking at is how medical staffing requirements are generated for theater operations, like OIF. Perception i'm hearing is that, as the war in Iraq has become a more stable environment over time (ie., operations are less expeditionary/manuever and more garrison-support), the Navy docs/surgeons supporting the Marines at mobile facilities (FRSS, etc) are experiencing more and more downtime...to the point where a doc can have a 6 month tour and have very few if any operating cases to work on. But it appears the line isn't willing to draw down the number of surgeons or transfer some of them to a Level III hospital, preferring to hold on for "just in case" and so MARCOR can maintain visibility/control. Does MARCOR need guidance/training to instruct line commanders and leadership when it is appropriate to consider reducing staff at Level II facilities? Should BUMED/SG increase opportunities to reduce downtime for medical personnel deployed to areas with low OPTEMPO?...for example: (1) temporary rotations to other DoD or civilian hospitals, (2) medical simulations for exercising and maintenance of skills, and (3) expanding services to encompass Military Operations Other Than War (which blurs the line with State Dept somewhat, but throwing it out there nonetheless)?
Feel free to let me know your thoughts on these and any other aspects of life in Navy medicine that you think has potential for improvements.
One area i'm looking into is Navy vs. Marine Corps career pathways. For instance, does BUMED or the SG need to establish a green (MARCOR) pathway to advancement in the DON for medical officers? I've been reading/hearing about cases where many otherwise talented and qualified medical officers are passed up for promotion if they do not get a certain amount of "blue" time...at a MTF hospital for instance. Would this affect the willingness/morale of some from being deployed/re-dployed to in-theater environments supporting the Marine Corps for long periods of repeat tours in the perception that it may hurt their career? Eliminating this type of perception may help remove such negative perceptions. -- anyone have input on this, whether it is a legitimate concern or not?
Another area i'm looking at is how medical staffing requirements are generated for theater operations, like OIF. Perception i'm hearing is that, as the war in Iraq has become a more stable environment over time (ie., operations are less expeditionary/manuever and more garrison-support), the Navy docs/surgeons supporting the Marines at mobile facilities (FRSS, etc) are experiencing more and more downtime...to the point where a doc can have a 6 month tour and have very few if any operating cases to work on. But it appears the line isn't willing to draw down the number of surgeons or transfer some of them to a Level III hospital, preferring to hold on for "just in case" and so MARCOR can maintain visibility/control. Does MARCOR need guidance/training to instruct line commanders and leadership when it is appropriate to consider reducing staff at Level II facilities? Should BUMED/SG increase opportunities to reduce downtime for medical personnel deployed to areas with low OPTEMPO?...for example: (1) temporary rotations to other DoD or civilian hospitals, (2) medical simulations for exercising and maintenance of skills, and (3) expanding services to encompass Military Operations Other Than War (which blurs the line with State Dept somewhat, but throwing it out there nonetheless)?
Feel free to let me know your thoughts on these and any other aspects of life in Navy medicine that you think has potential for improvements.
