specialization in medical :: Article CreatorMedical Service Corps: 106 Years Of Diverse Health Service
WASHINGTON — Whether in everyday patient care, clinical research or by performing the administrative tasks needed to run Army hospitals, Medical Service Corps officers have provided health care to veterans, Soldiers and their families for 106 years.
The corps is home to a diverse collection of Soldiers in more than 20 specialties, including behavioral health, laboratory sciences, preventative medicine, administrative health services, aeromedical evacuation, pharmacy, optometry, podiatry and health service maintenance.
"We are kind of the connective tissue of Army medicine in a lot of ways," said Maj. Bryan Spear, a health care administrator currently serving as the deputy secretary for the general staff of the Office of the Surgeon General. "At one point, we are doing the strategy and implementation of day-to-day operations, and at another point, we're on the front lines of research and patient care."
U.S. Army Medical Command features six medical officer corps: Army Medical Corps, Medical Specialist Corps, Veterinary Corps, Army Nurse Corps, Army Dental Corps and the Medical Service Corps.
The service corps' roots date back to the Civil War with an ambulance corps and medical storekeepers and then to World War I when the Army established a Sanitary Corps to relieve physicians of some administrative and scientific duties. That is where the Medical Service Corps gets its birthdate of June 30, 1917.
Then in 1947, Congress joined the Sanitary Corps with the Pharmacy Corps and Medical Administrative Corps to form the service corps.
Now more than 8,000 National Guard, reserve and active-duty Soldiers support Army medicine on the battlefield and on garrisons as MSC officers.
"The people in this career field are special," said retired Maj. Gen. David Rubenstein, 16th chief of the Medical Service Corps. "The drive that keeps Medical Service Corps Soldiers going, I believe, is the drive of wanting to ensure we provide the very best health care possible to our Soldiers and their families from pre-birth through the end of life. Some do that as clinicians, some as scientists and about half the corps as non-clinical administrators, planners and policy developers."
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Capt. Craig Neal, a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear officer at 30th Medical Brigade (top), helps Capt. Julio Rodriguez, a health services plans, operations, intelligence, security and training officer at 30th Medical Brigade (bottom) on his computer while trying to find documentation for a mission during a Command Post Exercise on Rhine Ordnance Barracks, Kaiserslautern, Germany on March 16, 2023. The Command Post Exercise was held to prepare junior Soldiers and senior leaders for Defender '23 using real world scenarios. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Spc. Samuel Signor) VIEW ORIGINAL 2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. John Eads, chief medical entomologist for Public Health Command-Pacific, holds an Oriental odd tooth snake under rehabilitation at the command's headquarters at Camp Zama, Japan, July 10, 2020. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Winifred Brown) VIEW ORIGINAL 3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Larry Decker, an optometrist in the U.S. Army Reserve assigned to the 94th Combat Support Hospital, 807th Medical Command (Deployment Support) out of Seagoville, Texas, performs an eye exam during Tropic Care 2018 in Kea'au, Hawaii, June 23, 2018. Tropic Care 2018 is an Innovative Readiness Training event that runs from June 18-28 designed to increase Soldier readiness while also serving the community of Kea'au, and its surrounding areas. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army Reserve Photo by Sgt. Stephanie Ramirez) VIEW ORIGINAL
With such a wide range of jobs in the corps, many of them differ in their career paths.
The scientists and officers caring for patients usually serve in their respective fields as they take on increased levels of responsibility as their careers progress.
The medical evacuation pilots must gain experience in aviation and Army Medical Department operations. They will generally stay in aviation for up to eight years before transitioning to an administrative position.
Administrative health service officers typically start in operational units performing several roles before selecting a specialized administrative field. This path can include institutional training and advanced civilian education.
That's exactly what happened to Spear. After entering service as a medical planner, he was assigned as a medical operations officer for the 101st Airborne Division. He deployed twice to Afghanistan before being selected as a health care administrator.
That allowed him to attend the Army-Baylor University graduate program, where he received his joint master's degree in health care administration and business administration.
"That opportunity to learn while on active duty for two years with a residency was phenomenal," he said. "If you think about the opportunities [this career field has] given me, it's more than I could have ever imagined. I cannot encourage people enough to join the Medical Service Corps."
Medical Service Corps officers are often called into action in times of crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they deployed to support the Javits Center temporary hospital in New York City and to other locations throughout the country. Army MedEvac pilots supported the Ebola outbreak response in Africa last decade.
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Stacey Bateman, a microbiologist and the chief of Immunology and Molecular Diagnostics at Madigan Army Medical Center in a Tyvek suit and powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) working with Ebola patient samples outside Monrovia, Liberia in December 2014. (Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of Stacey Bateman) VIEW ORIGINAL 2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Soldiers, 1138th Engineering Company, Missouri Army National Guard, simulate a medical evacuation during the 2019 Golden Coyote Exercise at Rapid City, S.D., June 15, 2019. The Golden Coyote Training Exercise is a three-phase, scenario-driven exercise conducted in South Dakota and Wyoming, which enables commanders to focus on mission essential task requirements, warrior tasks and battle drills. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army Reserve photos by Spc. Jamaal Turner) VIEW ORIGINAL
"There is unlikely to be a major event that the Army, from a medical position, will take part of that you won't find a Medical Service Corps officer right there in the fight," Spear explained.
Over the past 20 years, as the Army has shifted from counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan toward large-scale operations in the battlefield of tomorrow, Army medicine and the Medical Service Crops has continued to adapt as they provide patient care to veterans, Soldiers and their families.
"We are going to be able to address the future challenges because we have dealt with the unknowns before, and we have navigated that very well," Spear said. "That is all because of what makes us unique, which is our competence, our expertise and our professionalism in each one of the respective areas that we represent inside of the Medical Service Corps. [The corps'] strength lies in its diversity."
If you're interested in joining the Army as a Medical Service Corps officer, visit GoArmy.Com for more information.
RELATED LINKS:
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What To Know About Sports Injuries In Kids
With physically active children always comes some level of injury risk, especially when the activity is an organized sport. Whether competitive or not, sports and recreational activities present more opportunities to get hurt, either from overusing a certain body part or a mishap between teammates or opponents.
At Lurie Children's, pediatric orthopedic and sports medicine experts Dr. Rebecca Carl and Dr. Brooke Pfister help families figure out how to identify, respond to and treat sports injuries when they occur.
"Most commonly we see kids and adolescents injured from things like concussions, sprains and strains, and fractures -- especially in the forearm," Carl said. "We also see apophysitis, or irritation of a minor growth plate. This typically occurs in feet, around the knee and around the hip. Children can also have growth plate irritation or overuse injuries around the shoulder and elbow."
Generally speaking, most sports injuries can be classified as acute (such as a broken bone or ankle sprain) or chronic, due to overuse (such as apophysitis). A pediatric sports medicine specialist will help families determine the most accurate diagnosis and recovery plan. Knowing most young athletes are still growing and developing, it's important to seek specialized pediatric care to ensure the injury is looked at and treated from the appropriate perspective.
Signs of a sports injury may include things like sudden pain, headache, a bone or joint that appears out of place, weakness in the injury area, not being able to move a joint, or not being able to put weight on the leg, knee, ankle or foot.
Carl and Pfister advise that for more serious and concerning symptoms, consult a pediatric orthopedic/sports medicine specialist. These might include pain that doesn't go away after two or three days, severe pain, an obviously swollen joint, limping or a suspected concussion.
"When a child is unable to walk on their own or their bone or joint appears out of place, you should seek a more immediate evaluation at either an urgent care or pediatric emergency department," Carl said.
When deciding how to help care for a child's sports injury at home, Carl and Pfister recommend the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation), which is suggested for acute injuries only.
"These interventions are focused on helping with pain and minimizing swelling immediately following an injury," Pfister said.
An exception to this is if a child is experiencing back pain or muscle spasms; applying heat to the injury area will be recommended over ice. Additionally, if a concussion is suspected, Carl and Pfister say to contact a doctor right away for guidance vs. Trying to treat at home or with RICE.
"The general rule with concussions is relative rest -- avoiding or taking frequent breaks during activities that may worsen symptoms, like loud environments and screen time, and avoiding any vigorous exercise or contact sports until cleared by a medical provider," Pfister said.
A specialist can also help advise whether the injury is best kept immobilized (i.E., fractures) or if guided range of motion exercises early on will support quicker recovery (ankle sprains).
The experts say returning to sport after sustaining an injury will vary widely depending on the injury or condition.
"In general, a child should be pain free, or nearly pain free, able to fully move a limb and have no swelling and no limp before returning to sport," Carl said. "Depending on injury, the child may need to do physical therapy or strengthening exercises before returning."
Experiencing an injury can be a difficult time for a kid, especially if it's one that takes them out of the game for a few weeks or months. In addition to the physical issue, it can be mentally and emotionally challenging to feel isolated from their teammates and the outlet they rely on.
Carl and Pfister note that pediatric sports medicine specialists can work with patients on coping with periods of injury and make suggestions for exercise or activity they can continue to do despite their injury.
"For example, if the patient has an upper extremity injury, they may be able to participate in lower body conditioning," Pfister said. "And there may be opportunities during recovery for a patient to participate in practice with a team in a modified way."
Parents and caregivers can also use this recovery time to emphasize their child's value and worth outside of athletics. Recovery can be an impactful time for kids to dive into their other interests or discover new ones -- they just need to be reminded of that opportunity.
Many parents ask if there are things they can do to help prevent sports injuries in their children. Carl and Pfister say the below activities may promote better sports health.
• Actively warm up for even just 10 minutes to increase circulation to muscles and make them less prone to injury.
• Prioritize rest and recover between workouts. Schedule at least one or two days off each week and consider extended time off from organized sports activity each year.
• Play a variety of sports. Encouraging involvement in multiple sports and delaying specialization in one sport may help prevent injury and burnout in young athletes.
• Stay hydrated in hot and cold weather. Water should be the first choice for hydration for most exercise and sports programs, and children and adolescents should have frequent breaks during sports for this.
• Respond promptly to injuries and consult a physician if pain or symptoms don't subside within a day or two of rest post-injury. Don't play through pain.
• Get a sports physical. Find a pediatrician or pediatric sports medicine physician who can help assess readiness for sports, address any medical issues that may cause risk of injury and offer recommendations to ensure safe sports participation.
"When a child has recovered and is ready to return to their sport post-injury, avoid over training and make sure appropriate safety gear and precautions are being used and in place," Pfister said.
To learn more about Lurie Children's Division of Sports Medicine, visit www.Luriechildrens.Org/en/specialties-conditions/pediatric-orthopedic-surgery. Lurie Children's also offers a free Knee Injury Prevention Program to coach and athletes. Learn more about that at www.Luriechildrens.Org/en/specialties-conditions/knee-injury-prevention-program.
• Children's health is a continuing series. This column was contributed by Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.
'No Operational Safety Issues' Around Texas Airport Worker's Death: Reports
There were no operational safety issues surrounding the death of the ground worker who was sucked into a plane engine at the San Antonio International Airport in Texas, according to reports.
"There were no operational safety issues with either the airplane or the airport," officials ruled as quoted by BBC.
Initial investigation by the ground worker's employer, Unifi Aviation, also affirmed that the incident was not related to their safety procedures.
"From our initial investigation, this incident was unrelated to Unifi's operational processes, safety procedures, and policies," Unifi said in a statement quoted by the news outlet.
The 27-year-old ground worker was "ingested" on Friday night into the plane engine of an Airbus A319 while it was taxiing to a gate upon arriving at the airport, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The board launched an investigation on the incident after it sparked concerns that it was a workplace mishap.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office, however, ruled suicide as the manner of death, an office assistant from the medical examiner's office told CNN. It also classified the death under blunt and sharp force injuries.
The board called off its investigation following the medical examiner's findings, according to reports.
Unifi said their "hearts go out to the family of the deceased."
"We remain focused on supporting our employees on the ground and ensuring they are being taken care of during this time," Unifi said. "Out of respect for the deceased, we will not be sharing any additional information."
Delta Air Lines also told the media that it was "grieving" the death.
"We are heartbroken and grieving the loss of an aviation family member's life in San Antonio. Our hearts and full support are with their family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time," Delta told CNN.
If you know someone who needs emotional support, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support.
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