One of the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic has been its effect of overwhelming medical systems around the country. In order to combat this threat, many military installations are partnering with local communities in order to pool resources and manpower.
The recent virtual town hall meeting hosted by the COVID-19 Military Support Initiative (CMSI) highlighted some examples of fruitful medical/health partnerships that support the nation’s citizens and service members.
One partnership that has been in progress for years prior to the pandemic is between the City of Dayton, Ohio and nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
Michael Uhl, President of Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton explains that during the pandemic his institution has partnered with staff at the Wright-Patterson to develop, execute and implement a COVID-19 convalescent plasma therapy program. “This would not be possible without the clinical expertise of the physicians on the base,” said Uhl. The program has treated 18 patients with this new treatment has gained national attention recently for its success.
Uhl was joined by Col. Bradley Lloyd, Director of Medical Education at Wright-Patterson AFB.
Military-community partnerships have also helped produce critical need items during the crisis. Dr. Kerry Clark of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head in Maryland explained how a partnership between the installation and a local distillery has produced nearly 200 gallons of hand sanitizer.
“We developed a Navy Cooperative Research Development Agreement (CRADA) to enable the two organizations to speed up the production of hand sanitizer to member of Charles County who needed it the most,” said Dr. Clark. For further information, please visit a prior CMSI post on the topic.
Other speakers that highlighted fruitful collaborative efforts during the pandemic included Col. John Wallace of the Texas National Guard, and Ron Fitch of UCHealth Pikes Peak Regional Hospital in Colorado.
Watch the full video here and visit the CMSI website for upcoming virtual town hall events.
