Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care (MC4)

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Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care
(MC4)
Bernard L. DeKoning, M.D. Colonel, Medical
Corps Assistant Surgeon General United States
Army
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MC4

• Medical Surveillance
• Electronic Medical Record
• Logistics
• Patient Movement Tracking

Is integrated into U.S. Defense Departments
Joint Theater Medical Information Program
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Hurricane Katrina(New Orleans, Louisiana,
USA)September-November 200514st Combat
Support Hospital (14st CSH)21th Combat Support
Hospital (21th CSH)
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Hurricane Katrina

• 14th CSH was first to arrive and became trained
  in MC4
• 21st CSH replaced 14th CSH in October 2005
• Electronic Medical Record (EMR) System
• used internally to CSH no outside connection
• Challenges
• No common communication system among federal
  agencies
• Survivors had no identification with them
• Patients requiring medication refills
• Patients with allergies

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PATIENT ADMINISTRATION DIVISION
21st Combat Support Hospital

• Became skilled w/ MC4 system
• Registered over 1300 Patients (14th and 21st CSH
  2300 patients)
• Admitted over 30 Patients
• Transferred over 60 Patients
• Assisted w/ all death proceedings
• Faxed, COPIED, COPIED and COPIED for all 21st
  CSH Missions

PAD TO THE BONE
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Pakistan Earthquake(Muzaffarabad, Pakistan)
October 2005-March 2006212th Mobile Army
Surgical Hospital (212th MASH)
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Pakistan Earthquake
by Tech. Sgt. Mike Buytas, October 21, 2005This
photo appeared on www.army.mil.
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Pakistan Earthquake

• Deployed a SMART MC3T team
• (Special Medical Augmentation Response
  Team-Medical Command and Control Communications
  and Telemedicine)
• - Established satellite communications
• - Joint Patient Tracking Application (JPTA)
• - Telemedicine for consultation (radiology)
• Challenges with JPTA
• - No administrative information for
  patients
• Social Security Numbers
• Unknown age/birth date
• Same names
• Electronic Medical Record not done (manpower
  intense)
• Different challenges than in Hurricane Katrina
• (200 patients per day)

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Pakistan Earthquake

• 212th MASH
• - treated well over 20,000 patients over 5
  months (compared to 2300 over 2 months with
  Katrina)
• - provided vaccinations to 8,000 patients
• 212th MASH donated hospital shelter and equipment
  (except MC4 equipment) to government of Pakistan

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Pakistan Earthquake