Draft Remarks - Vice Admiral Adam M. Robinson, Jr.
MHS Plenary Speech (25 Jan 10)
Overall Theme: Hope (U.S. Navy - Force for good)
Words: Approx 3,000
Speech length: approx 20-25 min.
INTRODUCTION
Good morning. It’s great to see so many health care professionals and friends under one roof to share information, build relationships andattack head on the challenges we face in the MHS. It is always a privilege for me to address so many exceptional military health care leaders. I am honored today to have the opportunity to follow such an outstanding presentations from Ellen Embrey and Admiral Mullenthis morning.
Since the last MHS conference in 2008, Navy Medicine has been extremely busy. Our focus has been on Force Health Protection/ and / expeditionary medicine/ in support of a full range of operations/ fromcombattrauma care / tohumanitarianassistance/disasterrelief for every Combatant Commander (COCOM) worldwide. Our foundation of care – our concept of care is always: MTFs “Patientandfamily-centered. Our goal: To provide the best care possible to all of our people:
- Active Duty
- Eligible Family MBR
And - Retired
Given today’s world conflicts the MHS has to join together in a common goal; to build with one another a world of security founded on the premise of compassionate care for all, which can lead to hope, optimism and love. We can achieve this goalthroughourhumanitarianhealthcaremission which bringstoothersasenseofenrichmentthattouchesindividuals, theirfamilies, theircommunities, theirnations – and in doing so–
We Change Our World
OVERVIEW ON HOPE
In this uncertain world, the United States as well as other nationshas continued to forge greater bonds of trust and cooperation with people and countries around the world contributing to the common good. It is a common good symbolized by this MHS Conference - a truly remarkable gathering of government, military, and industry leaders.
Navy Medicine, along with the rest of the US Department of Defense, realizes that the promotion of world peace is dependent upon more than weapons or political alliances. World peace is also dependent upon security and stability. Like my fellows Surgeons General, I have the unique opportunity to serve not only my nation, but also humanity. This service is manifested most dramatically in the notion of humanitarian assistance. Because in humanitarian assistance we lend help to those in need. And we do this around the world.
By giving compassionate care we, bolster security, enhance stability, and most importantly WE CREATE HOPE. Without security and stability, there can be no hope.
What is this hope I speak of?
Hope is the ability to come together and help people / in need / stabilizetheirlivesand theircommunities. / Hope is the ability to come together and ensure that peoplehave the basic building blocks of life – their health, shelter, fresh water, healthyfood, opportunities for education, and safety [their children are safe]--- these are the things that will bring about security and stability…And when we have / security/ and / stability,
We also have hope.
If we are successful in capturing the hearts of the people their minds will follow. To be successful we have to make sure that they have the things that we have. We need to help foster conditions where people can walk down the street to the market and their children can go to school with out fear of losing their lives. We need to create conditions where people can turn on their water and lights and they actually work.
Hope is the essence of what firesoursouls and provideslightinourworld. Hope becomes the beacon which shows us the way from / darkness, / abandonment/ and / desolation / to light,communityand life.
How Can We Do This? I think / HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE /
-Shows us the way.
The United States Navy’s “Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower” serves as an example of how to provide hope. This strategy shows how important military forces and trained health professionals around the globe are to the stability and security of the international order.
This strategy provides the projection of / ‘soft power’:– the power of humanitarian assistance which if done correctlyservestoprovidetraining, education, andsecurity for all. By doing this we establish an infrastructureofhealth, which is essential to create hope!
Only inhope can we build the foundation of respect and tolerance which becomes criticalinestablishingandmaintainingWorldPeace.
Nothing threatens world security and prosperity like instability and war. Our new maritime strategy says that it is as important to prevent war, as it is to win war.
To prevent war, we must attack the seeds of instability and hopelessness where they exist. Human suffering moves us to act, and the expeditionary character of our naval and marine forces uniquely positions us to provide assistance as the vanguard of interagency and multi-national efforts.
While we still train our forces to fight and win our nation’s wars alongside our allies, we have adopted a serious focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster response / to help those in need/ toattackinstabilityand insecuritysothatwehelpourpartnernationscreateconditionswherehopecanflourish.
Humanitarian assistance is not a new thing -It is something we’ve done throughout our 234 year history but something we’ve done AD HOC. HA missions are no longer ad hoc, they are part of our established annual op-tempo. But when natural or man made disasters occur – we are capable of making meaningful responses. Again, we believe that in order to gain security and stability – in order to produce hope – we must provide the basic building blocks that people need in their lives – we achieve this by demonstrating to the world that we care and can be counted on.
The new Navy-recruiting slogan that I showed earlier reflects the importance of the new course we have set for ourselves. We refer to our Navy as a “Global Force for Good” and we’ve found this message has resonated among our nation’s youth.
You see, the ultimate mission of our U.S. Navy is simple: To defend those who cannot defend themselves. Arising from this spirit, US Navy vessels over the centuries have been the mechanism that the American people have used to extend themselves outward from our shores to help others in need. Wherever there has been poverty, famine, disease, war, injustice, or danger, the U.S. people have launched Navy vessels to provide protection, food, clothing, healthcare, and the compassionate care of young Sailors and Marines lending a helping hand and heart to those in need of safety and security. Whether it has been in Indonesia after the tsunami, or helping the people of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, or today helping the people of Haiti - thisistheplatformofselflessservice from which Navy Medicine and our MHS /Army / Air Force / Sister services and NGO’s will always deliverour carearoundtheworld. This is the meaning of humanitarian assistance- protecting others even when it places us in harm’s way, extending ourselves for the benefit of those in need.
As Surgeon General, I lead Navy Medicine every day puttinga human face on the words “humanitarian assistance.” Navy medicine is not only willing and able to participate in these missions, we do so enthusiastically. Our healing hands symbolize soft power, which forges stronger relationships with other nations and lessens the chances of armed conflict.
Humanitarian Assistance is so important because it has a powerful impact on people, on relationships and on understanding of America values. Through our humanitarian assistance missions, we learn about one another and in so doing we develop relationships- relationships on a personal level, professional medical relationships, military-to-militaryrelationships and relationships between our governments.
From relationships comes the concept of TRUST– a reliance on integrity, strength and surety – and the ability to have confidence in one another.
Trust is vital. While our naval forces can be surged, trust cannot. Trust is built over time through dialogue and working together on common goals. Cooperation and trust built over time become the building blocks that enable people to effectively respond to crisis when needed. Many of us saw this first hand during the Tsunami relief effort in South East Asia over three years ago. We were able to have a tangible impact on human suffering arising from that horrible and devastating event. Ships designed for battle provided help to people in need as our forces responded without hesitation, with the kind of enthusiasm that arises when the mission involves rendering assistance to fellow human beings.
The same thing is occurring in Haiti today!
I recently visited Navy Medical Research Unit 3 (NAMRU-3) in Cairo, Egypt and saw firsthand what an impact we are making in building trust with partner nations throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East through mutually beneficial relationships in the field of medicine infectious DS and public.
When H1N1 influenza was identified as a potential pandemic infectious disease last year, NAMRU-3 personnel worked closely with CENTCOMand AFRICOM to improve disease surveillance, diagnostic capabilities and assist with potential outbreak investigations throughout Africa and the Middle East. The Navy laboratory provided focused laboratory assessment, training, emergency supplies and quality assurance feedback of in theater testing from Afghanistan to Djibouti. They also worked closely with WHO and CDC staff to train public health systems of 30 host nations from Morocco to Kyrgyzstanon how to isolate and identify new strains of the H1N1 influenza.Those efforts in medical diplomacy are the seeds by which trust among nations take root. Egypt’s Minister of Health recognizes the tremendous contributions of this Navy team and he thanked me for our contributions to his nation’s public health system and our work throughout the region.
Responses such as this require an unprecedented level of integration among our military forces and enhanced cooperation with the other instruments of national power, as well as the capabilities of non-governmental agencies and others. By sustaining dialogue and understanding, we can build confidence and trust, whether in formal alliances, partnerships or simple exchanges of information. This is the essence of providing care, assistance, enduring security and stability. This is the foundation of establishing World Peace.
** Please allow me to discuss the Haiti mission for a minute or two:
On Jan. 14, USNS Comfort was undergoing scheduled maintenance in Baltimore, Maryland. Within 76 hours, the Navy team was able to transform the Comfort from an industrial work site to an up and ready mobile Naval hospital, fully staffed and equipped with the most up-to-date medical technology, deployed ready to provide medical care to our neighbors in desperate need in Haiti.
The COMFORT arrived in Haiti on the 19th of January with impressive capability.
-880 WardBed (440 moderate care, 440 minimal care)
- 11Operating Rooms
- 80ICU beds (including Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
- Ward Beds: 250 patients (plus escorts)
- Specialty Care capabilities include the following:
General Surgery, Cardiology, Dermatology, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Pediatric Surgery, Internal Medicine, OB/GYN, ENT, Ophthalmology, Plastic Surgery, Psychiatry, Urology, Dental, Oral Surgery, Orthopedics, Optometry, and Preventive Medicine.
1117 Active and 96 reserve staff were identified, prepared, and outthe door in record time
Earthquake hits Haiti on Tuesday, JAN 12, 0453 EST
28th hour - Initial support team launched from NHJAX to NHGTMO
34th hour - Forward Deployed Preventive Medicine Unit T/O filled
52nd hour - USNS COMFORT activation received
67th hour - USNS COMFORT staffing filled with 732 members
85th hour - USNS COMFORT personnel onboard
100th hour - USNS COMFORT underway (76.5 hrsfrom Activation - New MSC Record)
We are proud of this work and I thank our sister services for their help
and counsel during this incredibly intense and fast paced time…
Our sister services and NGOs are valued partners and will be for many
years to come.
Our strategy focuses on opportunities—not threats; on optimism— notfear; on confidence—not doubt. It recognizes the challenges imposed by the uncertain conditions in a time of rapid change. Furthermore, it recognizes the incredible responsibility each of us has in working together on common objectives. We may not always agree on words; but we must always agree to talk. I believe we have entered a new era, one in which our countries, in forging bonds of friendship and cooperation, can lead the way to a time of peace, prosperity, and security.
CASUALTY CARE
I mentioned earlier that prevention of war is our goal, but I must also reiterate that our forces must be trained and ready to fight and defend our nations’ security and interests. Navy medicine is a key facet of maintaining readiness and must always be prepared to provide world class patient and family centered care to those in – or supporting – the fight.
We must also provide hope to those we care for – whether it is in a military treatment facility or on the battlefield – the servicemen and women of this nation along with their love ones will always have their healthcare needs met. We have the ultimate responsibility in ensuring the medical readiness of our warfighters; to make sure that our medical forces are prepared, trained and deployed with the right capabilities to support our warriors. The readiness piece includes our ability to go forward with the warfighter and ensure they have appropriate force health protection.
The readiness piece is always ensuring we can provide the care for our people no matter where they are and no matter the situation they’re in.
We are uniquely committed to protecting and saving lives both on land and at sea as well as in the air;on every ocean and in every continent in the world. Whether we are treating a relatively minor injury, illness or treating a traumatic injury resulting from war, our Patient and FamilyCentered philosophy and approach is not only our mission; it is the bedrock of the Navy medical system – it our bottom line.
Force Health Protection is comprised of four parts:
- Maintaining a Fit and Ready Force
- Deploying with our Warfighters
- Rendering care and service to our men and women in uniform wherever they may be and whenever they may need it.
- And lastly, providing comprehensive medical care for those who faithfully support our military – our Families and to those who have honorably worn the cloth of our Nation – our Retirees.
This is our duty, our honor and our Privilege.
The most important resource in the US military is not a ship, tank or plane it’s our people. The physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healthandfitness of eachindividual is critical to maintaining an effective fighting force. We must also build this into our Family’s. If our forces and family’s stay healthy and we help nurture them in theirpersonalandspiritualgrowth, they will maintain a high state of readiness both at Home and for our Homeland.
Navy Medicine will do whatever it takes to deliver the highest quality care that is centerednot just around the Patient but also around the Family. By listening to and understanding the unique, individual needs of all concerned, Navy Medicine will be creating a personalized and family-oriented plan. We give our Patients whatever they need to heal and to become a productive, vibrant and contributing member of their families and their communities.
CONCLUSION: “The Ethos of Service”
Before I wrap up my remarks I’d like to pose a question to you all…
What makes the men and women of our armedforcesdifferentfromallothers in the U.S.? What makes our military health system the envy of the world?
The answer is service.
Service is a choice. The decision to”serve” is a powerful one that sets us apart from others in our country and provides us with our sense of duty to our nation and our world. The cost of Freedom is not free. It is measuredintheblood, the limbs, and the lives of those heroes who make daily sacrifices toensureourfreedom/ and / ourwayoflife/ ispreserved.
As Surgeon General of the Navy, I pledge to you that we will spare no cost, nor will we ever stop striving to provide a healthcare model that restores the health of our Wounded Warriors –returning these brave men and women along with their families back to the mainstream of our great nation. We will strive to ensure that our nation will always have a medicallyready/ fit/ fighting force; and that those who’ve served our nation along with their families can always count on Navy Medicine to provide quality and compassionate family – centered health care.
It has indeed been anhonor and privilegeto address such an important gathering of professionals who recognize the importance thathealthcare plays not only in the US military, / but /in creating and sustaining the partnerships around the world which are essential in making our world safer and better forall.
Thank you.
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PAO- FINAL