Today, we held a press event to announce that Cooper University Health Care has entered into an agreement with the United States Army to provide advanced surgical trauma training to the U.S. Army’s elite Forward Resuscitation Surgical Team (FRST). Cooper is the first trauma center in the nation to begin providing this training.
This is Cooper’s fifth major military training program making us one of the preeminent health systems in the nation providing training to our military medical personnel. Today’s announcement reinforced Cooper’s commitment to serve those who serve our nation.
The press conference was attended by Brigadier General Telita Crosland, Congressman Donald Norcross, and a number of military and elected officials. Several media outlets attended, and you will be able to see the story on Philadelphia news stations this evening. Below is a copy of the press release.
Please join us in congratulating and thanking our tremendous trauma team for their dedication, skill, and willingness to share their knowledge with our military colleagues.
Thank you,
Cooper University Health Care First Hospital Site in the Nation to Host Training Program for Elite U.S. Army Forward Resuscitation Surgical Team
(CAMDEN) – Cooper University Health Care recently entered into an agreement with the United States Army to provide advanced surgical trauma training to the U.S. Army’s elite Forward Resuscitation Surgical Team (FRST). Cooper is the first trauma center in the nation to begin providing this training.
“This is another first for Cooper, and we are honored and proud to train this elite Army medical team,” said George E. Norcross III, Chairman of Cooper’s Board of Trustees. “As a high-volume, academic tertiary care Level I Trauma Center, our experience and reputation uniquely positions us to provide the hands-on training and skills this elite team needs to help them save lives on battlefields around the world.”
The program is the result of a 2017 Congressional mandate aimed at advancing the Military Health System trauma readiness for deployment to combat zones around the globe by partnering with high-volume civilian trauma centers to gain critical teamwork and technical trauma skills. As the flagship site, Cooper will help develop the program that will expand to additional sites throughout the U.S. over the next two years. A second trauma center in Oregon has been selected and will being providing this training.
“The Army Medical Department Military Civilian Trauma Team Training Program provides opportunities for Army medical personnel to work in trauma centers with more emergency care patients than what we typically see in Army hospitals,” said Brig. Gen. Telita Crosland, commanding general, Regional Health Command-Atlantic. “We view this partnership as a win-win for both Army Medicine and Cooper University Health Care. It brings highly-skilled doctors and nurses together to support patients here in the region. It also allows our military medical professionals to maintain their expertise in support of military medical readiness.”
“In 2018, the US Army Medical Command evaluated 15 Level I Trauma Centers for its initial programs,” said Colonel Jason Seery. “Cooper University Health Care was one of two hospitals selected based on its great trauma program, strong understanding of combat medicine, and executive level leadership support.”
Under the program, a U.S. Army Surgeon, emergency medicine physician, a nurse anesthetist, an intensive care nurse and an emergency nurse are fully embedded members of the Cooper clinical staff for three years to obtain first-hand training at Cooper’s high-volume, high-acuity trauma center. In addition, the program also includes clinical rotations with Cooper’s Trauma ICU, Psychiatry, Emergency Department, Labor & Delivery, Operating Room, Anesthesia, Pediatric Emergency Department, Orthopaedic Trauma, Family Medicine, Infectious Diseases, and Cooper’s EMS which serves the city of Camden.
Because of its expertise in trauma, surgery, and critical care, Cooper currently provides a wide range of military, diplomatic, and field affairs training programs. Cooper is the only hospital in the United States that has trained elite medical providers from every U.S. military branch, multiple local, state, and federal government agencies, and international partners. Cooper’s programs include:
- Special Operations Combat Medic (SOCM) Training Program — Cooper is one of only five hospitals nationally that provides training to Special Operations Combat Medics (SOCM) from the U.S. Military’s Special Operations Command (SOCOM) which includes Army and Navy enlisted service members who hold, or are designated for assignment to a special-operations medical position.
- Military Trauma Readiness Program (MTRP) — A unique collaborative agreement between multiple Department of Defense units and Cooper to help military medical personnel maintain their trauma, emergency medicine, and critical care skill by being immersed in an intense clinical setting.
- U.S. State Department Guardian Emergency Management Specialist — A program for physicians, physician assistants, paramedics and civil service employees with dual roles as regional contingency planners and direct medical support teams from the Office of Mobile Security Deployments or the Secretary of State’s Protective Detail. These very experienced health care providers come to Cooper for trauma skills sustainment training.
- Cooper Advanced Trauma Training Course (CATTC) — An intense medical training program that concentrates on the development and honing of critical trauma resuscitation and surgical skills for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses and military non-commissioned officers with a practice working knowledge of dealing with severely injured patients in any environment (combat, mass shootings, severe non-combat injuries, etc.). CATTC encourages the transfer of knowledge between military and the civilian trauma/medical community.
Cooper also has wide range of programs geared toward expanding health care access to active military, veterans, family members, and first responders.
Services include: the award-winning HeroCare Connect program, a joint venture between Cooper and Deborah Heart and Lung Center, which provides personal, one-stop resource that links military families, active duty and retired military, and veterans with specialty care services close to home and on a timely basis; and Helping Our Heroes, a program to provide screening and health education to first-responders in conjunction with Camden County Board of Freeholders.
“Cooper is becoming the preeminent health system in the region – for training, improving health care access, and caring or military personnel, veterans, and their families,” said Norcross. “We will continually seek new and innovative ways to serve these brave men and women.”