Those who attended the presentation included, from left to right, Harry Severance, MD, Director of Research Development, Emergency Medicine for UTCOMC; Col. Ian Wedmore, MD, emergency medicine consultant to the U.S. Army Surgeon General; Warren English, MD; James Creel, MD, Interim Chief Medical Officer at Erlanger, Director of Emergency and Disaster Services and Program Director of Emergency Medicine Residency for UTCOMC; Hal Parker, MD; Erick Martin, MD; Brian Smith, MD and SSG Robert Santarsiero.
Erlanger emergency room staff and University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga (UTCOMC) medical residents attended a Grand Rounds session earlier this morning which featured Col. Ian S. Wedmore, MD, emergency medicine consultant to the U.S. Army Surgeon General.
In his presentation, Col. Wedmore described tactical combat casualty care and explained the medical science of pre-hospital care and how it is improving patient outcomes. Some of the topics discussed included providing an airway to a wounded patient through surgical advances while troops are under fire, new products to decrease bleeding and enhance blood clotting, how to “seal” chest wounds, caring for patients with hypothermia during helicopter transport and pain control on the field.
After Grand Rounds, Col. Wedmore and SSG Robert Santarsiero, Army Healthcare Recruiter, presented Erlanger Health System Interim Chief Medical Officer, Director of Emergency and Disaster Services Program and Director of Emergency Medicine Residency for UTCOMC, James Creel, MD, with a certificate of appreciation for the partnership between Erlanger and the U.S. Army. The partnership allows Army healthcare providers to share their experiences with other medical specialists and assists Army physicians and nurses to stay abreast of best practices in the civilian sector. The professional exchange results in the highest of standards of care for both civilian patients and our nation’s defenders.