US Air Force Partners for Infectious Disease Proficiency

The U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine is developing a training program with the University of Nebraska Medical Center through the Center for Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills Omaha program to best prepare medical airmen to respond to infectious disease threats that could impact military personnel and operations. The program launched in 2018 and airmen are set to begin taking classes in October.

“This partnership isvital to the readiness of our medical airmen,” said Lt. Col. ElizabethSchnaubelt, C-STARS Omaha medical director. “As military personnel deploy todiverse geographic areas, they may encounter infectious disease threats. Thesehazardous and communicable threats can be naturally occurring or deliberate andhave a significant impact to our operations. Military personnel that work withsuch patients must know the proper procedures to protect patients, themselvesand the mission.”

The need for specialized infectious disease treatment andmanagement training became clear after the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in WestAfrica. U.S. service members deployed to the region to support the crisis.Although U.S. forces did not directly treat Ebola patients, the risks to U.S.service members was evident.

“The DoD identified a knowledge and training gap in ourcapability to safely care for these types of patients while protecting ourmedical personnel,” said Schnaubelt. “The Air Force only had a few people withthat level of specialized training and that puts us and our patients at risk.”

Development of a training platform focused on highlyhazardous infectious diseases became a priority for the Air Force. The C-STARSOmaha program maximized the existing partnership Offutt Air Force had with theUniversity of Nebraska Medical Center.

The first C-STARS Omaha class will be on principles ofbiocontainment care, initially open to infectious disease physicians andinfection prevention specialists. The course will cover topics likerecognition, diagnosis and management of highly hazardous infectious diseases;infection prevention and control principles; and safe donning and doffing ofpersonal protective equipment.

This partnership gives Air Force medics access to leaders inthe field of biocontainment care with decades of experience. Students will beable to practice using one of the few biocontainment units in the U.S. selectedto care for Ebola patients. University of Nebraska Medical Center facilitiesare also equipped with specialized simulation training labs to train healthcare personnel on infectious disease treatment.

“There are few institutions in the U.S. withinterdisciplinary teams and specialized training who have safely andsuccessfully treated patients in biocontainment units,” said Schnaubelt. “Theirexpertise in treatment and training is extremely valuable for the Air Force andour medics.”

The Omaha program is the fourth and newest C-STARSpartnership, and the only one focused on infectious diseases. The C-STARSprogram is part of the Air Force Research Lab's 711th Human Performance Wing.C-STARS partnerships give medical airmen advanced training at civilianhospitals in skills needed in an operational setting, like trauma surgery. Withthe addition of C-STARS Omaha, this training platform will continue to evolveto ensure medical airmen remain current and ready.

“Each C-STARS site provides exposure to complex patients anddiagnoses that our airmen don’t routinely see at their home station,” said Lt.Col. Kathleen Grimm, Air Force Clinical Readiness Operations chief. “With theaddition of C-STARS Omaha, we have an opportunity to continue evolving andexpanding our training to meet future readiness requirements and ensure medicalairmen can deliver lifesaving care in any operational setting.”