DVIDS – News – Medical Units perform ATLS and ICTL at WBAMC in a simulation setting

FORT BLISS (Texas) – Imagine doctors, nurses, or medics in an emergency facility ready to provide immediate care for wounded Service members. Soldiers from the 745th Forward Resuscitation Surgical Detachment, (FRSD), and 214th Surgical Augmentation Detachment, (214th Med. Det.) This was made possible by conducting simulation training at William Beaumont Army Medical Center, March 3, 2022.

Both units were able to conduct Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), and Individual Critical Task Lists, (ICTL) scenarios. The training validated operational readiness as well as provided valuable opportunities to medical staff.

The event’s learning goals and training objectives were focused on the mission-essential task of managing health services support. More specifically, the FRSD focused on damage control resuscitation skills including trauma assessment, emergency medical treatment/intervention, massive whole blood transfusion, and damage control surgery in a far forward location, said Cpt. Derek Arndt, 745th FRSD commander.

One scenario saw a medical team in an emergency section. Here, the surgeons, nurses, operating room specialists and triage specialists provided advanced trauma life-support, coordinated follow up care, and performed triage.

This training gave the Soldier an opportunity to experience what team dynamic training should look and feel like. Staff Sgt. Dreason Bodkin, 214th Med. Specialist in operating room surgery Det.

Arndt explained the WBAMC Simulation and Education department’s facilitation of this training.

The Simulation Center staff was a huge help in planning and coordinating this event. The simulation center team was able to facilitate a great training event. The focus of the training exercise was using the high-fidelity surgical simulator in the operating room. Arndt said that this allowed the surgical team the ability to simulate an actual emergent surgical situation. This included pre-operative patient preparation, physical surgical intervention, and post-operative care.

To prepare for split operations in a hostile combat environment, the FRSD team used medical simulation training. Three ATLS scenarios, and two surgical scenarios were created. Both scenarios were performed using the Simulation IQ technology by Education Management Solutions (EMS). Edward M. Fonseca (simulator operator, WBAMC) said that EMS is a prominent provider for cutting-edge hardware technology and software technology solutions in healthcare simulation.

Arndt stated that the training focused on both units’ ability to provide critical life-saving and emergency medical treatment, surgical intervention, as well as transportation to final care while deployed or in a conflict situation.