Newswise — Leading military, government and civilian health care experts, including faculty and alumni from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), Bethesda, Maryland, will participate in the Country United Partnership for Military Medicine Symposium, Nov. 6, 2009, in Washington, D.C.
The symposium is part of a two-day event, “Country United: Advancing Medicine from the Frontlines to the Homefront,” sponsored by the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (HJF), the Tug McGraw Foundation (TMF), and hosted by multi award-winning artists Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. HJF was chartered by Congress in 1983 to support medical research and education at USU and throughout military medicine.
The symposium will feature a variety of timely topics aimed at encouraging public/private collaborations to accelerate advances in care for wounded, ill and injured troops and civilians, including:
- Posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury- Infectious diseases, including H1N1 Influenza- Humanitarian aid and disaster response
General James F. Amos, assistant commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, will deliver the morning keynote address. The former Naval aviator and combat veteran has been actively involved in efforts to ensure the health of soldiers related to the issues of post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury and suicide.
Grammy award-winning artist Faith Hill will present the luncheon keynote address. Ms. Hill, who has been an active and vocal supporter of community charities including Neighbor's Keeper Foundation, which she established with her husband, Tim McGraw, in 2005; St Jude Children's Research Hospital; and the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund, will give the address along with Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran, Lt. Col. Gregory Gadson, U.S. Army. Lt. Col. Gadson was the first amputee to be outfitted with a next-generation prosthetic knee that features artificial intelligence and sensor technology.
Other symposium speakers from both the federal and public sectors include:
- Dr. Anthony Fauci, director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH- Ellen Embrey, performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs; - Mark Shriver, Vice President and Managing Director of U.S. Programs, Save the Children, and Chairman, National Commission on Children and Disasters; - Steve Vogel, reporter, The Washington Post; - Dr. Mary Keller, President and CEO, Military Child Education Coalition; - Dr. Robert Cantu, Chief of the Neurosurgery Service and Director of Sports Medicine, Emerson Hospital, and Co-director, Neurologic Sports Injury Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Among the USU faculty and alumni participating in the symposium are Dr. Kevin Yeskey, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response and Director, Office of Preparedness and Emergency Operations, Department of Health and Human Services, USU class of 1983; Dr. Robert J. Ursano, Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience and Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry, USU, and Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress; Dr. Stephen Cozza, Director, Child and Family Programs, USU’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress; and Captain (Dr.) Gregory Martin, U.S. Navy, Program Director, USU’s Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program.
Coverage is invited and credentials are required. They can be obtained by filling out the request form online at www.countryunited.org. For more information, visit www.hjf.org/symposium.
Located on the grounds of Bethesda’s National Naval Medical Center and across from the NationalInstitutes of Health, USU is the nation’s federal school of medicine and graduate school of nursing. The university educates health care professionals dedicated to career service in the Department of Defense and the U.S. Public Health Service. Students are active-duty uniformed officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Public Health Service who are being educated to deal with wartime casualties, natural disasters, emerging infectious diseases, and other public health emergencies. Of the university’s nearly 4,400 physician alumni and more than 400 advanced practice nurses, the vast majority serve on active duty and are supporting operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, offering their leadership and expertise. The University also has graduated more than 600 public health professionals.
For more information about USU and its programs, visit www.usuhs.mil.
This is program is sponsored by a non-federal entity. It is not a part of the Department of Defense or any of its components and it has no Governmental status. This announcement is for information only and does not constitute approval or endorsement by the University.
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