News & Events

 Updated news events related to training and support operations.

In 2012, we had the opportunity of watching some incredible people make major changes in the world.  These individuals and groups bring innovation and drive to social change.  They inspire us all to value our communities, defend the less fortunate, and seek grace through service.

1.  Care Through Action (http://carethroughaction.org/)

2.  Carolina for Kibera  (http://cfk.unc.edu/)

3.  The World Economic Forum Global Shapers Program (http://www.weforum.org/community/global-shapers)

TIME Magazine profiled Combat Veterans applying lessons learned in war to serve their communities.  OMI team member Seth Moulton's work in Haiti is mentioned as an example of leadership in complex situations.

American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Connect Career Guide interviewed The OMI Director, Dr. David Callaway in the run up to the 2011 ACEP Scientific Assembly.  Dr. Callaway discusses some of the challenges and rewards of balancing a busy clinical practice with disaster relief work.

Dr. Callaway is currently working as Operational Medical Director for Carolinas MED-1 at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC. 

Members of The Operational Medicine Institute's training team conducted high threat prehospital medicine training as part of the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) funded Urban Shield exercise in Alameda County, CA.  Urban Shield (http://www.urbanshield.org/) is one of the largest interagency and cross-jurisdictional disaster and terrorism response exercises in the Nation.  Annually, over 30 SWAT teams, scores of EMS agencies and dozens of Fire Departments contribute with over 3000 participants. 

Dr. David Callaway and Richie Ridlon led training stations on the assessment and treatment of penetrating chest trauma in high threat environments.  The evolutions were based upon the newly release Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) guidelines.  Participants noted that the realism and teaching style were, "like nothing we've experienced before."  One member of the California DMAT team described the training as the "most energizing and engaging medical training I have ever seen in 20 years of prehospital medicine."  The combined didactic, practical application and scenario- based sessions provide an excellent model for adult learners who operate in stressful environments.

Please monitor the OMI website for upcoming training evolutions and feel free to contact us if your agency is interested in hosting a training event.

The devastation from the September 18, 2011 earthquake has fortunately been limited due to the remote epicenter.  However, as impassable roads are cleared, the death toll continues to climb.  It is imperative that we as a response community, learn from this event and push forward with proactive measures to strengthen resiliency and improve response capabilities.

In 2010, The Operational Medicine Institute helped initiate an earthquake preparedness steering committee for Kathmandu.  OMI partnered with a variety of groups from the Nepalese professional Diaspora including the Computer Association of Nepal, the National Society for Earthquake Technology- Nepal (NSET), the American Nepalese Medical Foundation (ANMF), the American Society of Nepalese Engineers (ASNEngr) and the University of New Mexico to create a blue ribbon panel of experts.

Dr. Callaway was interviewed on this topic in January of 2011 (Read the interview). 

References:

Consequences in Nepal:  http://www.earthquake-nepal.com/

International Business Times:  Deal toll raised to 53...

 Horn of Africa Update: August 23, 2011

Somalia

Large scale migration of Somalis out of the urban centers and across the border into Northern Kenya continues to create the potential for large scale instability in the HOA.  The direct consequences are devastating: increased under 5 mortality, declines in maternal health, and the spread of infectious disease. See attached figure from Reliefweb.

The situation is also threatening to destabilize the entire region.  Northern Kenya is facing one of the worst droughts in recent memory and citizens are struggling to survive.  The influx of Somali refugees is stressing to already tenuous community relations.  In addition to local security issues such as gender based violence, banditry and abductions, the migration opens the door for interstate conflict between the two neighbors.  The migration also creates recruitment areas and movement channels for terrorist organizations such as Al Shabaab and al Qaeda.

South Sudan

JUBA, Aug 20 (Reuters) - At least 58 people were killed in clashes between tribes over cattle in South Sudan, a United Nations spokesman in Juba said on Saturday, a further sign of instability weeks after the region gained independence. Ethnic groups in South Sudan have fought each other over cattle -- a vital part of the indigenous economy -- for centuries. But the numbers of deaths are increasing after decades of civil war left the territory awash with small arms. Analysts say South Sudan, which became independent on July 9, risks becoming a failed state if it cannot control insurgencies and blood feuds that divide its tribes. Source: Reliefweb

AllAfrica reports that at least 125 people were confirmed dead in fighting between feuding tribes in Jonglei state while 60 perished in fighting between the SPLA and a Upper Nile militia group.  Meanwhile, in the northern regions of South Sudan (Nuba mountains and South Kordofan), conflict continues between the SPLA-N and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).  The United Nations is investigating claims of war crimes and extrajudicial killings by the SAF

What is clear is that despite the July 9, 2011 Independence, South Sudan is in a delicate position.  There is great potential for development, democracy and security.  However, ongoing internal conflicts between the various, disparate components of the SPLA must happen.  External aid can assist and augment local actions, but the solutions must be collaborative with local leaders.  Having recently returned from Juba, I can say that the massive influx of money and resources into the South has the potential to assist a nascent country develop into a leader in the HOA.  However, the dangerous lack of accountability, wide spread corruption and continued infighting threaten to shatter the delicate framework upon which this premise of freedom is built.

OMI Chief Technical Officer, Seth Moulton, and Director, David Callaway, are highlighted in this week's TIME Magazine article by Joe Klein discussing the important role that Veterans are playing in local leadership efforts.

Seth Moulton was instrumental in initiating and implementing the Haiti IT (HIT) Rescue program in 2010.  Moulton worked closely with Dr. Larry Nathanson and multiple private companies to craft the iPhone based system. The HIT Rescue program was the first mobile patient tracking and electronic medical record (EMR) deployed in response to the devastating January 12, 2010 earthquake.

Carolinas Healthcare System (CHS) and Carolinas Medical Center (CMC) have appointed OMI Director David Callaway as the Operational Medical Director for Carolinas MED-1.  Callaway will be working closely with Dr. Doug Swanson, Medical Director MEDIC, and the CHS Mobile Medicine team to reinvigorate MED-1 staffing, broaden mission capabilities, and strengthen existing partnerships.

The team is currently investigating innovations to reduce MED-1's environmental footprint, including solar and wind power, high efficiency batteries, water purification and conservation strategies.  In addition to demonstrating environmental stewardship, this initiative will expand MED-1's operational capacity, reduce dependence on local fuel sources, save money on logistics and build asset resilience.  With the increasing number of regional natural disasters, this expanded capacity will strengthen MED-1's ability to continue supporting local communities.

OMI Director, Dr. David Callaway, recently returned from a US Department of State funded project to train new South Sudan physicians in trauma care, trauma system designs and medical ethics.  For more information please see OMI Blog South Sudan

Full spectrum Disaster Diplomacy includes collaboration throughout the entire disaster cycle (preparedness, planning response and recovery).  As part of their ongoing efforts to support and advance Disaster Diplomacy, OMI participated in the July CENTCOM Infectious Disease and Disaster Preparedness Conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. 

OMI Director, Dr. David Callaway lectured on Force Health Protection and Strategic Communications in disaster response to a group of military and civilian medical personnel from UAE, Jordan, Yemen, Kuwait and Iraq.  The presentations focused on the importance of mission clarity, trust building activities, and aggressive information acquisition and dissemination.  The participants collaborated in a series of table top exercises that provided a unique opportunity for multi-national team building and networking.

To request OMI participate in a conference, training or consultancy project, please contact us via our webpage.

LeAnn Bankoski, the Carolina for Kibera Executive Director, discussing the ripple effect of service in Kibera. See below

Carolina for Kibera, It starts with one

In light of the recent controversy surrounding Greg Mortenson's Central Asia Institute, several smaller non governmental organizations are facing increased scrutiny.  We hope that the attention will focus efforts to improve accountability and strengthen NGO efficiency.  Several organizations such as Carolina for Kibera (CFK) that engage in participatory development and openly publicize their annual reports could actually benefit from this revelation.

Carolina for Kibera actually publishes ALL of the organization's annual reports online.  This transparency should be reassuring for donors and should be the industry standard. 

CFK founder, Rye Barcott, wrote a recent article in the Huffington Post that is worth reading.

Why you should not let the Greg Mortenson scandal discourage you from supporting NGOs

The Operational Medicine Institute has entered into a partnership with the Global Emergency Care Collaborative (GECC) to provide emergency response planning and operational support.  GECC (http://www.globalemergencycare.org/) is an innovative group of emergency medicine providers working in western Uganda to build emergency nursing capacity. 

OMI will provide mission planning, security evaluation, and evacuation planning for GECC.  The partnership comes at an important time as Ugandan politics remain labile in light of a recently disputed election.