Rapid set-up and compact footprint of Thornhill Medical technology enables Aspen Medical’s combat field hospital for UN-sponsored forces.
Thornhill Medical’s mobile, integrated life support system, MOVES® SLC™ is playing a vital role in medical facilities operated by Aspen Medical, enabling personnel to deliver critical combat casualty and patient care to the UN-sponsored Multinational Security Support (MSS) forces in Haiti.
In addition to acquiring the MOVES® SLC™ technology, Aspen Medical also contracted Thornhill Medical Clinical Advisor and former US Navy Lieutenant Commander Erik Hardy as Medevac Coordinator to develop roll-on / roll-off ready medical deployment teams. Hardy served more than 20 years in the US Navy in roles that include enroute care nurse, Critical Care Air Transport Team Member and training leader.
Drawing on his continuing work with Thornhill Medical and his deep background in critical care and transport, LCDR Hardy spearheaded the set-up and training for MOVES® SLC™ in Haiti just prior to the arrival of the 400+-strong Kenyan-led MSS force. He also works with US military and government contacts on medevac planning and missions for American contractors in the Caribbean nation.
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Emergency readiness within 60 minutes of landing
Anticipating the imminent arrival of the UN-sponsored force, Hardy and the Aspen Medical ground team got to work right away, setting up six litters, two of which were outfitted with MOVES SLC systems. As the battery-powered MOVES SLC can operate without shore power or heavy, dangerous oxygen tanks, the team had near-immediate capacity to handle medical emergencies, even before the rest of the facility set-up was complete.
“An hour after landing, we had the two MOVES SLC-enabled resuscitation beds ready to use,” confirmed Hardy. He noted that the way that the accessories and supplies are packaged and labelled enables rapid set-up."
“In a quick set-up like this, there’s opportunity for confusion or delay, so getting the logistics right is essential,” he noted.
How everything is packed and labelled matters when things are happening quickly, or if you are setting up in two different locations.
Rapid, comprehensive training
“Some of the personnel were trained and ready to go within an hour, while others were ready within three hours,” says Hardy. “It was a good demonstration of just how rapidly we can get personnel trained up and good to go.” Some personnel had been able to watch Thornhill Medical’s instructional and support videos prior to arriving, which accelerated the onsite training experience.
Compact footprint, multifunctionality are vital when every inch counts
Aspen Medical moved quickly to establish a NATO Role 3 Field Hospital, which includes EMS, pre-hospital care, surgical, diagnostic, laboratory and other services. Configured in eight connected “Alaska shelters”, the center packs considerable capabilities into a small space.
“The base here is only 1.7 acres, and will ultimately have more than 2,000 staff,” explained Hardy. “When every square inch counts, the condensed size and multi-functionality of the Thornhill Medical technology is of utmost importance.”
“MOVES SLC has enabled us to get up and running quickly, even before we had power, oxygen and other resources in place,” said Dr. Cindy Nelly, Aspen Medical’s Vice President of Clinical Services & Training. “The ability to train up our personnel accurately and quickly, expand our onsite and transport care capabilities, and have multiple functions in one compact system have all been valuable advantages.”
Hardy said the performance of Thornhill Medical’s technology may lead to future deployments which could replicate the Haiti set-up as an “incursion force”; that is, establishing the first 45 days of a medical facility.
“The capability is just faster than anything else out there, with an incredibly compact footprint,” he observed. “We can hit the ground running - no waiting on oxygen, plumbing, or components. We have blood, we have the ventilators, and in this case, we had surgeons here – so right away, there’s high level of capabilities with a short initial operating capability ready to receive casualties.”
Game-changer for transport on non-conventional vehicles
The Thornhill Medical tech enables the team to hold medevac patients for up to 72 hours — advantageous when air access is limited by security, weather or other constraints. The portable, compact and durable nature of the technology has also proven valuable when patients have had to be transported in non-conventional vehicles such as trucks or civilian aircraft; a common-enough scenario in emergency or austere environments, explained Hardy.
MOVES® SLC™ called “medical Javelin’ in Ukraine
The Haiti mission is the latest in which Thornhill Medical technology is being used by critical care and health providers, building on deployments of MOVES® SLC™ in Ukraine where critical care providers have dubbed it the ‘medical Javelin’, as well as onboard a US Navy strike group carrier, and recent humanitarian missions.
In addition to its long-standing customer relationships with military medical commands around the world, Thornhill Medical continues to collaborate with leading commercial health care providers like Aspen Medical, NGOs and humanitarian relief organizations, and local health & emergency authorities to enable life-saving critical care in even the most austere environments.
Reach out to learn how our technology is being used military, disaster relief and enroute care around the world.