Military Civilian Partnership (MCP) Programs at VCU Health
About Us
VCU Health’s Military Civilian Partnership programs are designed to foster collaboration between military and civilian healthcare teams and systems, enhancing delivery of care for military service members, veterans, and their families while simultaneously improving care delivery in the civilian sector. The program consist of various sustainment, readiness, and skill building initiatives that bridge the gap between military and civilian health systems by leveraging the strength of both sectors to improve patient
outcomes, streamline care processes, and support the intent of the “Mission Zero Act”. The Mission Zero Act aims to improve the nation’s response to public health and medical emergencies with an overall goal of achieving zero preventable deaths after injury, both at home and abroad. This is done through agreements with various military units and government entities to bring physicians, nurses, medics, and other ancillary healthcare providers to VCU Health’s comprehensive Level 1 Trauma and Burn Center. Here, they work as a team with civilian providers aiding in emergency medicine, burn specialty care, intensive care, as well as acute and general surgical services providing the highest level of care for Virginia’s most critically ill. The mutually beneficial relationship aids in sustaining medical readiness for our nation’s servicemembers while also ensuring exceptional care to VCU Health’s patients through continuous knowledge and skill exchange with VCU Health’s dedicated staff.
The Military-Civilian Partnership Program was formally established in 2022 and has multiple active training agreements that have and continue to provide training for military medical professionals across multiple military service branches and federal agencies. As a prime, centrally located, and comprehensive advanced care health system in Richmond, Virginia, we aim to intentionally grow our partnership initiatives through additional agreements and increased training opportunities. Contact the MCP Program to discuss ways to participate!
History of Military Service at VCU Health
VCU Medical Center, formerly known as Medical College of Virginia (MCV) has a rich and enduring history of service and contribution to the military. From World War I to our nation’s most recent major combat operations, MCV and VCU Health have played a vital role in training military personnel in various medical specialties, staffing and commanding deployed base hospitals and medical facilities, and contributing significantly to the war effort. Over the years, this commitment to serving those who serve led to VCU Health’s partnership with the Hunter-Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center providing shared resident and physician services and collaborations addressing veteran patient escalation needs. VCU Health has continued to promote collaborative efforts that improve training of service members and provide a veteran-friendly space for prior service members and families to seek care and or employment. Additionally, VCU Health has also been actively engaged in research aimed at addressing the unique needs of war-time operations with notable achievements in initial research leading to the development of life-saving aids such as Quik-Clot bleeding control adjuncts. Today, our institution remains steadfast in our dedication to supporting service members, veterans and their families, providing exceptional medical care, conducting groundbreaking research, and fostering collaborative relations between civilian and military healthcare entities to improve outcomes for all that serve and live in the Commonwealth and beyond.
Our Capabilities
We offer enhanced training and collaboration among military and civilian teams, fostering a dynamic environment where bi-directional knowledge exchange and interdisciplinary cooperation thrive. By promoting a culture of continuous improvement and learning, we empower healthcare professionals to deliver optimized care tailored to the unique needs of our complex patients, ultimately leading to improved outcomes both in Virginia and beyond. Our state-of-the-art facilities and numerous partnerships enable us to leverage the latest medical technologies and best practices, ensuring that services members, VCU Health staff, and patients receive the highest standard of training and care possible.
Our Goals
- Maximize Military-Civilian Partnership: Provide a safe and effective medical training environment that helps enhance national security efforts in accordance with the Department of Health and Human Service (DHHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response’s (ASPR) directives.
- Enhance Healthcare Services: VCU Health is dedicated to delivering high-quality healthcare services to the populations we serve. VCU Health’s MCP facilitates this by integrating our military and government agency providers within our trauma care and health system to enhance staff training, satisfaction, and retention while providing better care for the public.
- Promote Education & Training: In addition to integrated medical services with healthcare practitioners, we aim to improve the training programs and certifications offered to military members. Through grant funding and the VCU Health education office, we offer a variety of courses to facilitate military readiness in areas such as emergency medicine, trauma, burn and critical care.
- Support Research and Innovation: VCU Health has been on the cutting edge of advancing healthcare for civilian and military populations for years. We aim to further facilitate collaborative research initiatives that address pressing healthcare needs for deployed servicemembers and civilians alike.
Meet the Team
- Michel Aboutanos, MD
- Omar Rokayak, DO, FACS
- Joshua A. Cole, MD
- Beth Broering, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, FAEN
- Dion Nevers, M.Ed
- Kyle J. Alexander, MD
News and Research
- ACS Blue Book: The Blue Book: Military-Civilian Partnerships for Trauma Training, Sustainment, and Readiness | ACS
- Answering Our Nation’s Call: A Civilian Trauma Center’s Response to Short-Notice Deployment with On-Demand Military Trauma Team Immersion: Journal of the American College of Surgeons
- VCU Medical Center joins national military-civilian partnership to improve trauma care
- VCU Health and the U.S. Navy's Fleet Surgical Teams collaborate on transformative military-civilian trauma training and knowledge exchange
- VCU Health expands partnership with U.S. Navy to improve trauma care, disaster response
- Pointing to lessons learned from the battlefield, VCU symposium highlights importance of responsive trauma and critical care
- VCU celebrates inventors lifesaving contributions to wound healing