U.S. ARMY’S PROGRAM TO PROVIDE CONVALESCENT PLASMA AS EMERGENCY TREATMENT FOR COVID-19

EHA operates as a Prime Contractor for the U.S. Army’s Program to Provide Convalescent Plasma as Emergency Treatment for COVID-19. The services EHA provides are in support of the Armed Services Blood Program’s (ASBP) mission to collect, process, test and provide quality COVID-19 convalescent plasma and other blood products from volunteer donors and to coordinate the distribution of blood products to Military Treatment Facilities worldwide in order to provide life-saving therapeutics to patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. This contract is funded through the White House’s Operation Warp Speed (OWS). Launched in May 2020, OWS is a groundbreaking partnership between multiple Federal agencies, the scientific community, and the private sector which develops and delivers safe and effective countermeasures to COVID-19. Following the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) emergency approval of the use of convalescent serum as a treatment for patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, EHA immediately devoted all available resources to the support of this critical mission.

COVID-19 LABORATORY SURGE SUPPORT

Camp Zama, Japan and Camp Humphreys, South Korea

EHA supports the mission of the Public Health Laboratory Enterprise (PHLE) to provide quality sample analysis results in a timely manner to protect military personnel and civilians. In order to address the increased laboratory testing capacity required to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic, EHA was selected to provide expert Senior Clinical Laboratory Consultants, Senior Scientists, and Laboratory Technicians to serve both Camp Zama in Japan and Camp Humphreys in South Korea. This Manpower Services Contract is mission critical to support the current testing for COVID-19 and other emerging microbiological concerns in the Pacific; at present, current staffing levels at Public Health Lab Pacific in Camps Zama and Humphreys are inadequate to sustain the projected and impending workload surge for the COVID-19 samples. EHA quickly drew upon our catalog of Public Health Laboratory professionals to meet the requirements and ensure efficient, accurate laboratory support and to provide complex clinical laboratory consulting in challenging environments.

RESPIRATORY PATHOGEN DIAGNOSIS WITH FILMARRAY®

Clinical Research Laboratory, Keesler AFB

Through support from an Air Force modernization contract, EHA scientists began to search for cutting edge diagnostic tests to quickly identify a comprehensive panel of respiratory pathogens in an instrument that can be used by technicians with limited medical training. This technology integrates sample preparation, amplification, detection, and analysis into one simple system that requires two minutes of hands-on time and has a total run time of one hour; the process was claimed by Idaho Technologies in the prototype device known as the FilmArray® Instrument. The potential applications of the FilmArray® extend beyond the scope of military medicine and will likely make significant differences in public health support in the future.

COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC HEALTH PROMOTION

Army Public Health Center

EHA supports the Army’s Public Health Center’s (APHC) Technical Directorate’s mission to promote health and prevent disease, injury, and disability of soldiers and military retirees, their families, and the Department of the Army civilian employees. In addition, EHA assists the APHC to assure effective execution of full spectrum veterinary service for Army and Department of Defense Veterinary missions. EHA provides APHC with mission required subject matter experts to supplement and enhance the existing workforce with training and operational support in the following areas:

• Health Promotion

• Clinical Public Health and Epidemiology

• Animal Health and Food Protection

• Workplace Hazard Assessment and Control

• Environmental Health

• Laboratory Sciences

• Toxicology and Public Health Information

APHC is world-class provider of public health services across DA and DoD. The APHC’s institutional and operational missions encompasses measures to protect, promote, improve, or conserve the mental and physical well-being of soldiers, DA civilians, family, military working dogs and other animals.

CLINICAL RESEARCH MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

DOD/VA Extremity Trauma and Amputation Center of Excellence

EHA provides Program Management Support Services to the DoD/VA Extremity Trauma and Amputation Center of Excellence (EACE) executive element in the areas of human resource support, agreements management, logistics management, support budget analysis, contract management, facilities, and infrastructure management, event coordination, and knowledge management software content management.

EHA clinical research managers and administrative support staff work with the Research and Surveillance Division to offer bio-statistical support, scientific and technical writing, and grant proposal writing. We provide subject matter experts in a wide range of disciplines including outcome measurement, rehabilitation sciences, quality of life assessment, prosthetic and orthotic advancements, development of surveillance capability, secondary health issues and long-term comorbidities, functional limb loss, and medical-surgical innovations, Human Subject Research Protection program support, and general research/academic collaboration development.

EHA also provides Informatics Program Support and assists the EACE Clinical Informatics and Technology Division in coordinating and executing information technology project activities. Our Clinical Affairs support personnel help identify and evaluate alternative solutions related to complex extremity trauma and limb loss issues, including but not limited to the use of telehealth, telemedicine, and other modalities. Global partnerships are sourced and maintained in support of our collaboration with the EACE to accelerate research and improve outcomes for wounded warriors. National partnerships span federal, academic, and industry realms.

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF HEARING LOSS/AUDITORY INJURY

DoD Hearing Center of Excellence

The Department of Defense (DoD) established the Hearing Center of Excellence (HCE) to focus on the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of hearing loss and auditory injury. HCE was legislated by Congress in the National Defense Authorization Act and directed to partner with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), institutions of higher education, and other mission-minded public and private organizations. EHA supports the HCE’s primary responsibilities that include:

• Developing a data registry to track hearing loss and auditory injuries across the Armed Forces;

• Sharing the registry data with the VA;

• Encouraging and facilitating hearing health research;

• Developing best practices and clinical education; and

• Ensuring the coordination and delivery of VA rehabilitation benefits and services to former Service members.

CLINICAL AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT

ROTC Cadet Summer Training

EHA provided medical staff to support the surge of patients at the Ireland Community Hospital during the summer cadet training. Leader development courses at Fort Knox allow the Army to adapt educational/developmental systems and resources to provide the best training to its future leaders. Between the two courses, there are approximately 11,000 cadets and supporting staff from colleges across the nation. 

MEDICAL EVALUATION TESTING

NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field

EHA’s support provides Aeromedical Certification Examinations for NASA-ARC personnel, including NASA contractors, who need the certification in order to perform work duties in support of a NASA flight mission; we performed critical aeromedical evaluations for NASA to identify any health condition that may cause sudden or subtle incapacitation interfering with the individual’s ability to perform assigned duties or compromise the health and safety of self or others for contractor staff in support of NASA. Our personnel submitted “Qualified Non-Crewmember (QNC)” certifications based on the results.

EHA employs a medical Director and laboratory technicians to fulfill Federal Occupational Health (FOH) needs at the 05A at NASA.

INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT

U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID)

EHA provides Senior Level Infectious Disease Research and Management to the Department of Defense's (DoD) lead laboratory for medical biological defense research. We support the core mission to protect the warfighter from biological threats and investigate disease outbreaks and threats to public health. Research conducted at USAMRIID leads to medical solutions—therapeutics, vaccines, diagnostics, and information—that benefit both military personnel and civilians. USAMRIID is a subordinate laboratory of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command.

EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIANS AND STAFF

Fort Wainwright, Bassett Army Community Hospital

EHA provides Emergency Room Physicians at Bassett Army Community Hospital in Fairbanks, AK. Our clinicians are tasked with providing quality health care services to a diverse beneficiary population.

PHARMACISTS AND PHARMACY TECHNICIANS

Madigan Army Medical Center and Tripler Army Medical Center

EHA provides pharmacists and pharmacy technicians at Madigan Army Medical Center (MAMC) in Tacoma Washington and the Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, HI. Our pharmacy personnel contribute to a stable workforce by providing quality health care services to a diverse beneficiary population.

Defense Health Agency

EHA provides senior-level expertise to support the Defense Health Agency (DHA). EHA helps the DHA lead the Military Health System integrated system of readiness and health to:

• Implement shared services with common measurement of outcomes (e.g., telemedicine, integrative medicine);

• Enable rapid adoption of proven practices, helping reduce unwanted variation and improving the coordination of care across time and treatment venues (e.g., military medical treatment facilities);

• Exercise management responsibility for joint shared services and the TRICARE Health Plan; and

• Act as the market manager for the National Capital Region (NCR) enhanced Multi-Service Market, which includes Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital (FBCH).

DHA Programs we currently support include:

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

EHA provides senior management to U.S. Army’s Medical Command (MEDCOM) Behavior Health Service Line (BHSL) under the Office of the Surgeon General’s Behavioral Health Division (BHD) to implement a standardized system of care to identify, prevent, treat and track behavioral health (BH) issues affecting soldiers and beneficiaries.

G-3/5/7 AND THE INTEGRATED DISABILITY EVALUATION SYSTEM ARMY MEDICAL COMMAND

EHA currently provides strategic, operational, and tactical analysis, planning, programming, and implementation of solutions support to the US Army’s Medical Command G-3/5/7 and the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) Service Line (SL). This contract also supports the Medical Evaluation Board Tracking Office (MEBTO) and G-37, Medical Readiness Division and the execution of the Medically Not Ready Line of Effort (LOE). The MEDCOM IDES SL is responsible for a coordinated, synchronized and integrated comprehensive program to support the Army Force Generation (ARFORGEN), the medical readiness of the Army with specific focus on medical board process timing, timeliness, capability and capacity expansion, policy development, training, etc., in consultation and coordination with the U.S. Army G-1, Disability Evaluation System (DES) program and the Veterans Administration.

CLINICAL SUPPORT FOR STI/HIV BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS IN A POPULATION OF US ARMY PERSONNEL AND THEIR MEDICAL BENEFICIARIES

EHA supports the US Military HIV Research Program (MHRP), Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) by providing clinical support for a randomized controlled trial designed to assess acceptability and efficacy of an adapted STI/HIV behavioral intervention program in a population of US Army personnel and their medical beneficiaries. MHRP implements the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) prevention and treatment initiatives, building strong and trusting relationships within the communities where research is conducted.

DIRECT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TREATMENT TO ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS ASSIGNED TO FORT JACKSON, SC

EHA supports mission requirements at Moncrief Hospital’s Department of Behavioral Health (DBH).  Specifically, EHA provides clinical support for a telehealth project designed to ensure the delivery of comprehensive prevention, consultation and treatment-focused behavioral health services of the highest quality to all Moncrief beneficiaries to reduce the negative impact of mental illness and to maximize readiness of the force.

THE U.S. ARMY RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE (USARIEM)

EHA supports Psychology Research Services to promote behavioral science research studies managed by the Military Performance Division that evaluate the effects of environmental and situational stressors (i.e., high altitude on cognition, judgment, decision-making, and disabilities). USARIEM is co-located at the Soldier Systems Center in Natick, MA.