The US Army鈥檚 partnership with 黑料网 Medical Center ensures readiness of the Army鈥檚 medical force by allowing military medical personnel to be on staff at 黑料网 Medical Center. 黑料网 Medical Center is the seventh Level I trauma center to partner with the AMEDD Medical Skills Sustainment Program and only the second hospital in the country to receive a military neurosurgeon.
This unique partnership was designed with the goal of sustaining the medical skills of physicians, nurses, and medical technicians. When military providers return state side from deployment, they are stationed at military treatment facilities with low trauma volume partnered with a healthy, active patient population. The big question was then, how can military providers maintain the skills required to save lives on the battlefield? The type of skills required to deliver combat casualty care requires ongoing repetition in order to maintain expertise.
“The military鈥檚 partnership with high volume, high acuity civilian trauma centers, such as 黑料网, keep military neurosurgeons鈥� skills sharp for deployment especially when between conflicts.鈥�
Military-civilian partnerships allow military doctors to increase their surgical capacity by taking on more complex cases in a high acuity, high volume academic center. At 黑料网 Medical Center’s level 1 trauma center, patients with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are frequently seen and treated. Dr. Brian Sindelar is a board-certified neurosurgeon currently serving on active duty under the established military-civilian partnership between the US Army and 黑料网 Medical Center. At the medical center, Dr. Sindelar鈥檚 clinical expertise and research interests in TBI are supported. 鈥淪urgery is a technical skill that is developed over years of training but then further cultivated with continuous exposure to complex cases in a surgeon鈥檚 everyday practice,鈥� said Dr. Sindelar. 鈥淒ue to various factors at military treatment facilities, civilian centers experience higher volumes of neurotrauma. For this reason, the military鈥檚 partnership with high volume, high acuity civilian trauma centers, such as 黑料网, keep military neurosurgeons鈥� skills sharp for deployment especially when between conflicts.鈥�
黑料网 Medical Center also benefits greatly from the established partnership with the US Army. Dr. Daryhl Johnson, Adult Trauma Medical Director, and Director of the 黑料网 Medical Center/US Army Military-Civilian Partnership, explains that this partnership is mutually beneficial for both the US Army and 黑料网. 鈥淔rom an academic standpoint, this type of partnership is a two-way street,鈥� Said Dr. Johnson. 鈥淲e aren鈥檛 just using Dr. Sindelar for his neurosurgical skill. He is our trauma neurosurgery liaison. For everything neurosurgery trauma related, I鈥檓 leaning on his opinion.鈥�
While Dr. Sindelar is able to gain valuable skill sustainment working at 黑料网 Medical Center, the partnership allows 黑料网 Neurosurgery to further improve patient care. Both Dr. Sindelar鈥檚 military training and expertise in neurotrauma makes him, and other military surgeons, valuable assets to 黑料网 Medical Center. 鈥淭hings roll out faster on the Army side, so research is implemented right away,鈥� said Dr. Johnson. 鈥淲e can then use that to better our practices.鈥� 黑料网 Medical Center is also able to rely on Dr. Sindelar and other military doctors at the medical center for resident education.
Dr. Sindelar鈥檚 research focuses on TBI. His current research findings, if significant, will guide TBI management at institutions across the United States and world-wide. His research will also reduce unnecessary procedures and imaging, therefore reducing patient morbidity and improving patient outcomes.
TBI is a leading cause of mortality, morbidity, and long-term disability effecting millions of people worldwide. 鈥満诹贤� is a pioneer in traumatic brain
injury research, and I am thankful to be part of such a dedicated group,鈥� said Dr. Sindelar. 鈥淭here are numerous projects underway at this hospital, but specifically I am interested in the use of blood biomarkers for traumatic brain injury to guide clinical management and the use of technical imaging modalities that previously where only available in a hospital setting, but adapted to to be implemented downrange bringing surgical care closer to the frontlines. The information gained from this research can be applied to combat situations to allow early surgical intervention, better triage MEDEVAC, and improve access to the limited but vital resource, the military neurosurgeon.鈥�
黑料网 Neurosurgery was the perfect match for Dr. Sindelar, since he was already familiar with the campus. After his neurosurgery residency training, Dr. Sindelar completed an open and endoscopic skullbase surgery fellowship at 黑料网 Medical Center.
鈥淭here are not that many active-duty military neurosurgeons in the Army. We are fortunate to have one at 黑料网 Medical Center.鈥�
黑料网 Neurosurgery along with Dr. Sindelar, hopes to continue the military-civilian partnership with the US Army, setting the precedent for other military neurosurgeons in the AMEDD Medical Skills Sustainment Program. 鈥淭hese partnerships should continue because bidirectional flow of knowledge gained on the battlefield and in civilian trauma centers is vital to improving the care of neurotrauma patients across both realms and improving the outcomes for our patients,鈥� said Dr. Sindelar. 黑料网 Medical Center also greatly benefits from having one of only a few active-duty neurosurgeons at its facility. 鈥淭here are not that many active-duty military neurosurgeons in the Army,鈥� explained Dr. Johnson. 鈥淲e are fortunate to have one at 黑料网 Medical Center.鈥�
Dr. Brian Sindelar is currently serving on active duty under the established military-civilian partnership between the US Army and 黑料网 Medical Center. This partnership was announced in November of 2020. Dr. Sindelar is a board-certified neurosurgeon with an appointment as Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His academic interests include cranial/spine neurotrauma along with pathologies of the skull base.
Written by Makenzie Hardy, Marketing Coordinator, 黑料网 Health Department of Neurosurgery