{"id":434247,"date":"2025-05-03T20:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-03T20:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=434247"},"modified":"2025-05-03T21:25:49","modified_gmt":"2025-05-03T21:25:49","slug":"ensuring-veteran-care-during-crisis-through-lifesaving-exercises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=434247","title":{"rendered":"Ensuring Veteran care during crisis through lifesaving exercises \u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Each year, VHA\u2019s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) conducts disaster-related exercises throughout the nation at strategic hubs, known as Federal Coordinating Centers (FCC), intended for receiving and coordinating patient care. The exercises provide VA staff and partner agencies the opportunity to achieve and sustain a high-level of readiness for major incidents. Additionally, it is an opportunity to exercise VA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/VHAEMERGENCYMANAGEMENT\/4thMission.asp\">Fourth Mission<\/a>, a statutory requirement to improve national preparedness for incidents, such as pandemics and hurricanes, involving a public health crisis and the need to transport patients. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For calendar year 2025, the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) kicked-off the season\u2019s first large FCC exercise at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport on March 25 in Little Rock, Arkansas. More than 100 representatives from VHA, Department of Defense, Arkansas Department of Emergency Management and Department of Health, the Little Rock Airport and more took to the severity of a mass casualty scenario requiring <a href=\"https:\/\/aspr.hhs.gov\/NDMS\/Pages\/patient-mvmt.aspx\">federal patient movements<\/a> during a natural disaster.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"video-shortcode\">\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"VA Ready: Ensuring Veteran Care during Crisis through Lifesaving Exercises\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8fx7me6ejJ0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Helping the community<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cThe exercise occurs in coordination with DOD,\u201d said Dr. Michael Moore, CAVHS Medical Center director. \u201cIf this were real-world, the exact same team that\u2019s out here today practicing this exercise would be present, triaging the patients that came in on the airplanes and then helping to route them to the appropriate level of medical care throughout the Little Rock community.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p>The FCC exercise involved two C-130 military transport aircraft from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ang.af.mil\/\">Air National Guard<\/a>\u2019s (ANG) 189th Airlift Wing, Wyoming ANG, and 165th Airlift Wing, Georgia ANG. The 19th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron facilitated the DOD mass casualty transport, which was combined with Patriot 25, a National Guard-sponsored exercise designed to enhance domestic response readiness and interagency coordination. DOD, primarily Air Force elements, routinely provides the airlift capability for nationwide FCC federal patient movements.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LifesavingExercises_r2-scaled-6.jpg\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">LITTLE ROCK, Ark. \u2013 Department of Defense medical emergency specialists support federal patient movement operations during the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System Federal Coordinating Center full-scale exercise at Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport Mar. 25. (Photo By Jeffrey P. Bowen, CAVHS photographer)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">VA medical response team<\/h2>\n<p>When patients arrive on air transport, an emergency medical response team (EMRT) from VA, made up of physicians, nurses and a variety of staff, receive the patients, assesses their condition and needs, and routes them to the appropriate place for continued care.<\/p>\n<p>FCCs are a vital capability to DOD\u2019s large-scale contingency planning and the <a href=\"https:\/\/aspr.hhs.gov\/NDMS\/Pages\/default.aspx\">National Disaster Medical System<\/a> (NDMS)\u2014a federally coordinated program facilitating movement and care for injured or sick people during large-scale emergencies, such as natural disasters. Sixty-two FCCs across the nation are maintained and operated by VHA and DoD, with VHA primarily responsible for 48.<\/p>\n<p>Billy Young, VHA OEM area emergency manager, was a driving force behind the planning and conduct of the FCC exercise in Little Rock.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt means a lot, both for the community and the Veterans, VA, having the Fourth Mission, to be the back-up for the DoD and the nation as a whole for the community,\u201d Young said. \u201cI\u2019m an Arkansan and I\u2019m from here; I started out volunteering with our EMRT back when the initial need for the NDMS was developed and then truly needed for Hurricanes Maria and Rita\u2026 it means a lot to see.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LifesavingExercises_r1-scaled-6.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1806\" src=\"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LifesavingExercises_r1-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"Two medical emergency specialists push patient on gurney at airport during exercise.\" class=\"wp-image-139817\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LifesavingExercises_r1-scaled-2.jpg,247 350w, https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LifesavingExercises_r1-scaled-1.jpg 730w, https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LifesavingExercises_r1-scaled-4.jpg,542 768w, https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LifesavingExercises_r1-scaled-5.jpg,1084 1536w, https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LifesavingExercises_r1-scaled-6.jpg 2560w\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">LITTLE ROCK, Ark. \u2013 Medical emergency specialists support federal patient movement operations during the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System Federal Coordinating Center full-scale exercise at Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport Mar. 25. (Photo By Jeffrey P. Bowen, CAVHS photographer)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The mission<\/h2>\n<p>Young said he was in Little Rock checking-in displaced residents at an ER during Hurricane Rita. The passion he has for emergency management comes from seeing the Veterans impacted from an area and non-Veterans impacted in the community, and knowing firsthand the need for FCCs to effectively perform lifesaving patient movements.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis mission must be successful,\u201d Young said. \u201cI\u2019m so thankful to all the community members who came together to conduct this exercise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>VHA OEM area emergency managers generally serve as FCC coordinators and the local medical center director as the FCC director. OEM facilitates more than a dozen full-scale exercises throughout the year.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LifesavingExercises_r3-scaled-6.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LifesavingExercises_r3-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"Large crowd of people pose for photo at airport during exercise.\" class=\"wp-image-139819\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LifesavingExercises_r3-scaled-2.jpg,263 350w, https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LifesavingExercises_r3-scaled-1.jpg 730w, https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LifesavingExercises_r3-scaled-4.jpg,576 768w, https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LifesavingExercises_r3-scaled-5.jpg,1152 1536w, https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LifesavingExercises_r3-scaled-6.jpg 2560w\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">LITTLE ROCK, Ark. \u2013 More than 100 participants, from Veterans Health Administration, Department of Defense, Arkansas Department of Emergency Management and Department of Health, the Little Rock Airport and more, took to the severity of a mass casualty scenario requiring federal patient movements during the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System Federal Coordinating Center full-scale exercise at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport Mar. 25 in Little Rock, Arkansas.  (Photo By Kurt M. Rauschenberg, VHA OEM Public Affairs)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt could be hurricanes; it could be earthquakes; it could be a number of disasters. We try to be prepared no matter what the disaster is,\u201d said Moore.<\/p>\n<p>FCC exercises reinforce VA\u2019s enduring commitment to protecting Veterans in crisis. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/VHAEMERGENCYMANAGEMENT\/docs\/4TH-MISSION_FAQs_508.pdf\">Fourth Mission<\/a> allows VA to support non-Veteran populations when needed, while continuing to serve Veterans. The exercises involve realistic, modernized scenarios and response capabilities, such as a natural disaster or pandemic combined with cyberattacks or radiological event. Visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/VHAEMERGENCYMANAGEMENT\/4thMission.asp\">VHA OEM website<\/a> to learn more about FCCs and VA\u2019s Fourth Mission.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Each year, VHA\u2019s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) conducts disaster-related exercises throughout the nation at strategic hubs, known as Federal Coordinating Centers (FCC), intended for receiving and coordinating patient care. The exercises provide VA staff and partner agencies the opportunity to achieve and sustain a high-level of readiness for major incidents. Additionally, it is an [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":434249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1261,5,1423],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-434247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-emergency-preparedness","category-health","category-office-of-emergency-management"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=434247"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434247\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":434268,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434247\/revisions\/434268"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/434249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=434247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=434247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=434247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}