Due to a recent agreement, military and civilian Federal employees of the DoD’s Military Health System are now phasing in training from the American Red Cross for life-support training programs.
The training, includes Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) courses, and will be administered by the Military Training Network based at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
The Military Training Network ensures compliance with curriculum and administrative standards for resuscitative and trauma medicine training programs for uniformed service members and Department of Defense affiliates worldwide.
“This transition further highlights the ongoing successful relationship between the DoD and the American Red Cross, which dates back to 1881 following Red Cross founder Clara Barton’s experiences in the Civil War. Standardizing these courses across the entire Military Health System will ensure providers, nurses, and technicians are all working as an interdisciplinary team when responding to life-threatening situations inside our medical treatment facilities and in more austere deployed settings,” said Air Force Col (Dr.) John Wightman, chair of USU’s Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, which oversees the Military Training Network.
“The American Red Cross has a long history of supporting service men and women and their families and we have thousands of volunteers who work in our military treatment facilities caring for them today,” said Jack McMaster, President of American Red Cross Training Services. “We are proud to broaden our relationship with the Military Training Network so that their members will continue to have the knowledge and skills to respond to emergencies and save lives.”
The Red Cross will provide all BLS instruction and proof of BLS course completion for civilian and active-duty staffs beginning November 1. The Military Training Network will transition to the Red Cross for ACLS and PALS courses for instruction and certification on January 1, 2019.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.
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