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Coast Guard Auxiliary Health
Care
The Coast Guard Auxiliary Health Care Support program was the recipient of the 2005 Captain Niels P. Thomsen Innovation Award for Administration, Training or Support in the Implementer level. Admiral Thomas Collins, Coast Guard Commandant, presented the award and a personal memento to Richard C. Lavy, M.D., Assistant Director Coast Guard Support – Health and Safety, United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, at the 2005 Coast Guard Innovation Expo. Additionally, a monetary award of $10,000 was awarded to be used at the discretion of the Command to further the development of the program and to support an environment conducive to innovation. Dr. Lavy conceived the program, developed it, and has managed it since its inception. The 2005 Coast Guard Innovation Expo was held in Santa Clara, CA,
2-5 May 2005. The Expo is intended to provide a venue for the presentation
of innovative ideas in their conceptual stage or when already implemented
that will result in increased effectiveness and efficiency, improved
processes, the development of best practices, the application of new
technologies, or the containment of costs for the Coast Guard in meeting
its expanding missions and challenges. The Coast Guard Auxiliary Health
Care Support program developed from an innovative concept to an implemented,
active, functional program that has already proven of significant
value to the Coast Guard. During the Opening Ceremonies, Vice Admiral Thad Allen, Coast Guard Chief of Staff, officiated over the presentation of the Captain Niels P. Thompsen Innovation Awards. Over 60 nominations were received and each received a thorough review by the Innovation Council. This year's award process was the most competitive in history. In addition to the Administration, Training or Support category, there are three other categories of awards: Science or Technology, Operations or Readiness, and the CDR Joel Magnussen Innovation Award for Management. Each category has two levels: Innovator and Implementer. The Coast Guard Health Care Support Program was an Implementer award recipient. Of interest is that the Directorate of Health and Safety also won another award as the Science and Technology, Implementer for its innovation, “Improving Health Services Through Telemedicine.” Coast Guard Auxiliary Health Care Support is an innovative force multiplier that provides trained and licensed or certified health care personnel to augment the Coast Guard’s active duty resources. The increased post 9-11 medical and dental readiness Force Health Protection requirements have stressed the capabilities of the Coast Guard clinics while the vital emergency medical response training and capabilities for SAR, terrorist incidents or natural disasters remain. The need for this program was identified because the Coast Guard Health Services program does not have an established personnel staffing pool to provide surge capacity during periods of increased demands or to provide backfill for active duty providers during leave, TAD, and deployment. Also, there are no reserve dentists or physician, and there is the need for additional personnel to provide the required first aid, CPR, bloodborne pathogen awareness and prevention, and first responder training for active duty and reserve Coast Guard personnel. This program was activated with the promulgation of COMDTINST 6010.2 “Coast Guard Auxiliarist Participation in Coast Guard Health Care Activities” in January 2003. Since then, over 400 persons, many of whom are joining the Auxiliary to participate, have volunteered to provide their health care skills as members of the Auxiliary to meet the new challenges facing the Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Nation. All auxiliarist physicians, dentists, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners are credentialed by the same process and to the same standards as their active duty counterparts. All allied health care personnel, e.g., EMTs and nurses, must submit their credentials and other required information for primary source verification. When under orders and acting within the scope of their credentialing, they are protected by the Federal Torts Claims Act. The current goal is to develop an Auxiliary health care provider augmentation workforce of 40 physicians and 40 dentists, credential many additional EMTs, identify program support funding to leverage existing efforts and increase return on investment, and to streamline the enrollment and credentialing processes. As of April 2005, 13 physicians, nine dentists, five physician assistants, two nurse practitioners, four nurses, and 20 EMTs were authorized to receive orders, served as a force multiplier, increased medial readiness, productivity, and capabilities, and became the readiness augmentation force for Coast Guard health care activities. The program has already been highly cost-beneficial. For Fiscal Year 2004, the estimated monetary value of the program was $340,000 at a cost of only $10,000 for travel and per diem. It portends even greater benefit and opportunity for the future with an estimated value to be $1,250,000 per year with initial program growth to 40 physicians and 40 dentists. At the same time, as more health care resources join the program, additional health care innovative solutions are being considered to assist the Coast Guard as it address the challenges that it faces to be prepared to respond in its vital role for the protection of our Nation, its people, and its resources. Through its presentation of the 2005 Captain Niels P. Thomsen Innovation Award to the Coast Guard Auxiliary Health Care Support program, the Coast Guard again recognized that the Coast Guard Auxiliary can be the vehicle for the utilization of previously unrecognized diversity of talent available to it from the citizens of the United States and is an indispensable and effective resource to assist the Coast Guard in accomplishing its mission in the face of growing responsibilities. To obtain further information or to participate in the program contact: Richard C. Lavy, M.D.
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