Behind the Curtain: 2016 AMSUS Federal Health 2016

In this Behind the Curtain feature, we're taking a look at one of the longest running events for the federal market, the 2016 AMSUS Annual Federal Health Continuing Education Meeting. AMSUS, The Society for Federal Health Professionals, was founded in 1891 and formally chartered by an act of Congress in 1903 for the advancement of federal health. In the time that the Chicago Cubs were without a World Series title, AMSUS has continued to evolve through medical trends, wartime needs, and peacetime support. Their annual conference is a unique venue that brings together military health officers for in-depth education on the latest technologies, tools, and techniques.[Tweet "A look behind the curtain at #AMSUS Federal Health 2016 #GovEventsBlog"]

This year's event is scheduled for November 29-December 2 at the Gaylord National Harbor Resort just outside of Washington, DC. The theme for 2016 is "Raising the Bar" and the Executive Director of AMSUS, VADM Mike Cowan, MC, USN (Ret.) took time to share some details about what attendees can expect at this year's event.[Tweet "Executive Director of AMSUS, VADM Mike Cowan, MC, USN (Ret.) discusses #AMSUS 2016"]

Q: What do you think has led to the longevity of this meeting?

Our focus is clear. We are here to serve those in public health service. Our members and attendees are doctors who deploy with troops. They provide garrison healthcare for peacekeepers. They have two missions - the first is providing care for the deployed, and the second is garrison and training. They work in and with incredibly unique circumstances, and our event embraces the nature of their work to provide the training they need. Attendees can get up to 20 hours of continuing education credit at the event, but what is more powerful is the connections they make.

Perhaps the best feedback we ever received was from a former undersecretary of the Veterans Health Administration. He said the AMSUS event was the one place he could come and talk with peers without having an agenda or contentious issues to deal with. No one was there to argue over funding or resources. It provides an oasis from the day-to-day politics and allows for real and meaningful conversation that can push military health forward.

Q: On the website you use the phrase "new normal" in talking about the event. What is the "new normal" for military healthcare?

We've gone through a pretty revolutionary period of time. The politics of healthcare have been turned upside down with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicare modernization. There is now a focus on pay for quality versus pay for service. We're just coming out of 15 years of active warfare.  Ten years ago, doctors were not emailing with patients. Now Health IT is a critical part of the medical system. Add to that the incredible breakthroughs in the understanding and use of genomics and personalized medicine, and it really is a brand-new playing field.[Tweet "The politics of #healthcare have been turned upside down #GovEventsBlog #AMSUS"]

These factors are now starting to settle in as routine and normal. Now we must raise the bar on how we use these advances and adapt to political realities. There will be a big focus this year on creating High Reliability Organizations (HROs).

Q: What topics and activities do you think attendees will be most excited about?

We have 100% participation from the top officials in public and military health. They use our event to lay out their outlook for their organizations' futures.  Our attendees appreciate the access to these leaders.

On the exhibit floor, we'll have 130-140 exhibitors with a lot of hands-on displays. The Air Force will be there with their Portable Isolation Unit. With this system, they could take an Ebola patient, put them in the unit and roll it onto any transport plane to fly them around the world for care. The isolation unit is so secure, they could then take that same plane and use it to deliver Halloween candy to kids.  We'll also have our hands-on Wound and Burn Care Center that gives attendees a chance to work with all of the latest bandages, adhesives and devices for wound care. It is a "petting zoo" of sorts for new technologies.

In terms of educational sessions, we have world-renowned experts on important topics from opioid alternatives to suicide prevention to advances in blood and trauma care. While these sessions are scientific and speak to the head, we also have a lot of heart at the show. We'll host a panel discussion with Col. Gregory Gadson, a double amputee who coined the phrase, "I used to be a wounded warrior.  Now I am me."  He be on a panel with rehab and orthopedic specialists about his journey to a "new normal."

Thanks again to Dr. Cowan for providing this inside look at the AMSUS show. For more about the event, click here.