The military medical community within NATO and

its multinational challenges

Col Wynand Korterink (NLD-A) COMEDS Liaison Officer

NATO HQ, Brussels, Belgium

+32-2-707 9862 korterink.wynand@hq.nato.int

Committee of the Chiefs of Military Medical Services in NATO

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

What is NATO

What is COMEDS

What are the challenges

The global village

Unclassified

UNCLASSIFIED

What is NATO

NATO EAPC/UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

Civil Emergency

Planning

Military Committee

Research and Technology

Agency ACT

COMEDS

IMSACO

HFM

NAC

Reserve officersCIOMR

Public health

NATO Standardisation

Agency

med medmed

Medical Standardization

Medical Standardization

Expert Panels

COMEDS Organization 01-01- 2010

BIOMEDAC

MedN

DS

FWSVS

MMHMedCISEM

MT MMMP SGPME

Medical

CBRN

Medical

CBRN

Structures Operations

Procedures

Structures Operations

Procedures

Mil. Health

Care

Mil. Health

Care

COMEDS

MILITARY COMMITTEE

Working Groups

Military Medical Steering Group

Force Health

Protection

Force Health

Protection

MedInt

NATO EAPC/UNCLASSIFIEDhttp://nsa.nato.inthttp://nsa.nato.int

NATO EAPC/UNCLASSIFIED

12

NATO Operations Overview

NATO Support to the African Union

ISAF

Support to EU

Op Althea

KFOR

Balkans Defense Reform

Operation ACTIVE

ENDEAVOR

Air Policing

NATO Training Mission -

Iraq

Operation OCEAN SHIELD

Operational overview

13

Chinese ship Peace of Arc (?) Chinese hospital ship Peace Arc

UNCLASSIFIED

CHALLENGES -1

• Compatibility of equipment

• Interoperability of medical support structures

(material as well as medical personnel)

• Acceptability of procedures and quality and

standards of medical care available,

• Credentialing and certification

• Doctrine

• Communication (language, culture)

• Information exchange

• Medical Intelligence

Info Exchange Issues

• Security– Current NATO standards– Network Enabled Capabilities will influence future

requirements• Confidentiality of patient info

– Differing national standards• De-identification of data

– Track med info using minimal personal info– Reporting by one nation, retrieving by another

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

CHALLENGES -2• Increasing effectiveness: integration of medical assets

• Optimisation of the use of medical resources

through coordination, combined purchasing

• Mitigation of Medical Shortfalls

• Shift from whole national treatment facilities to combined

capabilities in a Multinational treatment facility,

and capabilities based modular approach

UNCLASSIFIED

CHALLENGES -3

• Recruitment and retention of medical personnel

Medical Multinationality and Interaction with Ios and NGOs

•

UNCLASSIFIED

Col Wynand Korterink COMEDS Liaison Officer

NATO HQ, Brussels, Belgium

+32-2-707 9862 korterink.wynand@hq.nato.int

Committee of the Chiefs of Military Medical Services in NATO