UC Institute for Military Medicine

Overview

Trauma is a significant health concern in both civilian and military populations. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), traumatic injury kills more people (civilians) in the United States under the age of 45 than any other disease or illness. Traumatic injuries are responsible for 60% of all deaths of people less than 45 years of age. Not surprisingly, for United States military personnel, more than 99% of fatal and non-fatal casualties are due to traumatic injury.

The University of Cincinnati (UC) Institute for Military Medicine was created by the department of surgery around its core strength of clinical and research faculty with interests in trauma and critical care. It was named an official Institute of the University of Cincinnati by the Board of Trustees in August 2009. The Institute functions as an interdisciplinary network of investigators with interests related to the treatment and care of seriously injured patients. It is not structured as a research silo or confined department, but rather as a coalition of clinicians and scientists who bring unique perspectives to bear on a common problem.

The UC Institute for Military Medicine has made substantial progress in advancing the scientific understanding of traumatic injuries and applying this new knowledge to the treatment of injured patients, both civilian and military. Research conducted in the UC Institute for Military Medicine has led to improvements in the standard of care for critically injured patients as well as led to changes in the standard operating procedures of the United States Air Force for the transport of seriously injured casualties.

The missions of the UC Institute for Military Medicine are to:

• discover the scientific basis of traumatic injury and translate this knowledge into better treatments for combat casualties and civilian patients
• develop new technology that can be applied in military environments to advance the care of the acutely injured patient
• provide state-of-the-art training for those caring for our wounded soldiers
• prepare and train the next generation of clinical and research leaders in traumatic injury

The UC Institute of Military Medicine has a broad range of programs that serve to advance its missions:

Clinical & Applied Science

This program entails projects that serve to test new treatments and technologies for acutely injured patients. These projects translate scientific findings into clinical practice or demonstrate a new or better application of technology for patient care. Examples of the types of projects in this program include: clinical trials of blood component therapy for massive transfusion, development and application of a closed-loop autonomous ventilator, and effects of fatty acid supplementation on recovery from traumatic injury.

Basic Science

This program focuses on fundamental scientific research. Projects within this program are directed towards increasing the understanding of the biology of traumatic injury and determining new potential therapeutic strategies. Examples of projects in this program include: effects of resuscitation with blood component therapy on systemic inflammation after hemorrhagic shock, neuroinflammation of traumatic brain injury, effects of aeromedical evacuation on the severely injured, and detrimental effects of age on red blood cell function.

Training

This program has projects that extend to both clinical and scientific training and serve to promote the excellence of trainees in the care of the acutely injured. Three programs define our training platform:

• Cincinnati C-STARS trains the Critical Care Air Transport Teams (CCATT) of the USAF that are responsible for medical care of seriously injured soldiers during transport from the combat theater to Europe and the USA.
• Training of military and civilian medical personnel under simulated stressful conditions in order to hone their skills and reduce errors.
• A basic science research training program funded by the National Institutes of Health on the biology of trauma helps to develop future scientists in the field of trauma and acute injury.

Community Outreach

Through partnership with existing programs in the community, including Veterans organizations, museums, and private businesses, the UC Institute for Military Medicine is able to educate the local and regional community on its progress and the benefits of its programs on the local and military communities.

Contact for Further Information

Betsy (Elizabeth) Rodarte Boiman
Program Director, Division of Research
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
231 Albert Sabin Drive, ML 0558
Cincinnati, OH  45267-0558
Elizabeth.Boiman@uc.edu