MC4 shifts to remote support of COVID-19 relief effort

FORT DETRICK, Md. ­­– Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care (MC4) continues to sustain Army and Navy units that have deployed to aid COVID-19 relief efforts. 

Since March 19, MC4 field service representatives (FSRs) have deployed alongside medical forces, primarily in Seattle and in the New York metropolitan area. In response to Army units leaving those sites or redeploying to their home stations, support has shifted from on-site to remote.

“When military units needed MC4 systems, the systems, training, and support were available on time for units to accomplish their COVID-19 missions,” said Tracy Ellis, product director for MC4. 

In an email to staff, he praised the entire MC4 team for doing an exceptional job in support of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I am particularly pleased in the on-site support provided by our MC4 FSRs and the behind-the-scenes support that was accomplished almost exclusively by telework,” said Ellis.

MC4 FSRs provide hardware and software support to operational health IT personnel and medical providers who document healthcare electronically. The systems are also used to manage and order Class VIII medical supplies and pharmaceuticals.   

The FSR teams consist of trainers, system administrators and engineers who are accustomed to responding in support of deployed medical personnel using MC4’s Army Operational Health Information Systems during overseas operations, as well as for disaster relief and emergency efforts in times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Health Assessment Lite Operations (HALO), MC4’s newest software application, was put to use almost immediately to document patient treatment provided to any military personnel deployed in support of COVID-19. From mid-March to the middle of May, medical providers documented more than 1,700 patient encounters using MC4 systems. Training was provided to 330 medical personnel from 72 Army and Navy units, and a total of 248 MC4 systems was fielded to units assigned COVID-19 missions.

Skip Boston, MC4’s logistics management chief, explained that it’s not only about assisting military units and DOD organizations such as the Army, the Defense Health Agency and the Office of the Surgeon General with on-site systems support.

“MC4 partnered with other federal agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which are involved in the fight against the coronavirus,” said Boston.

To date, MC4’s largest support efforts have been in the New York/New Jersey area, including Manhattan where the 369th Sustainment Brigade of the New York Army National Guard (NYARNG) is in Harlem, and the 69th Infantry Company, NYARNG, has occupied the Armory at Fort Washington Avenue. The 85th Combat and Operational Stress Control (COSC) Medical Detachment is also receiving support in New York City.

The 36th Area Support Medical Company (ASMC) has moved its operations from the Javits Center to a nearby hotel. The unit has been providing sick-call support to military teams that are augmenting civilian providers at three sites in New Jersey: Newark, Edison and Atlantic City. The 501st ASMC is supporting teams in Boston and Tewksbury, Massachusetts, as well as in Philadelphia and Stamford, Connecticut.

Although MC4’s support mission in Seattle was initially substantial, as of mid-April, all FSRs have redeployed to their home stations or augmented other regions.

Due to self-quarantine mandates following travel for the Army’s civilian, contractor and military workforces, MC4 contractors undergo a 14-day self-quarantine at home immediately after their return from deployment.

However, as with most of the workforce, the FSRs telework and support the missions after their on-site tour of duty is complete.

“By shifting to remote support, these FSRs will be available to support other priority missions once they complete their self-quarantine,” said Ellis. “They also are a valuable source of lessons learned, which the program will be able to apply to future support missions.”

MC4 is continuing to support COVID-19 missions in Guam, Japan, Korea and Kuwait. In Guam, support personnel are providing remote support to the Navy in re-configuring 44 systems. This work includes applying the latest Information Assurance Vulnerability Alert (IAVA) updates and security patches, and providing training materials and new software like HALO. MC4 also has expedited shipment of four systems to Guam that are configured with the latest Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support (DMLSS) Customer Assistance Module (DCAM), the medical logistics ordering tool that enables operational units to order and manage Class VIII medical supplies and pharmaceuticals.

Learn more about MC4’s support for Army units worldwide in combating COVID-19.