WASHINGTON, March 19, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of the White House's Joining Forces Initiative to increase awareness and understanding of the needs of our nation's military, veterans, and their families for today's healthcare providers, the Steptoe Group, LLC completed the first phase of the Warrior Centric Healthcare Training (WCHT)® for the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. This 'train-the-trainer' event was the first in a series of training sessions to be conducted with the medical school to inform the faculty, staff and students regarding the unique needs of our military, veterans and their families.
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Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is reported to be the first medical school in the country to launch the accredited and award winning WCHT in response to the Joining Forces call-to-action of the nation's medical schools. Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, in partnership with Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and John F. Kennedy Medical Center provided the training for a select cadre of faculty and staff who will train their medical students, residents, and other health professions learners in the tenets of this unique training during phase 2. Robert Wood Johnson was one of the first medical schools to sign on with the Joining Forces initiative to expand the services available and understanding of the special needs of our nation's military and veteran communities in their healthcare.
According to Carol A. Terregino, MD, Senior Associate Dean for Education (interim) at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, "The Steptoe Group's dynamic program was excellent, extremely informative, and impactful. It truly helped to raise our collective awareness about the needs of our veterans, military service personnel, and their families in coping with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and other health-related conditions." In addition, "We also greatly appreciated learning more about military cultural competence in the clinical setting and the importance of creating safe and welcoming environments for our veterans and military personnel, as well as improving the connectivity between the Department of Defense (DoD), Veteran Affairs (VA), civilian health care, behavioral health, and social service delivery systems."
"The Steptoe Group team did a fantastic job and the feedback we received from the attendees was enthusiastically positive," commented Robert C. Like, MD, MS, Professor and Director of the Center for Healthy Families and Cultural Diversity, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the medical school. "We all learned a great deal about military culture, PTSD, TBI, cultural competence, and ourselves. Particularly important was the social networking that occurred both interprofessionally, as well as between the veterans, active service members and civilians."
"We are proud to provide the critical knowledge, training, and tools needed to operationalize the commitment made by Robert Wood Johnson Medical School to educate current and future medical professionals on the challenges and special needs of our military, veterans and their families," said Ron Steptoe, CEO and Chairman of the Steptoe Group, as well as a U.S. Army veteran. Evelyn L. Lewis, MD, Chief Medical Officer of the Steptoe Group and a U.S. Navy veteran commented that, "the program is specifically designed to inform as well as enhance the knowledge, understanding, and skills of healthcare professionals on the culture, nuances and needs of the care needed for those who have served our nation, so partnering with the medical school in this important mission is especially exciting for us". The Steptoe Group looks forward to the next phase of training with Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and expanding to other health professional schools, academic medical centers and healthcare organizations.
There are over 23 million veterans in the United States and with 2.5 million having served just since 2001. In addition, between now and 2016 over 1.2 million service members will leave the military and return to their homes in every corner of the country. These service members, veterans and family members represent ~ 25 percent of the U.S. population and signify an ongoing urgent need for healthcare providers and allied health team members to understand the specific challenges presented by those who have fought and sacrificed in our nation's conflicts.
About Steptoe Group, LLC
The Steptoe Group is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business and is the country's first firm to develop and conduct onsite post 9/11 assessment, education and implementation of a certified training system for physicians, other healthcare providers, allied health team members, and support personnel. This certified WCHT system, targets military and veteran culture in the clinical setting, cultural competency, and provider – patient communication in the military and veteran medical communities. The firm's proprietary and patent-pending training platform integrates the use of innovative technology to maximize the impact of adult learning principles, blended learning methodologies and reinforcement sustainment intervals to yield a higher level of knowledge, and workforce performance. In May 2012, Department of the Army's – Telemedicine and Technology Research Center (TATRC) awarded the Steptoe Group's Warrior-Centric Healthcare Training (WCHT)® the 2012 AMEDD Advance Medical Technology Initiative (AAMTI) contract for trainings at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD and Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Ft. Hood, TX. To learn more about the WCHT program and the Steptoe Group call Fred Wellman (ScoutComms, Inc. 202-957-2688) or write fwellman@ScoutCommsUSA.com or ron@thesteptoegroup.com.
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About the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS)
As one of the nation's leading comprehensive medical schools, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in education, research, health care delivery, and the promotion of community health. In cooperation with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the medical school's principal affiliate, they comprise New Jersey's premier academic medical center. In addition, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has 34 other hospital affiliates and ambulatory care sites throughout the region. As one of the eight schools of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey with 2,800 full-time and volunteer faculty, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School encompasses 20 basic science and clinical departments, hosts centers and institutes including The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the Child Health Institute of New Jersey, the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, and the Stem Cell Institute of New Jersey. The medical school maintains educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels for more than 1,500 students on its campuses in New Brunswick, Piscataway, and Camden, and provides continuing education courses for health care professionals and community educational programs.
