U.S. Navy Medics Train at Henry Ford Health

DETROIT (Aug. 16, 2023) — In the heat of battle, U.S. Navy medics must make critical choices about whether to evacuate an injured sailor or marine patient from a submarine or from an active combat zone. It's a weighty decision, fraught with risk. To better prepare them for these life-or-death decisions, medics are learning to use a portable ultrasound device the size of a cell phone. 

They’re taking a new Ultrasound for Navy Medics course at Henry Ford Health.  During the training developed by Henry Ford anesthesiologist Dr. John Mitchell and U.S. Navy Commander Derek Lodico, medics learn to examine the heart, lungs, head, bones and more using a device that fits in their pocket.  

“Portable ultrasound gives the medic the ability to examine a patient and, if necessary, speak up and say ‘we have to get them out of here,’” Lodico explained. “We’d love to get all the injured out of a bad situation, but sometimes you risk more lives in the process. The portable ultrasound — and comprehensive training on how to use it — helps the medics make informed decisions about evacuation and hopefully do so without endangering others.” 

To date, Henry Ford Health experts renowned for their expertise in anesthesiology and emergency medicine, have trained 16 U.S. Navy medics. More trainings are scheduled on the Detroit campus later this year.

“The military has a slogan ‘train like you fight’ and we want to help them do just that,” said Mitchell, who is the vice chair for academic affairs in Henry Ford’s Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Management and Perioperative Medicine and a professor and vice chair of anesthesiology at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine. 

“It’s important for medics to have these skills for when there isn’t a doctor around to help them because they’re dealing with situations in the moment that need rapid decision-making.”

Ultrasound technology has improved, making it more mobile. Traditionally it was attached to a cart inside a hospital, said Dr. Christopher R. Clark, director of the ultrasound fellowship for the Emergency Department at Henry Ford Health. 

Now it's a minimal addition to a Navy medic's pack, said Clark, who helped Mitchell and Lodico develop the training. 

“They can hook the ultrasound device up to a phone or iPad and send images of an injury back to a surgeon at a naval base who can help make a decision about the next course of action the medic should take,” Clark said.  

Lodico said the portable ultrasounds are part of the Navy medics’ packout and could be used as a stethoscope-like tool in a loud environment, to locate a broken bone or find a severed artery. 

Medics learn by practicing on advanced ultrasound simulators, task trainers and each other. They train to find and identify injuries to the heart, lungs and other vital organs and must meet a certain level of expertise to pass the assessment. 

At the beginning of this intensive course, a medic might take around 15 minutes to complete the test. By the end of the training, they become adept, slashing the time to 2 minutes or less.

Lodico said the partnership with Henry Ford is an example of the U.S. military’s efforts to bolster the armed forces’ capabilities through partnerships with civilian organizations.  

“One of the keys to our relationship with Henry Ford Health is the potential to integrate these medics in this training and exposing them to acute areas such as the emergency department where life flight helicopters land with trauma victims come in,” Lodico said. “That's what we're looking to going forward with having a memorandum of understanding.” 

Dr. Mitchell said part of the reason he moved home to Detroit and to Henry Ford Health was the opportunity to strengthen the training program with Lodico and work with trauma ultrasound experts like Clark. Mitchell said he has plans for Henry Ford Health to expand training opportunities through the Navy and U.S. military. 

“It is absolutely fantastic that the United States Navy chose Henry Ford Health and Dr. Mitchell for this elite medical training and simulation experience,” said Steven Kalkanis, M.D., Henry Ford Health Executive Vice President, CEO of Henry Ford Hospital and CEO of the Henry Ford Medical Group. “The fact that this vital training opportunity is only available at Henry Ford Health is a tremendous testament to the quality of expertise and education we can provide. This training will better prepare military personnel to make consequential medical decisions in the field if someone is injured or wounded on the battlefield.”

MEDIA CONTACT: mediarelations@hfhs.org

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