Alabama Republican Sen. Richard Shelby, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and its subcommittee on protection, questioned witnesses throughout a protection appropriations subcommittee listening to on the Protection Well being Program’s medical analysis investments and addressing warfighter well being and readiness issues.
The 4 witnesses who testified within the listening to had been Dr. Terry Adirim, performing assistant secretary of protection for well being affairs on the Division of Protection; Lt. Gen. R. Scott Dingle, surgeon common of the U.S. Military; Rear Adm. Bruce L. Gillingham, surgeon common of the U.S. Navy; and Lt. Gen. Dorothy A. Hogg, surgeon common of the U.S. Air Drive.
Through the listening to, Shelby questioned Gillingham about how the Navy is adapting and additional growing its medical maritime operations and the way the multi-purpose Expeditionary Quick Transit (EPF) ambulance ship, or the EPF Flight II, constructed by Austal in Cellular, will improve its capabilities to offer medical care.
In response, Gillingham expressed enthusiasm in regards to the EPF ambulance ship and acknowledged its distinctive means to rapidly reply to vessels in misery and supply a number of capabilities, “filling a vital hole” and a excessive precedence want for the Navy.
Shelby’s opening remarks, as ready, are as follows:
“I wish to welcome our witnesses. Thanks for being right here immediately to evaluation the Protection Well being Program.
“The pandemic has examined our navy and its well being system profoundly and I wish to applaud the Protection Well being Program’s work and achievements throughout this extraordinarily making an attempt time.
“Our warfighters are our best protection asset, and their readiness and capabilities rely upon a powerful and sustainable navy well being care system.
“Our navy’s well being system is answerable for offering care to 9.5 million service members and their beneficiaries, who deserve the very best quality of care we will present.
“So as to assure that customary we should be sure that the system is appropriately resourced – one thing this Committee has prioritized.
“The navy well being system has undergone substantial transformation over the past a number of years and I sit up for listening to in regards to the challenges every of you have got confronted on this transition, and the way you have got labored collaboratively to beat them.
“Along with offering well being care, our navy’s well being system additionally conducts medical analysis on all kinds of subjects similar to most cancers, infectious ailments, traumatic mind damage, and burn analysis, to call just a few.
“Funding for these necessary analysis efforts has grown from $210 million in fiscal yr 1992 to almost $1.5 billion final yr.
“That may be a substantial funding and one that doesn’t take into consideration the billions of {dollars} offered yearly to NIH to conduct analysis in most of the identical areas.
“What’s extra, the President’s funds request proposes to create the Superior Analysis Initiatives Company for Well being at NIH.
“This new, $6.5 billion federally funded analysis company will give attention to most cancers analysis and different ailments similar to diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
“With all of this seeming duplication of analysis {dollars}, I query whether or not DOD’s medical analysis investments are actually targeted on addressing warfighter well being and readiness issues or just investing scarce protection sources in medical analysis that can be underway at NIH.
“So, whereas we will all agree that this analysis is critical, I hope our witnesses can present a clearer rationalization relating to what protection medical analysis {dollars} are doing that NIH funding can not or will not be.
“I sit up for the testimony of our witness. Thanks.”