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Thursday, March 28, 2024 - 12:30 PM

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

First Published in 1994

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

Described by Surgeon General as “cultural shift” from health care to lifestyle change

The most recent edition of the official Army newsletter to retired soldiers, surviving spouses and families includes a message from the first woman to hold the title of U. S. Army Surgeon General. The title of the article by Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho is titled Transforming Army medicine from a healthcare system to a system for health.

Gen. Horoho acknowledges that many improvements in battlefield medicine have been developed and perfected resulting in the saving of many lives during the recent decade of warfare that would have been lost in previous wars.

“As these conflicts culminate, and our soldiers return home, Army medicine is charting a new course – We are transforming Army medicine from a healthcare system to a system for health.”

Gen. Horoho explains that the Army “System for Health” will dictate activity, nutrition and sleep requirements for soldiers, and their dependents and retiree families to improve the “health of our Army and the health of our nation.”

She does not specifically say so, however it appears that soldiers and their dependents will be the test bed for the planned lifestyle dictates under Obamacare.

Medical care for military dependents and retirees has been a form of socialized medicine desired by the Socialist Democrats for all Americans. As a retiree or military dependent, you sign away all your rights when you enter a military facility for treatment or surgery and military dependents have traditionally been used by the government as “guinea pigs” for testing unapproved dangerous drugs without their knowledge or permission.

Gen. Horoho uses New Age terminology to explains that, “We advocate a cultural shift, a paradigm shift in how we think and dispense health care by encouraging and empowering every professional soldier to develop a mindset that drives them to optimize their own health in order to improve their personal performance and resiliency. This is how we advance the health of our Army, and the health of our nation.

“To achieve this end, we have developed a performance triad, consisting of the proper management of activity, nutrition and sleep to guide soldiers toward optimal health and resilience. There is substantial scientific evidence to support activity; nutrition and sleep as a means to better optimize health and performance. These three areas can directly impact our patients’ lives for the better, regardless of their current health status.

“Transforming to a system for health also means that we are proactive in identifying, assessing and mitigating unhealthy behaviors before they become significant concerns, and by educating Soldiers about access to resources and support. We must also work harder to eliminate the perceived stigma of asking for behavioral health assistance. This requires leaders at all levels to engage Soldiers and civilians encouraging the use of behavioral health services, as necessary.

“In order to transform from a health care system to a system for health, for all of this to work, we must engage people where they work and play – what we call the lifespace – along with our traditional patient care settings like clinics, the TMCs (troop medical clinics), and other care areas on installations.

“It is between appointments – in lifespace – where health really happens and where we need to have a different relationship with Soldiers, families and retirees.

“We must positively impact the determents of health – the lifestyle choices, the social and environmental factors – that are at the heart of the lifespace. Our success in doing this rests on our ability to optimize capacity, enhance diplomacy and improve stamina – the three cornerstones of our strategic framework to move towards a system of health.

“Optimizing capacity is about increasing our ability to influence health and readiness – in our delivery of care, in developing new methods, to impact our beneficiaries’ lifespace, in research and training. But it’s not just about doing more; it’s about doing things better. We must make Patient Centered Medical Homes and Community Based Medical Homes a priority.

“In our current fiscal environment, building more facilities and hiring more people is not tenable. Instead, we need to innovate; we need to use our existing resources and know-how to create value for our beneficiaries and the Army. To transform from the traditional health care system, we must refine our abilities and increase our reach.

“Enhancing diplomacy means that all of us – from the combat medic at the tip of the spear to those who engage with internal and external stakeholders in a variety of forums -–must pass on the same message: Army medicine is committed to optimizing individual health and unit readiness. Every member of the Army medicine team is a vital component of diplomacy.

“Improved stamina means we must be strong and resilient so we can withstand periods of intense change and unexpected challenges to ensure that the Army medicine system for health is sustainable in perpetuity. We must increase both organizational, collective and individual stamina.

“Improving stamina also means we are called to action with an opportunity to lead the nation in turning away from the status quo of unhealthy lifestyles. We can do this with the performance triad – getting back to the basics of activity, nutrition and sleep as a way to optimize personal health, performance and resilience.”

Note: This is not satire, this is not a joke. This is not Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia. This is official policy coming from the current Surgeon General of the United States Army.

 

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