Location

Coast Guard Reserve Training Center, Yorktown, VA.

General Information¹

Recent health care reform efforts in the United States and abroad demonstrate the importance of health in national strategic planning and resource management. Economic impact and complexity of health programs today create challenges for policy makers. The central focus of the International Health Resources Management (IHRM) Program is to develop strategies for improving health resource management that will contribute to a country's national security interests. This is accomplished by promoting a self sustaining process of collaboration among health resources management decision-makers involved in improving the health of their military and civilian populations through the appropriate application of knowledge and allocation of resources.

Increasingly shifting linkages between health systems and national objectives require coordination and study, particularly in light of evolving civil-military relations. A typical program will focus on building collaborative partnerships in one or more of the following areas: military policy on quality of life; military medical administration; military and civilian cross-sector health care topics; and military involvement in public health strategic action plans. The program is flexible to permit the discussion of issues of interest that best meet the needs of the country.

This program is divided into five phases (three primary and two optional).

Scope¹

Phase I is accomplished through data gathered from on-site observations, structured interviews and focus groups conducted by the IHRM team of military and civilian subject matter experts over a five day period. The usual target populations are those senior decision makers among the military medical administration and health care providers, government and private sector health care leaders, and non-governmental organizational officials.

The IHRM team members will acquaint all parties with the process and goals of the program as well as work with the country's point of contact to identify the curriculum goals and participating organizations for Phase III and the delegates for Phase II.

Programming and implementation of Phase I¹

Phase I consists of a survey team of two-three IHRM instructors who visit the host country for about five days. They make a personal assessment of the issues and concerns facing the country so that the Phase III seminar will be tailored to address those issues. Team members will meet with key individuals to gain a better understanding of the health resource issues facing the country. Typically time will be spent with key members of the public sector (federal, provincial and local government), and the private sector, to include buyers, users and providers of health care resources. The goal is to learn about the problems course members are facing so that discussions during Phase III are relevant and timely.

Costing and funding of Phase I¹

Upon initial programming, NETSAFA [Naval Education and Training Security Assistance Field Activity] estimates $18,500 as the cost for funding purposes. Once dates are confirmed and IHRM instructor is identified, a more accurate cost is determined. Costs estimation (for planning purposes only) includes:

1. Travel expenses for IHRM instructors. Travel expenses include estimated round-trip transportation, excess baggage if necessary, per diem as authorized by the U.S. JTR, and transportation expenses while in-country if necessary. The IHRM team will stay at a local, western-style hotel. If the IHRM has instructors in the general vicinity at another MET or conference, every attempt will be made to try to schedule all METs so that the participating country only pays part of the transportation costs.
2. Civilian salaries. If any or all of the instructors are civilian, the salary for the period of the Phase I will be included (equates to approximately $300 per day per person).
3. SAO expenses. SAO expenses may include interpreter fees or transportation costs that must be paid prior to the arrival of the team. It should be determined approximately two-three months prior to the Phase I date who will be responsible for expenses incurred for logistics support related items. In some cases the host country pays these expenses.

Source:

¹ United States, Defense Security Assistance Agency, Expanded IMET Handbook, (Washington: February 14, 1997) I-7, II-3, IV-A-29, IV-A-31, IV-A-40.