Reserve Component Study
A significant portion of the U.S. military’s medical capability resides within the Reserve Components-the Reserves and National Guard. To care for the surge of combat casualties, a large-scale combat operations scenario will likely require the activation and deployment of healthcare Reservists and National Guardsmen who often serve as healthcare professionals in the domestic civilian healthcare sector. The number of Reserve Components medical personnel working in the civilian healthcare sector is largely unknown, but it is essential that we understand how mass mobilization of reserve forces would degrade civilian healthcare capability and capacity during a large-scale combat operation.
To understand the medical staffing implications of a large-scale combat operation or other medical surge event, NCDMPH is characterizing the civilian employment of Reserve Components medical and medical support personnel, using both medical licensure data and surveys of Reserve Components service members. This study will assess: (1) key trends in the non-military employment of Reserve Components medical personnel; and (2) the likelihood and factors associated with medical employment both inside and outside the military. The results of this study will support planning, policy, and optimization of Reserve Component deployments for medical and medical support personnel and decrease the risk of “double counting” healthcare personnel that are necessary to save lives.