Session Organizer: Mithun Suresh, University of Minnesota, CentraCare, and M Health Fairview
Our next military conflict will require novel solutions to treat injured soldiers. Accordingly, this session will explore the latest advancements and persistent challenges in combat medicine, focusing on technology and medical devices gaps on the battlefield. Former military surgeons and subject matter experts will present on the following topics, along with opportunities for innovation: hemorrhage, vascular injury, and musculoskeletal trauma.
Traumatic Hemorrhage on the Battlefield: Medical device needs and technology gaps
Dr. Greg Beilman
University of Minnesota
Abstract: Uncontrolled hemorrhage is the leading cause of preventable death in the combat theater. This presentation will examine the current state of battlefield hemorrhage control, including diagnostic tools, pharmacological adjuncts, and the potential application of novel solutions such as telemedicine.
Bio: A general surgeon and ICU physician, Greg Beilman currently serves as the Associate Dean for DoD Research and Partnerships for the University of Minnesota Medical School and is Owen Wangensteen Research Chair and Professor of Surgery at the University of Minnesota. As a surgeon, Greg has a career-spanning interest in the surgical management of acute and chronic pancreatitis. Greg is a retired Colonel in the Army Reserves and has deployed five times. Greg has an active translational research program funded by the Department of Defense, the NIH, and industry. Greg has significant experience in Global Health efforts, with his experience in the Army, a decade of patient care and research efforts in Uganda, and recent efforts in Ukraine.
Vascular Injury and Shock in the Combat Theater: Opportunities for innovation and the need for agile, “off-the-shelf” solutions
Dr. Todd Rasmussen
Mayo Clinic
Absract: Vascular injury and shock is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality on the battlefield. This presentation will focus on the challenges of managing vascular trauma in the combat theater, highlighting current solutions and opportunities for innovation, with a focus on rapidly deployable and “off-the-shelf” technologies and strategies.
Bio: Todd E. Rasmussen, MD is Professor in the Department of Surgery at Mayo Clinic and a Consultant in the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. Dr. Rasmussen is Director of the Gonda Vascular Center. Dr. Rasmussen earned his medical degree from Mayo Medical School in 1993 and completed surgical residency at Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. He returned to the Mayo Clinic where he completed vascular surgery fellowship in 2001.
Dr. Rasmussen joined the Mayo practice in 2021 after a twenty-year career as an Air Force surgeon during which he completed deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other parts of the world, and led research programs for the Department of Defense. Dr. Rasmussen’s research and innovation have resulted in more than three hundred publications, an h-index of more than sixty and more than twenty thousand citations. He has patents in REBOA and vascular shunt technologies and has collaborated with industry and the FDA to study a new blood vessel technology grown from human cells. Among several military awards, Dr. Rasmussen was presented the Defense Superior Service Medal upon retirement at the rank of Colonel in 2021.
Medical Device Needs and Technology Gaps for Treating Musculoskeletal Trauma in Prolonged Field Care Settings
Dr. Patrick Osborn
CentraCare
Abstract: Musculoskeletal trauma is a significant concern in combat theaters, impacting both immediate operational effectiveness and long-term health outcomes for service members. This presentation will review the unique challenges related to musculoskeletal trauma, focusing on technology and device needs that can help with managing these injuries on the battlefield where resources, personnel, and evacuation capabilities are limited.
Bio: Dr. Patrick Osborn is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in orthopedic trauma and foot and ankle surgery. He is the Physician Section Director for the CentraCare/University of Minnesota Physicians Orthopedic Surgery Department in St. Cloud, MN. As a member of the United States Air Force, he attended medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston/McGovern Medical School. Additionally, he completed his residency in Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Colorado in Denver, CO. He completed his fellowship in Foot and Ankle Surgery at OrthoCarolina Foot and Ankle Institute in Charlotte, NC, as well as a fellowship in Orthopedic Trauma at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC.
Outside of work, Dr. Osborn enjoys golfing, music, playing the drums and writing. He spent more than 20 years in the US Air Force as an orthopedic surgeon and pilot. While in the Air Force, his previous roles included Program Director for the orthopedic surgery residency program at the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium, the largest orthopedic surgery program in the DoD, and Deputy Commander for Surgical Services at Brooke Army Medical Center, where he was the Surgeon-in-Chief for the DoD’s largest healthcare system and only Level 1 Trauma Center. His research interests and areas of expertise include orthopedic trauma, foot and ankle injuries, acute compartment syndrome, and sustainment of orthopedic trauma and wartime skills.
Session Organizer
Mithun Suresh
University of Minnesota, Physician, CentraCare and M Health Fairview
Dr. Mithun Suresh is a hospital medicine physician with CentraCare, medical interests include critical care and resuscitation. He has worked on projects and published manuscripts on burn care, hemorrhagic shock, and other topics related to critical illness and injury.