NMMAST Provides Strategic Guidance for Navy Medical Simulation

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO – FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (Dec. 28, 2021) – The Navy Medical Modeling and Simulation Training (NMMAST) program is on the leading edge of providing world-class medical training to Navy medicine by providing strategic guidance given by the Navy Surgeon General on the use of medical simulation training.

The NMMAST program provides centralization and standardization of simulation center operations, training and acquisition of more than $9.4 million in equipment used to support research and naval medical assets in 31 locations worldwide.

One of the locations that recently benefitted from NMMAST technical training support was the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Healthcare Simulation and Bio-skills Training Center (HSBTC), which was recently granted reaccreditation in the areas of core and research by the
Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH), and received a Defense Health Agency (DHA) award for combat trauma care.

“What was great about preparing for this, we were able to look at our own policies, procedures, standard operating procedures, mission and vision and found them to reflect the values of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare,” said Cmdr. Chris Smith, HSBTC acting director. “It really
showed the preparedness of the team, and you could tell everybody was ready and that they really wanted to shine.”

The reaccreditation success of HSBTC is significant in showing the coordination of simulation training throughout all of the Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Commands (NMRTCs) simulation sites located globally, along with training centers operated under the Navy Medical
Operational Training Command (NMOTC).

“NMMAST strives to develop a comprehensive Medical Modeling & Simulation Program of Record supporting a standardized, requirements-driven, adequately resourced medical simulation infrastructure throughout Navy Medicine.” Lt. Cmdr. Jason Caldwell, NMMAST director.

The vision of NMMAST is to pursue high reliability by maturing the medical simulation infrastructure throughout One Navy medicine through centralized management, standardization, coordination, and strategic partnerships.

“We are continuously working to produce and upgrade Navy Medicine’s most important asset – our people – through leadership, operational, professional, and occupational education and innovative training solutions, throughout the tenure of their Naval service,” said Lt. Richard
“Cayce” Stepp, NMMAST deputy director.

Critical wartime medical specialists must possess a complex and perishable set of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) and due to insufficient case load rapid skill degradation occurs in those high risk, low volume procedures. Simulation or Live, Virtual, Constructive training has
been identified as the primary solution to fill those gaps and sustain KSAs.

The NMMAST program keeps Navy medical professionals up-to-speed on these crucial expeditionary medical skills to ensure a ready medical force.

“We are working toward several goals at the moment that all lead to providing the best trained medical professionals to care for our warfighters and their families at local Medical Treatment Facilities, aboard ships and in combat areas,” said Lt. Cmdr. Mary Anderson, NNMAST Medical officer. “We capture the true measures of effectiveness and measures of performance to give the best possible medical care whether in a hospital, clinic, or in the field.”