WASHINGTON -  Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), joined by Representatives Kathy Castor (D-FL.), Gene Green (D-TX) and Richard Hudson (R-NC) today introduced the MISSION ZERO Act, to assist assigning Department of Defense (DoD) trauma surgeons to civilian trauma centers filling a gap in care recently examined by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. This legislation will address variations in care methods that exist, while also providing military surgeons with additional training. U.S. Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL), John Cornyn (R-TX) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) are original cosponsors of the legislation have introduced companion legislation in the Senate. 

 “Our military has made incredible strides in delivering trauma care, saving countless lives that would have otherwise been lost,” said Rep. Burgess, M.D. “This expertise should be brought home to our civilian trauma centers and systems, American lives shouldn’t depend on where one is injured. The MISSION Zero Act would establish a grant program to foster partnership between our military and civilian trauma providers to benefit all Americans. I am proud to be part of this important bipartisan, bicameral legislation to strengthen our nation’s trauma care and save more lives on and off the battlefield.”

Currently, trauma care in the United States is a patchwork of regional systems and incomplete data registries. Mortality and disability in traumatic injury can be greatly reduced through integrated, permanent joint civilian and military trauma system training platforms, in order to create and sustain an expert trauma workforce between periods of active combat.  

The MISSION ZERO Act is endorsed by the American Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Trauma Care Association of America, American College of Emergency Physicians and American College of Surgeons. 

This bill would address this problem by creating two grant programs totaling $40 million: 

• The Military Trauma Team Placement Program will allow the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to as many as 20 high acuity trauma centers to enable military trauma teams to provide full-time trauma care. Recipients of these grants must allow providers of military trauma care to be deployed by DoD for military operations, training, or in response to a mass casualty incident.

• The second program, the Military Trauma Care Provider Placement Program, will allow ASPR in consultation with DoD, to award grants to trauma centers so they can train and incorporate military trauma care providers into the centers. Recipients of grants under this program must also allow providers to be deployed by DoD for military operations, training, or in response to a mass casualty incident.

“This bill is common sense. By keeping our military personnel active and in training, we ensure military readiness while helping areas throughout the state that need it most, whether it is assisting Chicago area trauma centers during high crime peaks, or in rural areas where access to trauma response is limited. Partnerships between our civilian and military health networks should be generated to improve our trauma response network to improve health outcomes,” said Senator Kirk. 

“In recent years, the unprecedented challenges military doctors have faced on the battlefield in places like Iraq and Afghanistan have led to impressive trauma care developments that can and should benefit all Americans who might face such injuries,” Senator Cornyn said. “I’m thankful for the work of Senator Kirk to make sure our military doctors have a place to continue their important work, keep their skills in trauma care finely honed, and lend their expertise to civilian hospitals at home.”

“Our service men and women bring unique and valuable skills and training to the medical field, whether it’s operating in high-pressure situations or having a can-do attitude that comes with serving in uniform,” said Senator Isakson, chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. “In addition, acute care at trauma centers nationwide will greatly benefit from increased access to highly qualified medical professionals. Integrating our nation’s best trauma centers with military trauma providers will ultimately have the greatest benefit to the American people?”

“This grant program will support the development of a national trauma care system that allows for the continuous and seamless exchange of knowledge across the military and civilian health care sectors,” said Rep. Green. “This would better provide optimal delivery of trauma care to save the lives of Americans injured within the United States or on the battlefield. As we grapple with how to best support our men and women in uniform and respond to tragedies at home, we must make certain that our trauma systems and centers are best prepared to save lives.”

“As a Representative of North Carolina – home of the epicenter of the universe, Fort Bragg – I understand how critical it is for our military trauma teams to maintain their unique medical skills off the battlefield,” said Rep. Hudson. “That’s why I’m proud to join my colleagues to introduce this bipartisan bill that will place military trauma teams into high acuity civilian trauma centers, empowering them to hone their expertise and enhancing our civilian trauma centers across the country.”

“We need to build on the unique partnership between Tampa General Hospital and military medical professionals from MacDill Air Force Base. MacDill is home to the 6th Air Medical Group that serves the Sixth Air Mobility Wing, U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command,” said Rep. Castor. “In 2011, the MacDill Air Medical Group and Tampa General Hospital launched a ‘full team’ training initiative with nurses, surgeons and specialists.  The initiative allows military and civilian medical teams to hone their skills in intense trauma environments and thereby keep them sharp to care for our warfighters. These partnerships are going to be vital for continued training for our community and our military. It should be replicated in other trauma centers across the U.S.”

"We applaud Dr. Burgess, Reps. Green, Hudson and Castor and Senators Kirk, Cornyn and Isakson for introducing legislation highlighting the critical issue of improving our trauma care system. Increasing military civilian partnerships is a critical step forward toward achieving the goal of zero preventable traumatic injury deaths both domestically and abroad,” said David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, Executive Director American College of Surgeons.

"The American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons are pleased to endorse the MISSION Zero Act,” said Shelly D. Timmons, MD, PhD, a practicing neurosurgeon at Penn State Hershey specializing in trauma. “This legislation would provide  an outstanding opportunity for our nation's trauma centers and military to collaborate for the benefit of our servicemen and women, and to augment the capabilities of trauma centers around the country."

Read the full bill text here.