The Epidaurus Project: Holism in Department of Defense Health Facilities

Abstract

The Epidaurus Project, an advanced initiative in holistic (or whole-person) medicine, has operated in the Military Health System (MHS) since 2001. Its purpose has been to engage prominent civilian authorities on evidence-based building design, family-centered approaches, interdisciplinary care integration, and wellness, to optimize outcomes in the MHS. Over the past decade, many of the Epidaurus idea sets have been incorporated into MHS facility designs and therapeutic programs. The MHS owes a debt of gratitude to the numerous civilian thought leaders who participated in this project.

Holistic Care in the Us Military I—-The Epidaurus Project: An Initiative in Holistic Medicine for the Military Health System, 2001—2012

“…The Epidaurus Project was initiated in 2001 by Dr Fred Foote (primary author of this article, at the time a commander in the Navy Medical Corps) as an effort to advance holistic care in the MHS via the built environment. 13 The goal was to obtain, via small group symposia of national experts, the answer to 2 questions: (1) What principles define patient-centered care? and (2) What features of the built environment embody or facilitate patient-centered care?…”

“…Diet, exercise, spirituality, family engagement, and other aspects of wellness should be included in plans of care. 13 , 16…”

“…These consensus statements were supplied to the office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (ASD/HA), the director of the MHS. 13 The Epidaurus care principles were ultimately adopted as guidelines for the MHS, 13 , 19 and the architecture report was used in the generation of formal EBD guidelines for MHS health facilities. 13 , 19 – 21…”

“…22 The conference also showcased the possibility of uniting Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), Washington, DC, with NNMC, USUHS, and the NIH, into a model National Medical Center, based on advanced care and design. 13 , 22 , 23 In this early conception, the 3 main facilities were to be linked with a monorail. Subsequent USUHS conferences in 2006 and 2009 provided further support for this agenda.…”

Endovascular Electrodes for Electrical Stimulation of Blood Vessels for Vasoconstriction – a Finite Element Simulation Study

“…Hemorrhagic shock is a leading cause of trauma mortality accounting for 30–40 percent of cases due to the challenges of controlling bleeding in hard to reach vessels 1 2 . Uncontrolled bleeding also accounts for over 80 percent of deaths 2 in the battlefield and is the most common preventable cause of death in the combat arena. The use of tourniquets has dramatically decreased the mortality rate in cases of major limb trauma 3 .…”