1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,000 2 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:07,262 My name is Captain Andrea Aurelio and I 3 00:00:07,262 --> 00:00:09,373 am the medical planner for operations 4 00:00:09,373 --> 00:00:11,151 in the pacific island countries 5 00:00:11,151 --> 00:00:13,318 headquartered out of Honolulu hawaii . 6 00:00:13,318 --> 00:00:15,429 Um On the civilian side I work at the 7 00:00:15,429 --> 00:00:17,596 Guam Memorial Hospital as a laboratory 8 00:00:17,596 --> 00:00:19,596 medical technician . What initially 9 00:00:19,596 --> 00:00:21,596 brought me to palau was the request 10 00:00:21,596 --> 00:00:23,484 from the team palau . Oh I see to 11 00:00:23,484 --> 00:00:25,262 support the U . S . Embassy and 12 00:00:25,262 --> 00:00:27,373 Ministry of Health and Human Services 13 00:00:27,373 --> 00:00:29,596 known as H . H . S . They were formerly 14 00:00:29,596 --> 00:00:31,940 known as M . O . H . Um I supported 15 00:00:31,940 --> 00:00:33,940 them with the influx of D . O . D . 16 00:00:33,940 --> 00:00:35,940 Personnel who conducted missions in 17 00:00:35,940 --> 00:00:38,162 palau . The summer of 2021 . I reviewed 18 00:00:38,162 --> 00:00:39,884 and verified other covid entry 19 00:00:39,884 --> 00:00:41,996 requirements for over 800 D . O . D . 20 00:00:41,996 --> 00:00:43,996 Personnel in order for them to gain 21 00:00:43,996 --> 00:00:46,051 country clearance . I worked closely 22 00:00:46,051 --> 00:00:48,051 with the U . S . Embassy and ensure 23 00:00:48,051 --> 00:00:50,162 timely approval of country clearances 24 00:00:50,162 --> 00:00:51,996 and end up becoming the point of 25 00:00:51,996 --> 00:00:53,996 contact between D . O . D . And the 26 00:00:53,996 --> 00:00:56,107 Ministry of Health and human Services 27 00:00:56,107 --> 00:00:58,273 being the pOC allowed me to facilitate 28 00:00:58,273 --> 00:01:00,440 important meetings between M . H . H . 29 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:02,329 S . And organizations such as the 30 00:01:02,329 --> 00:01:04,320 Center for Excellence of Disaster 31 00:01:04,320 --> 00:01:06,870 management and humanitarian assistance . 32 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:09,047 And with that type of connection I was 33 00:01:09,047 --> 00:01:11,158 able to find opportunities for the 19 34 00:01:11,158 --> 00:01:13,213 84th Army Hospital to participate in 35 00:01:13,213 --> 00:01:15,436 the events and outreach activities that 36 00:01:15,436 --> 00:01:17,700 that organization has planned . MHS 37 00:01:17,700 --> 00:01:19,950 trusted our team to ensure protocols 38 00:01:19,950 --> 00:01:22,117 and policies were being followed prior 39 00:01:22,117 --> 00:01:24,600 to entry into palau and this task was 40 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:27,150 very important in order to keep allow 41 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:29,670 covid safe and covid free . I also 42 00:01:29,670 --> 00:01:31,337 conducted multiple key leader 43 00:01:31,337 --> 00:01:33,250 engagements with M . H . H . S . 44 00:01:33,250 --> 00:01:35,361 Directors and Chiefs of the different 45 00:01:35,361 --> 00:01:37,250 divisions such as the director of 46 00:01:37,250 --> 00:01:39,028 public health , the director of 47 00:01:39,028 --> 00:01:41,230 hospital and clinical services , chief 48 00:01:41,230 --> 00:01:43,286 of oral health , Chief of behavioral 49 00:01:43,286 --> 00:01:45,286 health and the communicable disease 50 00:01:45,286 --> 00:01:47,397 program manager whom I worked closely 51 00:01:47,397 --> 00:01:49,563 with throughout my rotation in palau . 52 00:01:49,563 --> 00:01:51,563 The ninth Mission Support Command , 53 00:01:51,563 --> 00:01:53,563 medical provider and former brigade 54 00:01:53,563 --> 00:01:55,674 commander of the 19 84th U . S . Army 55 00:01:55,674 --> 00:01:57,897 Hospital was able to join me in some of 56 00:01:57,897 --> 00:01:59,841 these civil engagements as well as 57 00:01:59,841 --> 00:02:01,897 toward the below national hospital . 58 00:02:01,897 --> 00:02:03,952 With that , we were able to identify 59 00:02:03,952 --> 00:02:06,174 gaps and opportunities that allowed for 60 00:02:06,174 --> 00:02:08,230 us to plan future medical rotational 61 00:02:08,230 --> 00:02:10,230 engagements in order to support the 62 00:02:10,230 --> 00:02:12,119 medical community and service the 63 00:02:12,119 --> 00:02:14,341 general public . The president of palau 64 00:02:14,341 --> 00:02:16,230 has also made requests to provide 65 00:02:16,230 --> 00:02:18,341 specific medical specialties in order 66 00:02:18,341 --> 00:02:20,563 to build Capacity here in Palau . Right 67 00:02:20,563 --> 00:02:22,563 now we are in the planning phase in 68 00:02:22,563 --> 00:02:24,786 regards to medical rotation engagements 69 00:02:24,786 --> 00:02:26,897 and I believe bringing in our medical 70 00:02:26,897 --> 00:02:29,008 and dental professionals from the 9th 71 00:02:29,008 --> 00:02:31,230 mission support command will definitely 72 00:02:31,230 --> 00:02:33,452 benefit the people of palau by covering 73 00:02:33,452 --> 00:02:32,740 the specialties that are currently 74 00:02:32,740 --> 00:02:35,550 absent or short on this island . There 75 00:02:35,550 --> 00:02:37,717 were definitely a lot of opportunities 76 00:02:37,717 --> 00:02:39,606 that I have identified for future 77 00:02:39,606 --> 00:02:41,850 operations here in palau . First off 78 00:02:41,860 --> 00:02:44,138 would be the communicable disease unit . 79 00:02:44,138 --> 00:02:46,360 They requested support to develop their 80 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:48,193 program and assist with outreach 81 00:02:48,193 --> 00:02:50,082 activities . The division of oral 82 00:02:50,082 --> 00:02:52,027 health requested support for their 83 00:02:52,027 --> 00:02:54,082 mobile dental school clinic which is 84 00:02:54,082 --> 00:02:55,971 held all year round at elementary 85 00:02:55,971 --> 00:02:58,082 schools and I was able to conduct the 86 00:02:58,082 --> 00:03:00,082 site visit at the Corona elementary 87 00:03:00,082 --> 00:03:01,693 School which has the largest 88 00:03:01,693 --> 00:03:03,693 enrollments on island . They have a 89 00:03:03,693 --> 00:03:05,693 shortage of dentists and hygienists 90 00:03:05,693 --> 00:03:07,749 which the 94th U . S . Army hospital 91 00:03:07,749 --> 00:03:09,360 can provide . Lastly another 92 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:11,471 opportunity that I have identified is 93 00:03:11,471 --> 00:03:13,360 within the division of behavioral 94 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:15,582 health . They discussed the support for 95 00:03:15,582 --> 00:03:17,804 first responders in regards to covid 19 96 00:03:17,804 --> 00:03:20,027 pandemic which created long term stress 97 00:03:20,027 --> 00:03:22,027 for the first responders and a high 98 00:03:22,027 --> 00:03:24,030 burn out rate . The C . D . Program 99 00:03:24,030 --> 00:03:26,252 manager , Connie ali Khan is one of the 100 00:03:26,252 --> 00:03:28,419 palauan people that are of significant 101 00:03:28,419 --> 00:03:30,474 importance because she was the first 102 00:03:30,474 --> 00:03:33,270 person that I met who was part of HHS . 103 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:35,610 And she actually connected me with the 104 00:03:35,610 --> 00:03:37,499 other directors and chiefs of the 105 00:03:37,499 --> 00:03:40,000 different divisions at MHS . I worked 106 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:41,833 closely with her to plan medical 107 00:03:41,833 --> 00:03:44,000 rotational engagements to help develop 108 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:45,960 the CTU program as well as well as 109 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,071 outreach activities for the public of 110 00:03:48,071 --> 00:03:50,540 palau . I was also able to participate 111 00:03:50,540 --> 00:03:52,980 and assist in her in the free health 112 00:03:52,980 --> 00:03:55,640 clinics in coordination with the Civic 113 00:03:55,650 --> 00:03:58,370 action team provider . I worked closely 114 00:03:58,370 --> 00:04:00,620 with Connie and her team on the covid 115 00:04:00,620 --> 00:04:03,210 19 surveillance and mandatory testing 116 00:04:03,220 --> 00:04:06,000 for inbound D . O . D . Personnel which 117 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,167 helped streamline the process . I feel 118 00:04:08,167 --> 00:04:10,167 very fortunate to have been able to 119 00:04:10,167 --> 00:04:13,140 come to palau and assist HHS and plan 120 00:04:13,140 --> 00:04:15,362 the future medical rotation engagements 121 00:04:15,362 --> 00:04:17,251 and dental engagements . I'm very 122 00:04:17,251 --> 00:04:19,830 excited and so as M . HHS to conduct 123 00:04:19,830 --> 00:04:21,774 these future engagements and build 124 00:04:21,774 --> 00:04:23,774 lasting relationships here in palau 125 00:04:23,774 --> 00:04:25,997 multiple people have told me that bring 126 00:04:25,997 --> 00:04:28,108 it in . Other people who are not from 127 00:04:28,108 --> 00:04:29,997 here would have a great impact on 128 00:04:29,997 --> 00:04:31,830 locals , hopefully in regards to 129 00:04:31,830 --> 00:04:33,830 medical and dental , and they would 130 00:04:33,830 --> 00:04:35,886 take into account what we teach them 131 00:04:35,886 --> 00:04:38,108 and all of our subject matter expertise 132 00:04:38,108 --> 00:04:38,550 exchanges .