# UMS / UMT - circa 2013



## srvn2sv (15 Apr 2013)

Hi Folks,

Although this may have been discussed in other threads I can't (even with the search option) find anything that is current.

My understanding is that the Unit Medical Sections or Teams were brought under a more general umbrella at the start of the Afghanistan war, but now that operations are changing there might be the return of Med Techs to front-line units (ie:  RCR, PPCLI, R22R) to manage medical needs on an on-going more personal basis.

Is this correct and how would it be employed?  

I am interested in becoming a Med Tech and am hopefully coming in to the Forces soon bringing my 18 years of paramedic background (having worked full time in the GTA), and would like to initially pursue field operations to better acquaint myself with that aspect of the trade.

Thank you for any input you can offer.

srvn2sv


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## Armymedic (15 Apr 2013)

srvn2sv said:
			
		

> My understanding is that the Unit Medical Sections or Teams were brought under a more general umbrella at the start of the Afghanistan war, but now that operations are changing there might be the return of Med Techs to front-line units (ie:  RCR, PPCLI, R22R) to manage medical needs on an on-going more personal basis.
> 
> Is this correct and how would it be employed?



Medical resources were consolidated before the CF entered Afghanistan, Apr 2002 IRC. The purpose of this move is above my pay-grade, and reasons for it are still beyond my comprehension. But the spin-offs of this move was to consolidate manpower at the level where CF health care actually takes place, in garrison by clinicians. This is where previously having a single MO and or PA in a unit did not make sense because of taskings, courses and deployments which would take that person away from their unit, requiring someone to back fill from elsewhere.

That being said, there still is shortages in manpower at the NCO level (Med Techs and PAs). Also, not every Med Tech is capable to support dismounted infantry, and the best of those who can are being scooped up by CSOR and the other CANSOF units. For this reason, I don't see the current system changing soon.


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## Cansky (15 Apr 2013)

RP is pretty much bang on.  When the Surgeon General was here in Sept 12 (Edmonton) that exact question was posed to him.  He made it very clear that in no way was the old UMS system coming back to the army.  There are many within Health Services and the army that liked the old way but most of us don't have the influence to get this to change.  The UMT concept is suppose to remain however it has it problems mostly with manpower.  I can't speak to 2 FD Amb or 5 Fd Amb but here in Edmonton at 1 Fd Amb we have had 35 releases this year alone and are falling below 50% manning. All the while have to man a taskforce to Afghanistan and the mysterious TF that is going no where.  This makes the UMT concept here in Edmonton very difficult to establish.


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## CombatDoc (16 Apr 2013)

srvn2sv said:
			
		

> My understanding is that the Unit Medical Sections or Teams were brought under a more general umbrella at the start of the Afghanistan war, but now that operations are changing there might be the return of Med Techs to front-line units (ie:  RCR, PPCLI, R22R) to manage medical needs on an on-going more personal basis.


As RP and KL have noted, UMS' were removed from unit lines and unit CoC, and the medical personnel centralized at the Base Clinic Care Delivery Units (& Fd Amds where applicable).  Additionally, all medical pers were brought under Health Svcs command i.e. vertical integration.  Without vertical integration we would not have been able to sustain 10 years of operations in Afghanistan.

The Unit Medical Team (UMT) concept is designed to affiliate 1 x Medical Officer, 1 x Physician Assistant and approx 3 x Med Techs (e.g. one Med Tech per Company) with a "front-line" unit.  The UMT members spend 1-2 half days per week with their affiliated unit - O group, unit sports, discussion with CO/Adjt, etc.  The remainder of their time should be spent taking care of unit members at the CDU, in addition to the usual taskings, courses, etc.  Also, when the unit deploys to the field on exercise, the UMT should deploy as their UMS med support.  It is important to note that no, I say again no, health care occurs in unit lines - it all occurs at the Clinic/CDU.  There is no ambition to put UMS' back in unit lines, nor is there any intent to change the current command structure.

Adequate horsepower remains a challenge, particularly with the multitude of taskings/exes/courses/MATA PATA/BOIs etc.


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## Mountie (15 Nov 2015)

How does a MO, a PA and 3 CMT's provide a deployed UMS?  I'm assuming you don't mean on combat operations?


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## CombatDoc (15 Nov 2015)

A UMT serves as the core element to provide Role 1 med support, augmented by another half dozen Med Techs or so. This is a model primarily for Dom ops and exercises. On deployed ops, we tend to form composite medical units in the same way the combat arms forms composite units with infantry, armoured, engineers, etc.


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