Medical Schools Unite to Improve Wellness of the Nation’s Veterans, Service Members,

and Their Families

AAMC Announces Collaboration with Joining Forces Initiative

Richmond, Va., January 11, 2012—More than 100 medical schools from around the country announced today a new commitment to enhancing the wellness of America’s veterans, service members, and their families through the Joining Forces initiative.  Joining Forces is a national initiative that mobilizes all segments of society to give service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned.

“Because of our integrated missions in education, clinical care, and research, America’s medical schools are uniquely positioned to take a leadership role in this important effort,” said Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., president and CEO of the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges).

“Medical schools have long recognized the sacrifice and commitment of our military, veterans, and their families.  The relationship between the Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers and academic medicine dates back to the end of World War II and serves as a model for successful partnerships between public and private institutions.  Our work with the White House on Joining Forces is a natural extension of our efforts in this area and renews our commitment to the wellness of our nation’s military.”

“I’m inspired to see our nation’s medical schools step up to address this pressing need for our veterans and military families.  By directing some of our brightest minds, our most cutting-edge research, and our finest teaching institutions toward our military families, they’re ensuring that those who have served our country receive the first-rate care that they have earned,” said First Lady Michelle Obama.

AAMC institutions currently participating in Joining Forces represent 42 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, and nearly 79 percent of all U.S. medical students.  These medical schools have committed to enhancing medical education to ensure that all physicians are trained in the unique clinical challenges of caring for military service members, veterans, and their families.

In addition, institutions will share the most up-to-date diagnostic and therapeutic information on traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder as well as expand the body of knowledge leading to improvements in health care and wellness for this important group.  Finally, these institutions will join with others to strengthen the supportive community of physicians and health care professionals dedicated to improving the health of the military.

 More information and list of participating institutions is available at www.aamc.org/joiningforces. 

 About the photo on the home page: Dr. Kevin Raville, a member of the College of Medicine's inaugural class (the Class of 2005), was a Master Sgt. with the United States Air Force during his time as a medical student. He was called to active duty in the Persian Gulf during the Iraq war in 2003, just as he was about to begin his third-year rotations. Raville served with the 332nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron and parachuted from 13,000 feet into a landing zone near Baghdad on the night of July 10, 2003 as part of a rescue operation for soldiers on the ground. Raville returned to school after missing his first two clinical rotations as a student at the Orlando Regional Campus. He made up the missed rotations during his fourth year and graduated with his class in May 2005. He currently is an emergency physician in Rochester, N.Y.