1. The military medical community
within NATO and
its multinational challenges
Col Wynand Korterink (NLD-A) COMEDS Liaison Officer
NATO HQ, Brussels, Belgium
+32-2-707 9862 korterink.wynand@hq.nato.int
Committee of the Chiefs of
Military Medical Services in NATO

2. UNCLASSIFIED

3. UNCLASSIFIED
What is NATO
What is COMEDS
What are the challenges

4. The global village

5. Unclassified

7. UNCLASSIFIED

8. What is NATO
NATO EAPC/UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
Civil
Emergency
Planning
Military Committee
Research and
Technology
Agency
ACT
COMEDS
IMSACO
HFM
NAC
Reserve officersCIOMR
Public health
NATO
Standardisation
Agency
med medmed

9. Medical
Standardization
Medical
Standardization
Expert
Panels
COMEDS Organization 01-01- 2010
BIOMEDAC
MedN
DS
FWSVS
MMHMedCISEM
MT MMMP SGPME
Medical
CBRN
Medical
CBRN
Structures
Operations
Procedures
Structures
Operations
Procedures
Mil. Health
Care
Mil. Health
Care
COMEDS
MILITARY COMMITTEE
Working
Groups
Military Medical Steering Group
Force Health
Protection
Force Health
Protection
MedInt

10. NATO EAPC/UNCLASSIFIED
http://nsa.nato.inthttp://nsa.nato.int

11. NATO EAPC/UNCLASSIFIED

12. 12
NATO Operations Overview
NATO Support to the
African Union
ISAF
Support to
EU
Op Althea
KFOR
Balkans
Defense
Reform
Operation
ACTIVE
ENDEAVOR
Air Policing
NATO
Training
Mission -
Iraq
Operation
OCEAN SHIELD
Operational overview

13. 13
Chinese ship Peace of Arc (?)Chinese hospital ship Peace Arc

14. UNCLASSIFIED
CHALLENGES -1
• Compatibility of equipment
• Interoperability of medical support structures
(material as well as medical personnel)
• Acceptability of procedures and quality and
standards of medical care available,
• Credentialing and certification
• Doctrine
• Communication (language, culture)
• Information exchange
• Medical Intelligence

15. Info Exchange Issues
• Security
– Current NATO standards
– Network Enabled Capabilities will influence future
requirements
• Confidentiality of patient info
– Differing national standards
• De-identification of data
– Track med info using minimal personal info
– Reporting by one nation, retrieving by another
UNCLASSIFIED

16. UNCLASSIFIED
CHALLENGES -2
• Increasing effectiveness: integration of medical assets
• Optimisation of the use of medical resources
through coordination, combined purchasing
• Mitigation of Medical Shortfalls
• Shift from whole national treatment facilities to combined
capabilities in a Multinational treatment facility,
and capabilities based modular approach

17. UNCLASSIFIED
CHALLENGES -3
• Recruitment and retention of medical personnel

18. Medical Multinationality and
Interaction with Ios and NGOs
•
UNCLASSIFIED

19. Col Wynand Korterink COMEDS Liaison Officer
NATO HQ, Brussels, Belgium
+32-2-707 9862 korterink.wynand@hq.nato.int
Committee of the Chiefs of
Military Medical Services in NATO