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team members and how that knowledge can help solve specific is strengthened when services are delivered out of isolation.
problems. For both HPT practitioners and warfighters alike, As with any team, the whole should be greater than the sum
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it can be challenging to know where to send warfighters for of its parts. When HPTs adopt HPO principles internally, they
particular services, which are needed and required. Given the can have a stronger collective impact externally on those they
complexity involved with supporting performance across all serve. This process begins with reducing professional myopia
TFF domains simultaneously, developing transactive memory and adopting a clear view of the full spectrum of HPO oppor-
will enable more fluid and seamless coordination and facil- tunities so they can successfully intervene and support SOF
itate each contributing HPT member to be able to support warfighters. Teams function more effectively when they have
HPO goals to the best of their ability. Multidisciplinary teams a clearly established shared goal. Capability based blueprint-
must also overcome the “common knowledge effect” or the ing offers the opportunity for HPT to become more precise in
tendency of teams whose members possess diverse contribu- how they potentiate HPO concepts to meet specific career field
tions to primarily discuss common or shared knowledge over needs. The CBB process also informs HPT staffing needs and
unique knowledge. 11 the respective position descriptions that need to be developed
for hiring and recruitment purposes. Finally, members of com-
Multidisciplinary teaming depends on successful understand- plex teams can transcend knowledge boundaries and build a
ing of each individual professional’s expertise and individual robust ecosystem by developing a shared language, educating
contributions, and a more comprehensive view of how to others about their areas of expertise, and working seamlessly
leverage collective expertise to attain desired outcomes. For together to decisively locate and organize services for the War-
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HPTs to reach their full potential for impacting readiness, they fighter. As we endeavor to create new pathways for a mission
must also develop competencies that enable them to work ready force, we should not forget to optimize the performance
more effectively as part of the larger ecosystem constructed to of those who are responsible for driving forward this very im-
sustain their diverse talents and warfighting capabilities. HPTs portant priority.
are an important part of a network within this ecosystem and
must be able to work synergistically with constituents across Acknowledgments
the entire HPO spectrum in their efforts to successfully and The authors would like to thank Dr Daniel Clifton and Dr
sustainably support warfighters’ mission readiness. With the Rory McCarthy at the Consortium for Health and Military
variability within and across organizational environments, Performance for their contributions to the development of this
unit cultures, mission and task demands and the occupational manuscript.
risk exposures experienced by different career fields, embed-
ded health and performance personnel have the added chal- Disclaimer
lenge of learning about and navigating how to be a working The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the
part of an ecosystem surrounding the units in which they are author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or
embedded. Failure to do so successfully can be a significant position of the Uniformed Services University or the Depart-
barrier to service delivery. ment of Defense. The contents of this publication are the sole
responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect
Shifting from working within the traditional role of a medical the views, opinions or policies of The Henry M. Jackson Foun-
asset to the role of an HPT often requires adopting an alter- dation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Men-
native approach to service delivery. Embedding and embedded tion of trade names, commercial products, or organizations
work is a professional skill set in its own right and one that is does not imply endorsement by the US government.
absent from the preparation and training of many, if not most,
HPT professionals. This transition to working in a unit is fur- Disclosures
ther complicated by the need to learn the culture and mission The authors have no financial interests or relationships to
of the unit, define roles and responsibilities within the HPT disclose.
based on the needs and requirements of the unit, and negotiate
the multiple roles an embedded asset often must inhabit (e.g., References
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