Page 154 - 2020 JSOM Winter

Facing Disaster After Disaster, the
DR MICHAEL A. DUBICK
Andrew P. Cap, MS, MD, PhD, FACP, Colonel,
Medical Corps, US Army, provides the following: ing their purchasing function. McGovern discusses, 12 years
I am sad to report on the pass-
ing, Friday, November 13, 2020,
of our colleague and friend, Dr
Michael A. Dubick, PhD, of the
U.S. Army Institute of Surgical
Research (ISR). Dr Dubick de-
voted his life’s work to the care of combat
wounded. He served at the Letterman Army
Institute of Research in San Francisco from
1988 to 1993, and then moved to the ISR in
San Antonio, where he led combat casualty
care research programs for 27 years. In his 32
years of service as a US Army civilian scientist,
he published over 300 papers and contrib-
uted significantly to the revolution in trauma
care spearheaded by the US military over the
last two decades. He was a contributor to the
development of Combat Gauze, the CAT tour-
niquet, the SAM junctional tourniquet, the
concept of damage control resuscitation, and
the reintroduction of whole blood to trauma
care, among many other efforts. He was truly a
giant in the field of military medicine.
While his achievements are unquestionably
important, those whose lives he touched will
remember him as a kind, thoughtful, and hum-
ble person. He was always approachable and
made time to listen. He was a devoted mentor
and helpful collaborator. He had a great sense
of humor and was a fun travel companion.
He contributed significantly to several scien- “significant restriction of the visual field can pose a major
tific associations including the Shock Society,
SCCM, and THOR. We will all miss him.
A remembrance ceremony was streamed on Face-
book and Zoom beginning at 10:00 CST on Friday,
November 20, 2020; Facebook page: https://www
.facebook.com/USAISR/
Dr Dubick was coauthor of 36 articles in the JSOM,
and we appreciate his contributions greatly.
152
American Red Cross CEO Stays Optimistic
Coming from AT&T, Fidelity, and the Harvard Business
School, in her first year as CEO of the American Red Cross,
Gail McGovern was able to save $50 million by consolidat-
later, how her background helped her to be successful, how the
pandemic has affected their work, and the effects of climate
change. “I really believe when we’re all set free from captivity,
we are going to be so happy and kind to each other,” says
McGovern. Please read the complete interview at https://www
.nytimes.com/2020/10/10/business/gail-mcgovern-red-cross
-corner-office.html
COVID-19 Isolation Threatens Measles
and Polio Resurgence
According to UNICEF and the WHO, immunization rates in
some countries have fallen by as much as 50%, with people
unable to access health services because of lockdown and
transport disruptions or unwillingness due to fear of contract-
ing COVID-19. A next-generation novel oral polio vaccine
and a forthcoming Measles Outbreak Strategic Response
Plan are expected to be deployed over the coming months to
help tackle these growing threats. See https://news.un.org/en
/story/2020/11/1077012
Prevention of Ocular Injuries in Servicemembers
The prevention of ocular injuries is discussed in two recent
articles: “Ocular Injuries Incurred by Israeli Defense Forces
During Low-Intensity Conflicts,” by D Prat et al. [Injury. 2020
Sep 18:S0020-1383(20)30775-0], concludes that in Israeli De-
fense Forces (IDF) soldiers during low-intensity conflicts from
1998 to 2017, “ocular injuries are common occurrences in
low-intensity conflicts. The use of protective eyewear signifi-
cantly reduces these injuries and should be mandatory.”
In “Ballistic Eye Protection: Why Are Soldiers Reluctant
to Use Them?” by O. Weinstein [Mil Med. 2019 Mar 1;184
(3-4):e211-e216], also conducted in the IDF, the authors state
that the IDF “faces major challenges in balancing the need to
protect soldiers from harm while not impeding their ability to
fight. Eye protections available in the IDF are underused, for
reasons that are as yet unclear.” The authors conclude that
challenge for soldiers on the battlefield. The use of eye pro-
tection with wider lenses or no frame should be considered.”
Army Medicine News, 27 October 2020
DOD Hit by Third Wave of COVID-19 Cases, with Only
Navy Flattening Curve
(Washingtonexaminer.com, 26 October)
Coronavirus cases in the military doubled the week ending
Oct. 23 over the prior week, and four more deaths have oc-
curred as of Monday, according to Pentagon statistics and
analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Nose Dive, by Harold McGee (ISBN 9781594203954)
Harold McGee is a James Beard Award–winning author and
leading expert on the science of food and cooking. In Nose