Improving the Deployment of Army Health Care Professionals: An Evaluation of PROFIS

The Army Medical Department's (AMEDD's) Professional Filler System (PROFIS) was developed in 1980 to support continuous overseas contingency operations while simultaneously balancing the Army's requirement to maintain a healthy force, deploy a medical force to support military operati...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sorbero, Melony E, Olmsted, Stuart S, Morganti, Kristy G, Burns, Rachel M, Haas, Ann C, Biever, Kimberlie
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
DEPLOYMENT
HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
MANPOWER UTILIZATION
MEDICAL PERSONNEL
MEDICAL SERVICES
Military Forces and Organizations
MILITARY PERSONNEL
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
Personnel Management and Labor Relations
PERSONNEL RETENTION
SKILLS
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Summary:The Army Medical Department's (AMEDD's) Professional Filler System (PROFIS) was developed in 1980 to support continuous overseas contingency operations while simultaneously balancing the Army's requirement to maintain a healthy force, deploy a medical force to support military operations, and manage/meet access-to-care demands for all military health system beneficiaries. PROFIS allows health care providers to practice in a military treatment facility (MTF) when not deployed, which contributes to the maintenance of their medical and technical skills. The PROFIS Deployment System (PDS), developed in 2005, is an internal management system that is used to battle roster deploying units with the correct PROFIS personnel so that the U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) can plan proactively for deployments. Recently, there have been concerns over how PROFIS affects the medical readiness and availability of providers for training with the unit preparing to deploy. This report describes the functionality of the Army's PROFIS in the current operating environment and assesses potential modifications or improvements to the system. Using a literature review, interviews, a survey, and administrative data, this research sought to identify and understand the effect of PROFIS, and deployments more broadly, on providers and other military personnel. The study also assessed modifications and alternatives to the current PROFIS that might address the identified issues. The contents of this report will be of interest to national policymakers, MEDCOM, health care providers, MTF commanders, health care provider organizations, and others who seek to optimize the deployment of medical personnel and to understand the effects of deployments on medical personnel skills and retention in the military.