Who we are
Initiating Health Equity….
in the most austere environments in the world
Austere Medical Initiative was founded in 2017 and is focused upon providing medical training, supplies, and development support to international communities that are underserved and impacted by environmental change and conflict. Our initial missions focused upon the Kurdistan region. Currently we are working on projects in the Balkans, Middle East and Continental United States.
AMI actively seeks the austere settings where public health is most challenged by low resources and minimal support. Our interest is finding novel modalities to produce success where high resource allocation has been shown to be of low benefit or deemed not possible.
For more information, please contact us through our form below.
Training in Austere Settings
Train the trainer is not enough. AMI works to leverage cultural advantages in austere settings to produce novel organizations that have a higher resilience than simply porting western operations to .
Operational Analysis
Low resource care requires adaptive organizational change. AMI seeks to reduce overhead in emergent crises through complex systems analysis and human network mapping. We focus on the power of dynamically organized mutual aid integrated networks and how accessing these cohorts can assit the larger scope of recovery.
Organizational Development
Crisises in austere environments will often amplify problems that occur due to stratification. AMI gathers stakeholders and highlights infrastructure design to reduce disparity in emergency response.
Community Education
Skills training is one component of resilience development. Multifactorial education with an focus on solidifying dynamic networks that form during times of major disruption.
People
A unique team with broad experience
John Murphy
Cultural advicate, Medic and Nurse, John has been working in the field for the majority of his life. Forming AMI in 2017 to address global disparities in austere environments, John leads small field teams that seek to learn from their allies as much as they assist them
Joel Walker
Joel is a retired US Navy Hospital Corpsman who deployed in a variety of Hospital units Field Medical and Aviation/Water Survival units. He has served in numerous countries providing various field and clinical based services over a vast career both in and out of the service.
Daniel Taylor
Dan is a US based remote site paramedic, instructor, training developer, and consultant who has created and delivered engaging training programs for a wide array of organizations across the United States as well as providing patient care in a number of extreme environments.
Portfolio
Evidence based practice from the field.
We use on site learning and rapid site/situation analysis to develop inclusive adaptive programs that work within the milieu of the cohort we are assisting. At AMI we often say “Culture is the key” with the understanding that most of not all of the communities we reach out to, possess unique and powerful strengths that can facilitate the goals all stakeholders are seeking.
Through discovering and amplifying these strengths, we find pathways forward that are novel solutions to problems that are often seen and insurmountable.
Past successes
Low-Resource Tactical Combat Casualty Care Training for Peshmerga Units in Remote Areas of Kurdistan
Taylor D, Murphy J, Stolley Z 19(1). 81
The Peshmerga are the official military of the autonomous region of Kurdistan, Iraq. There remains a high level of variability across Peshmerga units in medical equipment and training. Presumably, Peshmerga soldiers are dying from preventable causes of death due to combat-related injuries, just as US troops did before the introduction of Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) training and supplies. This report outlines the efforts of a small US-based collective to provide TCCC training at the TCCC for all combatants skill level to Peshmerga forces and develop members of the Peshmerga as trainers.
Current interests
Micormobility emergency response in major disruptions
One of our current projects involves connecting resource islands during major distruptive events. Exploring the work of Chen, Wong, Idziorek and others we are exploring logistics of micromobility teams in major long term disruptions.
Working with the human networks that form during disruption events, we are interested in exploring connectivity when resource restrictions limit normal transportation methods.
We are currently working with a micromobility project our of UNC to explore the different ways that resource and communication corridors can be maintained.
Case Studies
Major success and current research
Leadership Training
IDP Education and sustainment
Situation
Many of the IDP’s we had served in the height of the displacement were suffering from camp conditions that were oppressing community function.
Task
To inspire the sustainment of community connections within regional refugee environments.
Action
We took a multi-tiered approach of child health education, environmental health education and industry initiation.
Result
Through addressing multiple cultural hurdles, we were able to make subtle and persistent directional changes that produced results that increased intracohort cohesion.
Medical Training
Low Resource TCCC education
Situation
Nineveh province has long been one of the most isolated sections of Iraq. Following the 2014 genocide, there was a discrete lack of emergency medical care.
Task
Devise a train the trainer program that allowed for self propagating education in eergency medicine.
Action
We brought several teams of high level instructors from the USA to educate recently graduated EMT and RN providers and worked to create programs that followed community connections to onboard and educate.
Result
We were able to complete the education of several hundred field medics and develop a curriculum that was used for several years.
Public health
Resilient human corridors during disruption events
Situation
During major disruptive events, urban logistics can be hampered by lack of transportation.
Task
To create resilient human mobility for emergency workers that is not dependent upon public utility function.
Action
We are exploring micrombility planning and training to develop programs that will prepare volunteers for a catastrophic reduction of transportation options.
Result
This project is currently in development but is demonstrating significant value to volunteer programs.