Lt. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho, U.S. Army Surgeon General and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Medical Command (AMEDD) presented the prestigious AMEDD Wolf Pack Award for the first quarter of fiscal year 2014 to the Burn Resuscitation Decision Support System (BRDSS) Team at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR) Jan. 30.

The BRDSS Team was recognized for the development of the Burn Navigator, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared device that assists non-burn experienced medical providers in a deployed setting with burn resuscitation.

USAISR Director of Research David G. Baer, Ph.D., said the Burn Navigator, also known as the Burn Resuscitation Decision Support System-Mobile (BRDSS-M), is the first-of-its-kind technology and the only medical device to ever start as a research project within the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, and then go through advanced development, FDA clearance, and exit the decision gate process into fielding.

"The BRDSS-M fully has transitioned to Full Rate Production, which means the device has been manufactured and deployed to the field," Baer added. "The Army will buy and field the first nine devices, with additional purchases to follow for outfitting all units and training centers."

In addition to military use, several U.S. burn centers are in the process of acquiring the device to assist in treating their most challenging patients.

"I think you're going to revolutionize healthcare in the civilian sector and I could not be more impressed with the work that is done here," said Horoho.

Accepting the award was USAISR Research Task Area Program Manager for Comprehensive Intensive Care Research Jose Salinas, Ph.D, who helped develop the BRDSS.

"The original BRDSS technology was developed for use at the USAISR Burn Center Intensive Care Unit about seven years ago," said Salinas. "It was designed to assist in avoiding problems related to over- or under-resuscitating by medical care providers who do not routinely care for burn patients."

"We are extremely proud of the efforts of this extraordinary team," added Col. (Dr.) Michael A. Weber, commander USAISR. "This team truly supports our mission of optimizing combat casualty care through their dedication to a device that will help save lives of those wounded on and off the battlefield."

Deputy to the AMEDD Commanding General, Gregg Stevens, stated that the history of the Wolf Pack Award is all about teaming civilians and military members to work together to achieve something for the Army Medicine mission.

"And you have done just that," he said. "Technology and the software that runs technology is going to be what lightens the load for our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines going to the war of the future, especially those that are medical, and lighter more capable units is what's going to win and you have contributed greatly to that."

The Wolf Pack Award is a quarterly award presented by the Army Surgeon General/Commanding General, AMEDD, and acknowledges the team work of Department of Defense civilian and military health care teams to significantly advance Army Medicine. The Burn Navigator was among 17 other competitors for this award.

"The competition was very tough," acknowledged Horoho. "But the Burn Navigator is one of the brilliant capabilities and is one that is really going to change lives, and if you look at what you do every day here, you change lives each and every day. Congratulations and thank you for what you do each and every day and not losing sight of why we exist. And we exist to ensure that America's sons and daughters who are willing to put their lives on the line in harm's way for the values that we believe in and we cherish will have the best medical care at the point of injury and in every place in the continuum of care."