Delivering world-class clinical care, education, and research, UTMB is known for its global impact – with one particular entity extending that reach to the most remote places on earth.
Through the Center for Polar Medical Operations (CPMO), UTMB is a subcontractor to provide healthcare logistics and support to the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) operations in Antarctica.
This encompasses health screenings for scientists traveling there to conduct research, as well as hiring health care providers, resupplying stations with medical supplies and medications, and real-time medical support via telemedicine and other assets.
“We do roughly 3,000 physical qualifications a year,” says James McKeith, MD, MSHA, the CPMO’s Director and Chief Medical Officer. “And then we provide logistics support in terms of procuring pharmaceuticals, medical tests, supplies and equipment, et cetera. So it's a fairly large program.”
The CPMO supports operations at three stations in Antarctica. The largest, McMurdo Station, can have as many as 1,000 people onsite during peak operations. The South Pole Station may have up to 150, and the smallest, Palmer Station, may have up to 40. The CPMO also provides support to deep field camps and two research vessels.
Dr. McKeith says the program hires physicians as well as mid-level practitioners and other medical professionals to ensure the stations’ medical needs are well covered. Needs that arise on the stations can range from minor slip-and-fall injuries to major traumas.
He adds that unlike practicing in a rural location in the U.S., there is no short ambulance or helicopter ride to a hospital in Antarctica. Getting someone off the continent for medical care is extremely costly and takes a long time.
“All sorts of things can happen, so you have to have that acute critical care capability,” Dr. McKeith says. “We frequently describe our capabilities as an advanced level urgent care with the ability to provide critical care for two to three days for two to three people at McMurdo (the largest station).”
Although the CPMO is based at UTMB, the medical staff are recruited from all over the country to become UTMB employees. Finding medical professionals who have the appropriate training and can commit to six months in a remote location is challenging; fortunately, there are physicians like Joseph Shubert, MD, who are up for the task.
At the time of his first Antarctic deployment in 2012, Dr. Shubert had been an Emergency Medicine physician for 20 years. He felt he needed to make a change for the sake of his health. The opportunity to break away and practice at the McMurdo Station in Antarctica provided the change of pace he needed.
Eleven years later, he signed on for another deployment, this time at the Palmer Station, where he was the sole medical professional. He just returned home to California in April, so the experience is fresh on his mind.
“Being the one-man band down there is a very, very demanding job. There are a lot of responsibilities and a lot to learn,” Dr. Shubert says. “You're responsible for the supply chain for the pharmacy. You need to learn how to use the X-ray machines. You need to learn how to use the lab equipment. You need to familiarize yourself with the routines of the station. You need to earn everybody's trust.”
That component, trust, proved especially important in Dr. Shubert’s experience. He shared that some individuals who are deployed experience mental health challenges, so he made himself available with daily office hours to talk about any concerns.
Other needs he has attended to on deployments included broken bones, lacerations, soft tissue injuries from repetitive work, even filling a cavity. Telemedicine support is available, though limited, for situations where the physician onsite needs to consult with another specialty.
Although Dr. Shubert was the lone medical professional at Palmer Station, he trained a small team of people on base to provide trauma support, putting different individuals in charge of such elements as airway management, the EKG machine, IV fluids, and the X-ray machine.
“I began to develop a curriculum for the trauma team, so that if a victim was brought in, I had people there who were trained up on how to operate the clinic as if it was a trauma bay,” he says, adding that he hopes the curriculum can be standardized. “It’s such an important piece of the puzzle on how to be ready for anything down there.”
Although being attuned to medical needs on the station is a demanding job, living and working in Antarctica provided a unique experience that Dr. Shubert won't soon forget. He appreciated learning about the research taking place onsite, as every Tuesday one of the scientists would give a talk about their work. He also enjoyed boating excursions, viewing whales and birds on the local islands, and frequent walks up a glacier.
Because of the high expense required to send individuals to Antarctica and sustain them for six months, as well as the limited space that has been outfitted for inhabitants, Dr. McKeith says there are few opportunities for individuals outside of those considered essential.
However, for those who fit the criteria that the CPMO is seeking to fill medical roles, more applicants are always encouraged. Physicians with Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine training are often the best suited for these roles, but those with other backgrounds may also be considered.
“It's the ability to practice in a remote environment with some advanced medical care that is the critical determinant of whether they will be successful,” Dr. McKeith says.
Learn more about UTMBs Center for Polar Medical Operations.