Paul Bobish, National Guard

The Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) supports research in numerous Topic Areas with a strong focus on the health, well-being, and care of Service Members, Veterans, and their families. Hemorrhage Control is one such Topic Area directly applicable to both Service Members and civilians. Acute blood loss or hemorrhage causes an estimated 60,000 deaths in the United States and 1.9 million deaths globally per year.¹ Hemorrhage is largely caused by traumatic injuries and is common in military settings, where it is the leading cause of potentially preventable death.² Lived experience with PRMRP-funded Topic Areas, such as hemorrhage control, is equally valuable as scientific expertise when providing feedback on feasibility in real-world settings and acceptability among patients and/or caregivers. Consumer reviewers participate in the application review process for their ability to share their lived experiences regarding these Topic Areas. During Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021, SFC Paul Bobish, a combat medic, served as one such consumer peer reviewer. His breadth of knowledge in combat settings brought a unique and valuable perspective to the PRMRP, particularly his familiarity with the array of scenarios that can cause trauma, hemorrhage, and shock in Warfighters.

Paul Bobish (left) with young blast patient

With a long career in the U.S. military as a combat medic, SFC Bobish made an excellent candidate to serve as a consumer peer reviewer. His career started in 2000 after joining the Indiana Army National Guard. In 2003, he was deployed to Iraq where he obtained valuable combat experience as an infantry line medic. In 2007, SFC Bobish worked in a Role 3 trauma center (equivalent to a general hospital) in Balad, Iraq. During his career, he continued advancing and gaining knowledge, leading to his becoming a flight medic in 2010. As a flight medic, he was deployed to the U.S. Central Command, a vast unsecure and unstable region of the world. Today, SFC Bobish's role as a Senior Evacuation Platoon Sergeant at a Role 2, or limited capability, medical facility gives him the opportunity to help Soldiers directly in his organization. The experiences SFC Bobish acquired as a combat zone medic had a significant impact on his life, giving him an appreciation for the life he has and encouraging him to live life to the fullest. He does this through hiking, playing volleyball, camping, and prioritizing time with his children.

These 20-plus years of military service have given SFC Bobish extensive experiences and a distinct viewpoint that he brings to the PRMRP peer review process. As a combat zone medic he provides valuable feedback about the feasibility of devices or solutions being proposed and how they could be implemented in a far-forward military environment. During his time as a PRMRP consumer peer reviewer, he stated that his experiences with the review panel have challenged him to continue to learn and further expand his medical knowledge, which in turn has helped him in his current position to give back to the military community. SFC Bobish felt honored to participate in the peer review process alongside medical professionals who he says, �are dedicated to what we do and appreciative of the service our Veterans and Service Members have given. They see this as their chance to give back.� The PRMRP is able to support impactful research through the culmination of scientific experts and invaluable consumer reviewers like SFC Bobish who contribute real-world knowledge and perspectives to the review process. SFC Bobish truly believes the research supported by the PRMRP has an impact on Service Members, Veterans, and the American public and looks forward to seeing the funded projects implemented in real-world settings.

Acronyms Index:
SFC: First Class Sergeant
RNCO: Readiness Noncommissioned Officer
PSG: Platoon Sergeant

References:
¹ Cannon JW. 2018. Hemorrhagic shock. New England Journal of Medicine. 378:370-379. DOI:10.1056/NEJMra1705649.

² Edwards TH, Dubick MA, Palmer L, Pusateri AE. 2021. Lessons learned from the battlefield and applicability to veterinary medicine - Part 1: Hemorrhage control. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 7:571368. DOI:10.3389/fvets.2020.571368.