PROFIS
Encyclopedia
The PROFIS or Professional Filler System is used by the United States Military to fill voids in personnel when a unit deploys on a combat or humanitarian mission. Due to the high financial cost of employing physicians, civil engineers, lawyers or other "high dollar specialists" in a military unit, usually at the battalion
and sometimes at the brigade
level a full time "specialist" is not permanently assigned to these units. When a unit deploys to an austere location, the demand for a specialist increases. The military's solution is to have a PROFIS or assigned specialist to these units that only serves with the unit when they deploy.
The system is mostly used for assigning physicians to a unit. During a time period of national peace, the physician is assigned to a military hospital or clinic where they function exactly like a civilian physician does (they see patients). When a unit deploys, the physician is pulled from their hospital job and they are assigned as a surgeon with the unit. The word "surgeon" is a hold over from US colonial times. The term "surgeon" in this context means "unit physician." A PROFIS provider usually deploys with the unit for the duration of that unit's deployment. That usually means the PROFIS physician is with the unit a month before deployment, through the duration of the deployment (12–15 months), and then three months after the deployment. Usually physicians (family medicine, pediatrics, and internal medicine) are assigned to these lengthy deployments. The time away from their families is relatively lengthy. As a unit surgeon, the physician can expect to do administrative as well as clinical duties. Many times the physician is 60% administrator and 40% clinician.
Medical specialists in fields like cardiology, general surgery, pulmonology, emergency and critical care, etc. are usually assigned PROFIS to combat support hospital
s (CSH). These deployments are usually for only 3–6 months, which is a fraction of the time most primary care physicians are deployed for. Additionally, a CSH functions like a hospitasl which means these physicians basically do the same job they do in CONUS
(the continental United States), but they do the job in a combat theater.
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
and sometimes at the brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
level a full time "specialist" is not permanently assigned to these units. When a unit deploys to an austere location, the demand for a specialist increases. The military's solution is to have a PROFIS or assigned specialist to these units that only serves with the unit when they deploy.
The system is mostly used for assigning physicians to a unit. During a time period of national peace, the physician is assigned to a military hospital or clinic where they function exactly like a civilian physician does (they see patients). When a unit deploys, the physician is pulled from their hospital job and they are assigned as a surgeon with the unit. The word "surgeon" is a hold over from US colonial times. The term "surgeon" in this context means "unit physician." A PROFIS provider usually deploys with the unit for the duration of that unit's deployment. That usually means the PROFIS physician is with the unit a month before deployment, through the duration of the deployment (12–15 months), and then three months after the deployment. Usually physicians (family medicine, pediatrics, and internal medicine) are assigned to these lengthy deployments. The time away from their families is relatively lengthy. As a unit surgeon, the physician can expect to do administrative as well as clinical duties. Many times the physician is 60% administrator and 40% clinician.
Medical specialists in fields like cardiology, general surgery, pulmonology, emergency and critical care, etc. are usually assigned PROFIS to combat support hospital
Combat support hospital
A Combat Support Hospital is a type of field hospital. The CSH is a United States military mobile hospital delivered to the Corps Support Area in standard military-owned Demountable Containers cargo containers and assembled by the staff into a tent hospital to treat wounded soldiers. A CSH also...
s (CSH). These deployments are usually for only 3–6 months, which is a fraction of the time most primary care physicians are deployed for. Additionally, a CSH functions like a hospitasl which means these physicians basically do the same job they do in CONUS
Conus
Conus is a large genus of small to large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs, with the common names of cone snails, cone shells or cones. This genus is placed in the subfamily Coninae within the family Conidae. Geologically speaking, the genus is known from the Eocene to the Recent ...
(the continental United States), but they do the job in a combat theater.