Support for the Office of Polar Programs Healthcare in Antarctica

美国国家科学基金会极地项目办公室（NSF/OPP）赞助并支持极地地区的科学研究。在美国政府主持下部署的所有参与者都必须接受并通过严格的身体检查。极地方案办公室内的环境、安全和健康科负责制定保健政策和准则，监督承包商的绩效，并每年向极地方案办公室主任报告南极洲的保健状况。目前，OPP已与一家主要支助承包商签订合同，在南极洲提供医疗服务。本协议不能取代该活动。为了增加内部经验并为该计划提供紧急远程医疗能力，特别是在冬季，OPP与退伍军人事务部签订了协议备忘录（MOU），退伍军人事务部是另一个在全国各地拥有所有医学学科专业知识的政府机构。这份谅解备忘录允许NSF利用退伍军人事务系统（包括政府和私营部门的医生）中医生的知识、技能和经验，协助OPP管理其在极地地区的医疗保健业务。这一谅解备忘录机制为OPP根据需要获得医疗专业知识提供了一种具有成本效益的机制。谅解备忘录于2006年3月签署，OPP将提供10,000美元的初始资金。这些资金将用于立即获得VA医生服务，并将根据VA向NSF提供服务的实际成本增加。NSF和VA将每年审查OPP要求，以确定是否需要根据项目内不断变化的情况对协议进行任何修改。

The National Science Foundations Office of Polar Programs (NSF/OPP) sponsors and supports scientific research in Polar Regions. All participants deploying under the auspices of the United States Government must take and pass a rigorous physical examination. The Environment, Safety and Health Section within the Office of Polar Programs is responsible for developing healthcare policies and guidelines, overseeing the contractors performance and annually reporting to the Director, OPP on the status of healthcare in Antarctica. Currently OPP has contracted with a primary support contractor to provide medical care in Antarctica. This Agreement does not replace that activity. In order to augment in-house experience and provide an emergency telemedicine capability to the Program especially during the winter season, OPP has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) with the Department of Veterans Affairs, another government agency with expertise in all medical disciplines and with locations throughout the country. This MOU allows the NSF to utilize the knowledge, skills, and experience of the physicians in the Veterans Affairs system which includes government and private sector physicians to assist OPP in managing its healthcare operations in the Polar Regions. This MOU mechanism provides a cost-effective mechanism for OPP to obtain medical expertise on an as-needed basis.The MOU was signed in March 2006, with the understanding that OPP would provide an initial funding amount of $10,000. These funds will be used to obtain VA physician services immediately and will be increased according to the actual costs incurred by the VA in providing services to NSF. The NSF and the VA will review OPP requirements annually to determine whether or not any modifications to the Agreement needs to be made based on changing circumstances within the Program.