Axiom Supports MHS Video Production: News, Inspiration, and Education
The Department of Defense (DoD) Military Health System (MHS)
Challenge
The Department of Defense Military Health System (the MHS) wanted to begin splicing video-streaming production into its strategic communications program.
Background
Every day the Department of Defense Military Health System (the MHS) provides health care services to more than 9 million military personnel, retirees, and eligible family members. The majority of these services are delivered via hundreds of military hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies; a global network of civilian healthcare providers supplies additional capacity.
The MHS leadership is continually seeking ways to improve the quality of military healthcare and increase the efficiency of the managed care network. They also wish to keep taxpayers informed about MHS work and successes. To assist the MHS in these public-awareness efforts, Axiom provides a range of technical and creative support to the Communications and Customer Service (C&CS) division of the MHS TRICARE Management Activity.
Currently MHS leaders are looking to Axiom to help them integrate programming content for an innovative communications strategy that will deliver MHS-related news, as well as educate military personnel and healthcare professionals on the latest developments affecting military medicine. They also hope to inspire MHS staff, who, in support of a nation at war, already bring passion to their calling every day.
Strategy
A growing range of portable devices—laptop computers, mobile telephones, and small hand-held digital recorders—now allow users to download digital-media files.
Seizing on these advances in video-streaming products, Axiom added two videographers to the creative and technical team supporting the C&CS division, as well as writers and editors, and quickly began to plan and execute the production of video programming to meet the MHS’ video needs. To present useful MHS news items, from general current events to breakthroughs in healthcare delivery and management, Axiom staff work closely with the senior leadership of the MHS. Axiom videographers and writers meet every few days to propose topics that can be presented in video format. Users can then access these videos in a number of ways: on the MHS website, on cable television, or via DVD or CD.
Impact
With talent that includes videographers with Hollywood credits, Axiom staff were able to provide MHS professionals who had expertise in every element of video production. Their first assignment was to provide video for live Internet programming of the annual State of the MHS Conference. The Axiom team produced 20 hours of programming, including live-updates, on-site interviews with conference presenters and attendees, as well as customized animation, narration, and layered audio tracks. In quick succession, the Axiom team produced video clips of 2- to 4-minute duration that are easily accessed through today’s wireless devices. One clip is a recording of a memorial re-enactment of the Bataan Death March. Another documents the pioneering epidemiological research of Walter Reed, while others record the successful recovery and rehabilitation of military personnel wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan; viewers can follow severely wounded warriors’ participation in a golf tournament and a weekend of skiing in the Pennsylvania mountains.
Although splicing video production into the MHS strategic communications program is an effort that is still in its infancy, we now have clear evidence of its prospective benefits. Possible future applications include harnessing video production to enhance military medical training of nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and other providers. Video clips can also help civilian healthcare providers in the TMA healthcare network to familiarize themselves with basic MHS business procedures and routines. And given the award-winning skills of Axiom’s video production team, the general public will gain a better understanding of MHS operations and news-worthy issues and events.