When U.S. Army Surgeon General LTG Mary Izaguirre visited the University of Colorado Anschutz, she arrived with a practical agenda: identify barriers, explore opportunities, and build stronger partnerships between the Army and civilian health care leaders. The visit, hosted by the CU Anschutz Center for COMBAT Research, brought together military and academic experts for a focused, forward-looking dialogue about where military and civilian medicine intersect and how those partnerships can be strengthened.
Improving Care for Soldiers and Civilians
Throughout the visit, CU leaders shared how their research and new technologies are already improving care for both military and civilian populations. From trauma studies and clinical trials to AI-driven diagnostics and digital mental health tools, presenters highlighted how CU Anschutz is helping shape the next era of combat medicine.
The visit brought together experts from the Center for Health AI, CU Innovations, and teams working on trauma care and psychological health. Elizabeth Concordia, President and CEO of UCHealth, also joined the meeting and affirmed the health system’s commitment to strengthening military-civilian partnerships. It was a coordinated illustration of how CU’s innovation ecosystem and Army medicine can work together, each contributing expertise, sharing resources, and strengthening health care for both military and civilian populations.
At the heart of the visit was the CU Anschutz Center for COMBAT Research, a national leader in turning frontline military challenges into solutions with broad impact. Led by Vik Bebarta, MD, the center connects military physicians, academic researchers, and clinicians to accelerate the development and adoption of medical tools and practices.
LTG Izaguirre underscored the value in this collaborative approach: “As much as the military can learn from the civilian sector,” she noted, “there’s also a great deal that military medicine brings to the table, especially in leadership and readiness.”
Translating Research into Practice
During the visit, Bebarta and his team stressed the importance of turning evidence into action and closing the gap between innovation and implementation.
One of the first discussions centered on the role of artificial intelligence and big data in health care, not as a future promise, but as practical tools shaping clinical decisions today.
Casey Greene, PhD, director of the Center for Health AI, described how his team is deploying AI to actively guide treatment by integrating genomic information directly into electronic health records. “It only surfaces when it actually matters,” Greene explained.
That design choice, he said, led to a rare outcome: 100% compliance with genomic prescribing alerts during chemotherapy, an almost unheard-of achievement in clinical practice. Greene emphasized that their goal isn’t academic prestige but real-world results: “We focus on impact—as opposed to impact factor.”
That same focus on real-world impact continued in a discussion led by Adit Ginde, MD, an emergency medicine physician and national leader in clinical trials. He described how CU researchers are shortening the path from research to practice by integrating time-efficient, military-relevant trials into health care systems. “Too little research takes way too long to impact patient care,” Ginde said. “We find that unacceptable.”
His team works on trials that influence medical guidelines and training, which aligns closely with the Army’s emphasis on readiness. LTG Izaguirre echoed that focus, expressing a vision for military medicine that is both academically credible and service-driven.
Bridging Innovation and Field Use
Another key part of the visit focused on technologies designed to work in both clinical and operational environments. Kimberly Muller, Esq, and Gali Baler, PhD, of CU Innovations, described how their team evaluates hundreds of technologies each year to identify the few with real-world potential in both military and civilian settings.
One such device, originally tested at CU during the pandemic, is now being used by NASA to monitor astronaut health. "We prepare researchers and medics to understand customer needs and field requirements," Baler said.
This dual-use approach, which refines tools to serve both civilian and military needs, helps technologies reach larger markets.
Focusing on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
Mental health and suicide prevention were a key part of the agenda. Ian Stanley, PhD, the psychological health lead for COMBAT, presented tools being adapted for service members, including a military version of the humor-based platform Man Therapy, now being piloted at Fort Carson.
Stanley also described a project that uses wearable biometric data to alert a designated peer if a soldier's mental health metrics worsen. "We know social support is the strongest buffer against psychological distress," he said. "This is the first time that kind of support is built directly into a system."
Identifying Barriers and Building Solutions
As the day came to a close, the conversation turned from current projects to future possibilities. CU teams shared additional ideas for collaboration, from virtual health pilots to new trauma data models, while Izaguirre's team suggested ways to deepen the partnership.
"If there’s something we could be doing better —screening more effectively or getting care to people faster —I want to know,” she said. “Sometimes the barrier isn’t technology. It’s clarity."
She also acknowledged the shared responsibility between military and civilian institutions. "Our board of directors is Congress, and our mission is the soldier," she said. "But that doesn’t mean we do it alone."
Before departing, she reflected on what keeps her grounded. "If ever I get a little jaded," she said, "I’ll go find a young soldier. And those young soldiers help re-center us on why we do what we do."