What is WHEC?

The Warrior Heat- and Exertion-Related Events Collaborative (WHEC) is a multidisciplinary advisory group focused on developing and implementing procedures to help providers, Service Members, and civilians prevent and treat heat-related illnesses and injuries. WHEC works in collaboration with the Army Heat Center at Fort Benning, GA, and USU's Multidisciplinary Case Review Committee (MDCRC).

Since its inception in 2020, WHEC has been dedicated to advancing the science and the Defense Health Agency’s Clinical Practice Guidelines for preventing, reducing, risk-stratifying, and managing exertional injuries and heat illness. WHEC also provides information about the surveillance, research, and education on heat-related injuries.

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Need a clinical consultation? Contact WHEC using HPRC’s Ask the Expert portal. To make sure you reach the right experts, please include “WHEC” in the subject line of your email.

Army Heat Center

The Army Heat Center was created in 2019 with the mission to identify, develop, and disseminate best practices for the prevention, identification, field care, hospital care, and return-to-duty of exertional heat illness casualties. The program is located at Martin Army Community Hospital in Fort Benning, GA, and operates in close collaboration with the Warrior Heat- and Exertion-Related Events Collaborative. Services and resources available through the Army Heat Center include:

  • Training and educational materials for preventing heat illness
  • Treatment guidelines for both medical and nonmedical staff
  • On-site visits to ensure local procedures match best practices
  • Help with investigating mass heat-related incidents
  • Consultations through USU's Multidisciplinary Case Review Committee (MDCRC) for difficult return-to-duty decisions

Most heat casualties come from military treatment facilities in southern states like Georgia. The Army Heat Center was established at Fort Benning due to the large number of heat casualties there and the opportunity to have the greatest positive impact.

Since its inception, the Heat Center has proven beneficial to the Maneuver Center of Excellence and the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command by reducing the number and severity of heat injuries. This has strengthened the military and improved its readiness for operations.

Got questions? Utilize the Ask the Expert portal to connect with an expert at the Army Heat Center!

About MDCRC

CHAMP initiates subspecialty evaluations of exertion-related illnesses (ERIs) through the Multidisciplinary Case Review Committee (MDCRC). MDCRC is made up of DoD leaders, researchers, and clinicians, including more than a dozen physicians and other experts who have appointments at either the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) or Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Members of MDCRC have expertise in sports medicine, family medicine, neuromuscular medicine, genetics, cardiology, pulmonology, nutrition, or combinations of these.

Upon receiving a referral from a treating physician at a military treatment facility, MDCRC reviews the Service Member’s record and makes a joint clinical recommendation about whether the patient should be rested and returned to duty or sent for further evaluation. For those who require further evaluation, MDCRC typically recommends more tests, which might include neurologic examination with electromyography (EMG), exercise intolerance panel (EIP), muscle biopsy with caffeine-halothane contracture testing (CHCT), myoglobinuria panel, exercise testing (such as heat tolerance testing [HTT], step testing, and VO2max testing), or combinations of these. Results from these tests help MDCRC and a Service Member’s physician make treatment and return-to-duty decisions.

Got questions? Connect with one of the experts through the Ask the Expert portal.