Optimizing the Department of Defense Spatial Orientation Center Vestibular Rehabilitation Staffing Using Simulation Software

: The Naval Medical Center, San Diego (NMCSD) Commander created the Defense Spatial Orientation Center (DSOC) supporting advances in treating vestibular dysfunction. Now the DSOC needs to expand so that it may better support the military operational forces. Opening a clinic on Marine Corps AirStation (MCAS), Miramar facilitates increased exposure to the active duty personnel who will benefit from vestibular rehabilitation. The DSOC directors must therefore determine the staffing needed to run the clinic at both NMCSD and MCAS. This research hypothesizes that a single physical therapist can not successfully complete the necessary annual patient visits to support the beneficiary population. MedModel simulation software was selected to analyze this hypothesis; it allows for relatively quick results without disturbing patient care. The results predict the vestibular rehabilitation clinic staff must expand, at a minimum, by one physical therapist and two technicians. This staffing mix can then support approximately 4,600 annual visits. Also, the addition of technicians decreases the patient visit cost and therefore the government s cost of providing treatment. Thus, having a clinic at MCAS not only increases the number of active duty personnel who get this critical treatment but the change in staff composition ultimately helps the government avoid training and equipment replacement costs.