DEVELOPMENT OF PARTNERSHIPS TO IMPROVE COMBAT CASUALTY CARE FOR PERSONNEL OF THE ARMED FORCES.

SEC. 721. [10 U.S.C. 1071 note] DEVELOPMENT OF PARTNERSHIPS TO IMPROVE COMBAT CASUALTY CARE FOR PERSONNEL OF THE ARMED FORCES. (a) Partnerships.— (1) In general.—The Secretary of Defense, through the Joint Trauma Education and Training Directorate established under section 708 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-328; 10 U.S.C. 1071 note), may develop partnerships with civilian academic medical centers and large metropolitan teaching hospitals to improve combat casualty care for personnel of the Armed Forces. (2) Partnerships with level i trauma centers.—In carrying out partnerships under paragraph (1), trauma surgeons and physicians of the Department of Defense may partner with level I civilian trauma centers to provide training and readiness for the next generation of medical providers to treat critically injured burn patients. (b) Support of Partnerships.—The Secretary of Defense may make every effort to support partnerships under the Joint Trauma Education and Training Directorate with academic institutions that have level I civilian trauma centers, specifically those centers with a burn center, that offer burn rotations and clinical experience to provide training and readiness for the next generation of medical providers to treat critically injured burn patients. (c) Level I Civilian Trauma Center Defined.—In this section, the term “level I civilian trauma center” has the meaning given that term in section 708 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-328; 10 U.S.C. 1071 note).