The National Science Foundations Office of Polar Programs (NSF/OPP) sponsors and supports scientific research in Polar Regions. All participants deploying under the auspices of the United States Government must take and pass a rigorous physical examination. The Environment, Safety and Health Section within the Office of Polar Programs is responsible for developing healthcare policies and guidelines, overseeing the contractors performance and annually reporting to the Director, OPP on the status of healthcare in Antarctica. Currently OPP has contracted with a primary support contractor to provide medical care in Antarctica. This Agreement does not replace that activity.
In order to augment in-house experience and provide an emergency telemedicine capability to the Program especially during the winter season, OPP has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) with the Department of Veterans Affairs, another government agency with expertise in all medical disciplines and with locations throughout the country. This MOU allows the NSF to utilize the knowledge, skills, and experience of the physicians in the Veterans Affairs system which includes government and private sector physicians to assist OPP in managing its healthcare operations in the Polar Regions. This MOU mechanism provides a cost-effective mechanism for OPP to obtain medical expertise on an as-needed basis.
The MOU was signed in March 2006, with the understanding that OPP would provide an initial funding amount of $10,000. These funds will be used to obtain VA physician services immediately and will be increased according to the actual costs incurred by the VA in providing services to NSF. The NSF and the VA will review OPP requirements annually to determine whether or not any modifications to the Agreement needs to be made based on changing circumstances within the Program.
