Name
Holistic Health and Performance for Musculoskeletal Care of the Warrior Athlete: Lessons from the Field
Speakers
BG DEYDRE TEYHEN
CDR Kevin Bernstein MD, MMS, FAAFP , Naval Special Warfare Group TWO
Jennifer Cadwell
Mr. Nicholas Gounaris MS , Warrior Athlete Readiness & Resilience (WARR) Headquarters Marine Corps Marine & Family Programs Division, Manpower & Reserve Affairs
CDR Kevin Bernstein MD, MMS, FAAFP , Naval Special Warfare Group TWO
Jennifer Cadwell
Mr. Nicholas Gounaris MS , Warrior Athlete Readiness & Resilience (WARR) Headquarters Marine Corps Marine & Family Programs Division, Manpower & Reserve Affairs
Content Presented On Behalf Of:
Uniformed Services University
Services/Agencies represented
US Air Force, US Army, Defense Health Agency (DHA), US Navy, Uniformed Services University (USU), Other/Not Listed
Session Type
Breakout
Date
Thursday, March 5, 2026
Start Time
8:00 AM
End Time
10:15 AM
Location
National Harbor 12-13
Focus Areas/Topics
Clinical Care, Wellbeing, Trending/Hot Topics or Other not listed
Learning Outcomes
1. Identify and disseminate practical, broadly applicable field-based best practices for integrating holistic health and performance initiatives into MSK care on the front lines and demonstrating return on investment.
2. Share and analyze common barriers to implementing holistic health programs and explore evidence-based strategies to overcome them, including challenges related to leadership buy-in, resource allocation, and cultural resistance.
3. Showcase successful models of interdisciplinary collaboration in MSK care, highlighting how medical and non-medical personnel (e.g., physical therapists, athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, dietitians, mental health professionals, and unit leaders) can work together to improve MSK outcomes for warrior athletes.
4. Provide policy recommendation suggestions for military leadership in support of the widespread adoption of holistic health and performance principles and integration into standard MSK care protocols across the enterprise.
2. Share and analyze common barriers to implementing holistic health programs and explore evidence-based strategies to overcome them, including challenges related to leadership buy-in, resource allocation, and cultural resistance.
3. Showcase successful models of interdisciplinary collaboration in MSK care, highlighting how medical and non-medical personnel (e.g., physical therapists, athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, dietitians, mental health professionals, and unit leaders) can work together to improve MSK outcomes for warrior athletes.
4. Provide policy recommendation suggestions for military leadership in support of the widespread adoption of holistic health and performance principles and integration into standard MSK care protocols across the enterprise.
CE/CME Session
CE/CME Session
Session Currently Live
Description
This breakout session will move beyond the theoretical and focus on practical holistic health and performance initiatives as they relate to musculoskeletal (MSK) care of the Warrior Athlete. This session will explore lessons learned from the field: what strategies are working, and what are the barriers to successful implementation? Service-specific perspectives will be presented from speakers who have successfully implemented holistic health programs in real-world environments. The goal is to present actionable, broadly applicable approaches that optimize the MSK health, readiness, and well-being of service members.