Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) has announced a new international partnership with the NATO Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine (NATO COE MILMED), strengthening the institution’s commitment to developing executive leaders prepared to navigate complex healthcare and operational environments.
The partnership was established during Exercise Vigorous Warrior 2026, NATO’s premier multinational medical exercise, held last week in Estonia. Representatives from ACHE met with Brigadier General Dr. Jens Diehm and senior leaders from NATO COE MILMED to discuss opportunities for collaboration in executive leadership education, military medicine, and healthcare innovation.
Exercise Vigorous Warrior brings together military medical professionals, healthcare leaders, and partner organizations from across Allied and NATO partner nations to strengthen medical readiness, interoperability, force health protection, innovation, and multinational cooperation in complex operational environments. The exercise serves as a global platform for advancing best practices in military medicine while preparing healthcare professionals to respond effectively to humanitarian crises, large-scale emergencies, and evolving security challenges.
Through this new partnership, ACHE’s developing Doctor of Executive Leadership (DEL) will connect with one of the world’s foremost organizations dedicated to advancing military medical education, doctrine, training, and multinational healthcare collaboration.
The collaboration reflects the growing need for leaders who can successfully operate where healthcare, emergency management, national security, and organizational leadership intersect. By engaging with NATO COE MILMED, future students in the Doctor of Executive Leadership’s will benefit from insights drawn from real-world operational environments where strategic decision-making, resilience, and collaboration are essential.
COL Zoltan Vekerdi, MD, PhD (HUN A), said, “Vigorous Warrior is the pivotal exercise for the NATO medical community. It brings Allies and partners together to train medical support jointly, realistically and in line with the demands of today’s and possible future’ operational environment. Readiness, resilience, deterrence and defense can be ensured through cooperation with our civilian partners, like the Arkansas College of Health Education (ACHE), who bring innovations and promising best practices to the exercise, enabling nations to adapt to a changed security environment. Our practical cooperation with ACHE is the finest example how science and education can advance the concept and delivery medical support by NATO and partner nations to our fighting troops.”
“We are honored to begin this partnership with Brigadier General Dr. Jens Diehm and the exceptional team at the NATO Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine,” said Travis Kaufman, DMSc, PA-C, FIBODM, DEL Program Director. “This collaboration exemplifies our commitment to preparing leaders who can thrive in uncertain environments and make decisions that have lasting impact.”
ACHE also recognizes the invaluable support and collaboration of World Extreme Medicine (B Corp Certified), the WEM Fund (WEMF), Mark Hannaford, DSc, and Luca Alfatti, FRRHH, FEWM, FRGS, MSc, whose shared commitment to education, leadership, and operational excellence continues to create transformative opportunities for professionals around the world.
As healthcare systems face increasingly complex global challenges, partnerships like this strengthen ACHE’s mission to educate leaders capable of building resilient organizations, fostering international collaboration, and leading with confidence when it matters most.
