Maj. Gen. Tempel visits Ft. Irwin to talk to WACH, NTC Soldiers and families

By Michael Beaton, Weed Army Community Hospital Public AffairsJanuary 25, 2016

Maj. Gen. Tempel visits Ft. Irwin to talk to WACH, NTC Soldiers and families
1 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel, Jr., commanding general, U.S. Army Regional Health Command Central made his first visit to Fort Irwin Jan. 19-21 to meet and speak with Fort Irwin Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) leaders, caregive... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Maj. Gen. Tempel visits Ft. Irwin to talk to WACH, NTC Soldiers and families
2 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel, Jr., commanding general, U.S. Army Regional Health Command Central made his first visit to Fort Irwin Jan. 19-21 to meet and speak with Fort Irwin Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) leaders, caregive... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Maj. Gen. Tempel visits Ft. Irwin to talk to WACH, NTC Soldiers and families
3 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel, Jr., commanding general, U.S. Army Regional Health Command Central made his first visit to Fort Irwin Jan. 19-21 to meet and speak with Fort Irwin Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) leaders, caregive... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Maj. Gen. Tempel visits Ft. Irwin to talk to WACH, NTC Soldiers and families
4 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- Limbering up and getting in a little exercise after the long journey to Fort Irwin: Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel, Jr., commanding general, U.S. Army Regional Health Command Central made his first visit to Fort Irwin Jan. 19-21 to ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Maj. Gen. Tempel visits Ft. Irwin to talk to WACH, NTC Soldiers and families
5 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel, Jr., commanding general, U.S. Army Regional Health Command Central made his first visit to Fort Irwin Jan. 19-21 to meet and speak with Fort Irwin Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) leaders, caregive... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Maj. Gen. Tempel visits Ft. Irwin to talk to WACH, NTC Soldiers and families
6 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel, Jr., commanding general, U.S. Army Regional Health Command Central made his first visit to Fort Irwin Jan. 19-21 to meet and speak with Fort Irwin Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) leaders, caregive... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Maj. Gen. Tempel visits Ft. Irwin to talk to WACH, NTC Soldiers and families
7 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel, Jr. Commanding General U.S. Army Regional Health Command made his first visit to Fort Irwin Jan. 19-21 to meet and speak with Fort Irwin Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) leaders, caregivers and hos... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Maj. Gen. Tempel visits Ft. Irwin to talk to WACH, NTC Soldiers and families
8 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel, Jr., commanding general, U.S. Army Regional Health Command Central made his first visit to Fort Irwin Jan. 19-21 to meet and speak with Fort Irwin Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) leaders, caregive... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Maj. Gen. Tempel visits Ft. Irwin to talk to WACH, NTC Soldiers and families
9 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel, Jr., commanding general, U.S. Army Regional Health Command Central made his first visit to Fort Irwin Jan. 19-21 to meet and speak with Fort Irwin Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) leaders, caregive... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Maj. Gen. Tempel visits Ft. Irwin to talk to WACH, NTC Soldiers and families
10 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel, Jr., commanding general, U.S. Army Regional Health Command Central made his first visit to Fort Irwin Jan. 19-21 to meet and speak with Fort Irwin Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) leaders, caregive... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Maj. Gen. Tempel visits Ft. Irwin to talk to WACH, NTC Soldiers and families
11 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel, Jr., commanding general, U.S. Army Regional Health Command Central made his first visit to Fort Irwin Jan. 19-21 to meet and speak with Fort Irwin Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) leaders, caregive... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Maj. Gen. Tempel visits Ft. Irwin to talk to WACH, NTC Soldiers and families
12 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel, Jr., commanding general, U.S. Army Regional Health Command Central made his first visit to Fort Irwin Jan. 19-21 to meet and speak with Fort Irwin Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) leaders, caregive... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Maj. Gen. Tempel visits Ft. Irwin to talk to WACH, NTC Soldiers and families
13 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel, Jr., commanding general, U.S. Army Regional Health Command Central made his first visit to Fort Irwin Jan. 19-21 to meet and speak with Fort Irwin Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) leaders, caregive... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Maj. Gen. Tempel visits Ft. Irwin to talk to WACH, NTC Soldiers and families
14 / 14 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel, Jr., commanding general, U.S. Army Regional Health Command Central made his first visit to Fort Irwin Jan. 19-21 to meet and speak with Fort Irwin Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) leaders, caregive... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT IRWIN, Calif. -- Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel, Jr., commanding general, U.S. Army Regional Health Command Central and Chief U.S. Army Dental Corps, made his first visit to Fort Irwin and the Weed Army Community Hospital (WACH) to meet with WACH leadership and staff, as well as speak with Soldier and family member patients Jan. 19 - 21.

Tempel was accompanied by Regional Health Command Central (RHC-C) Command Sgt. Maj. Jayme D. Johnson and hosted by WACH commander Col. Jason Wieman during his visit and toured facilities to speak with and observe hospital Soldier and civilian staff members in the course of their duties.

Tempel visited and toured the newly opened Fort Irwin Army Wellness Center (AWC) located in the Fort Irwin Resiliency Center to speak with facility manager Andrew Munstermann who explained how he and his staff implemented Col. Wieman's WACH preventive medicine program in conjunction with the Performance Triad and other Army fitness programs to accomplish the Surgeon General's Number One Goal: Soldier Readiness.

During a WACH town hall, Tempel shared his command philosophy with the participants, offered professional development advice to and answered questions from more than 200 WACH staff on health issues, MEDDAC policies, and future plans and programs, many of which are underway in other RHC-C facilities. Tempel invited participants to an open and frank discussion about their concerns and difficulties as well as how they might improve the WACH and care for patients. Closing the event, he recognized outstanding local employees from DENTAC, Fort Irwin Veterinary Services and the WACH, presenting each of them with Coins of Excellence.

During day-two of his visit, Temple met with Maj. Gen. Joseph M. Martin, Commanding General National Training Center (NTC) and Fort Irwin to discuss a variety of issues, including Soldier readiness, health and resiliency, patient support/satisfaction, family healthcare, MEDDAC support for rotational units training at the NTC, hosting of medical training and proficiency events such as the recent December Exceptional Field Medical Badge (EFMB) testing, and the opening of a new state-of-the-art replacement hospital on Fort Irwin scheduled for completion in the spring of 2017.

In addition to meeting with Key WACH and NTC leaders, Tempel also visited Fort Irwin's Shutlleworth Dental Clinic in his role as Chief, U.S. Army Dental Corps to meet with Lt. Col. Kelley Tomsett, Commander of the Fort Irwin Dental Clinic and her staff. While touring the Shuttleworth facility Maj Gen. Tempel observed dentists and dental technicians using real-time modeling technology combined with a state-of-the-art digital 3D printer device that cuts the need for multiple appointments from three to one. "We can create a perfectly formed crown for example, ready for placement by a dentist in less than two hours with this technology. We can do for all the things we used to do for the patient in one visit what used to require three." said Dental Technician Charles Kim. When Tempel questioned him about its application and patient satisfaction. Kim added "It doesn't just speed the process and create, for instance, a millimeter-perfect crown." he said, "It also looks great."

According to Maj. Gen. Tempel, commenting upon departure from Fort Irwin, "The visit was a great success -- an eye-opener - and provided an excellent opportunity to further our commands understanding of the uniqueness of the WACH mission in support of the NTC here in the remote Mojave and Yuma deserts." he said. "The MEDDAC personnel working so hard here have one of the highest patient satisfaction rates anywhere in the U.S. Army and I'm overwhelmingly proud of them and what they are doing."

ABOUT THE U.S. ARMY MEDICAL COMMAND (MEDCOM) AND THE RHC-C

The U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) is a direct reporting unit of the United States Army that provides command and control of the Army's fixed-facility medical, dental, and veterinary treatment facilities, providing preventive care, medical research and development and training institutions.

MEDCOM is commanded by the Army Surgeon General, currently Lt. Gen. Nadia West. The Surgeon General is also head of the U.S. Army Medical Department (the AMEDD).

MEDCOM is divided into Regional Medical Commands (RMCs) that oversee day-to-day operations and exercise command and control over the Medical Treatment Facilities (MTFs) in their regions.

The U.S. Army Regional Health Command Central mission is to provide safe, high-quality, accessible, patient-centered healthcare and services to improve readiness, promote resiliency, and advance wellness with those entrusted to our care. warriors in transition, and our military families. We support units, Soldiers and families throughout the entire Army force generation process with high-quality, flexible and tailored health services. The U.S. Army Regional Health Command Central is located at the Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

To learn more about the people and facilities of the Regional Health Command - Central visit their website at http://www.srmc.amedd.army.mil/home.aspx

Related Links:

Fort Irwin Army Wellness Center on Facebook

Weed Army Community Hospital on Facebook

The Weed Army Community Hospital

National Training Center Fort Irwin

Regional Health Command - Central

Weed Army Community Hospital on Flickr