Army staff recognized for excellence

Joint Base San Antonio, Texas (Dec. 9, 2016) -- The 2016 Military Health System Awards were presented on Dec. 1, at the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS) AMSUS Federal Health 2016 conference at National Harbor, Maryland.

Army staff who received individual recognition included Lydia K. Kreighbaum, Fort Carson Medical Department Activity, Fort Carson, Colorado; Maj. Danielle K. Rodondi, Army Medical Department Center and School, Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Lt. Col. Nicole Powell-Dunford, Fort Carson Medical Department Activity, Fort Carson, Colorado; and Col. Irene Rosen, Deputy Commanding Officer and Chief Medical Officer, Evans Army Community Hospital, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Lydia K. Kreighbaum, received the MHS Federal Civilian Nursing Excellence in Leadership Award. Kreigbaum's specializes in pain management and she developed and directed an intensive outpatient program designed to improve function and quality of life for her patients. She reduced opioid use with 200 graduates and realized a 53 percent decrease in utilization of opioids. She coordinates a team of 10-12 providers from various disciplines to provide holistic, patient centric care and education to more than 4,800 patients per year. Kreigbaum continues to lead numerous process improvement projects to improve the quality of care for chronic pain patients and reduce opioid dependence in the community.

Maj. Danielle K. Rodondi was awarded the MHS Federal Military Nursing Excellence in Leadership Award. She previously served as an enlisted Soldier and now as a commissioned Army Nurse Corps Officer. She is currently the Nurse Leader Academy Director for Basic Officer Leaders Course and the Captains Career Course at the Army Medical Department Center and School, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. She was recognized for her driven educational endeavors in support of the Patient Caring Touch System (PCTS), Performance Triad, and Move to Health initiatives. Throughout her career she has been a champion for safe, high-quality patient care and has instituted successful organizational initiatives to implement daily rounds, decrease patient falls, and reduce medication errors.

Lt. Col. Nicole Powell-Dunford, received the MHS Female Physician Award for her efforts as the Medical Corps United Kingdom exchange officer where she authored 26 papers, presented at 17 national and international conferences, and chaired more than five organizations. She served as the aviation branch chief and managed 13 Army Medical Department and 38 Army Training and Doctrine Command programs of instruction as well as medical oversight of the Army's only hypobaric chamber, attaining senior flight surgeon status. Powell-Dunford Championed research and publications regarding gender and racial equality in medicine as the editor-in-chief of "Clinical Medicine Insights: Women's Health".

Col. Irene Rosen, won the MHS Senior Award for her accomplishments as the Deputy Commanding Officer and Chief Medical Officer at Evans Army Community Hospital, Fort Carson, Colorado. She taught and mentored 18 future family physicians, and was nominated for Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Outstanding New Faculty award. Rosen was instrumental in creating the Warrior Transition Care clinic at Madigan Army Medical Center, leading to recognition and compliments from a Congressional Oversight Team and set the standard for future WT clinics. She led the Patient Centered Medical Home transformation as Department Chief at Madigan Army Medical Center, doubled PCM continuity and access to care, exceeding the MEDCOM standard. As Deputy Surgeon for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, she was part of the transfer of authority of the Kabul Role III hospital from French to U.S. control and planned medical drawdown that maintained key capabilities.

Additionally awards for Advancements toward High Reliability in Healthcare Awards Improved Access facilities included the Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas for the project "Physical Therapy Purchased Care Recapture Plan", the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Fort Belvoir, Va., for "Reducing Process Lead Times (Wait Times) in Main Outpatient Pharmacy", and the U.S. Army Medical Command, San Antonio, Texas, for the "Enterprise Appointing System".

Awards were given for Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety Award Winning Facilities where the facility must have met one of the criteria that included enhancing a culture of safety, reducing harm and healthcare acquired conditions, clinical improvements through the use of evidence based practices, improvements across the continuum of care and preventable readmissions and surgical quality.

The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for "Identification of MCR1 Positive E Coli" and the San Antonio Military Medical Center for "Improving Cardiac Arrest Outcomes and CPR Quality through Dedicated Interdisciplinary Code Team Training" were recognized.

Honorable mention was given for the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Hood Texas, and the San Antonio Military Medical Center for other projects.

The awards were given at the annual AMSUS, Society of Federal Health Professionals conference. AMSUS is a non-profit organization created to advance the knowledge of military surgery, medicine, and sanitation in the medical departments of the Army, the Navy, and the Marine-Hospital Service of the United States. Although begun as an organization for surgeons, AMSUS members include all health professionals in all federal health agencies, to include other nations.