CW3 Deanna Swords is the recipient of the 2013 Professional Medical Logisticians' Leadership Award. Swords, Chief of Healthcare Equipment Management Branch, Logistics Division at Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) and the Pacific Regional Medical Command (PRMC), earned the top Army honor for consistently demonstrating an exceptionally high degree of professional excellence.
Swords says she was completely surprised to discover that she was nominated, let alone selected and says the recognition could not have been achieved without her valuable team members. "I am extremely proud to be a member of the PRMC/TAMC organization, any positive credit I earn is a direct reflection of the solid leadership and teamwork that is present every day. Just to be a part of that team is itself an honor."
Under Swords' leadership, her team managed 29 maintenance and services contracts worth over $4 million. Through a cost benefit analysis, she determined that nearly $1million in service contracts could be deferred for in-house maintenance.
"CW3 Swords continually meets challenges head on with full purpose of duty and has proven to be an extremely versatile member of the Tripler Army Medical Center. She displays a genuine passion for her responsibilities in ensuring the best logistics support is provided," says Col. Alex Zotomayor, PRMC and TAMC Chief of Logistics.
Swords' accomplishments also directly contributed to Tripler's successful Joint Commission Survey, the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare.
"The Healthcare Equipment Management Branch (HEMB) team consists of 47 staff members. We manage planning, acquisition, accountability, repair, contract maintenance, and final disposition of medical equipment. Over the past year, our team has had incredible success in managing these critical functions, in addition to overhauling many of the processes to optimize our work force and environment. Our objective is to maximize patient safety, remain committed to fiscal responsibility, and ensure compliance with regulatory guidance," Swords said.
"She leaves no stone unturned," says Zotomayor. "She epitomizes the spirit of the Professional Medical Logistician, and is truly deserving of this recognition."
Swords also said she is incredibly fortunate to have remarkable leaders who inspire and encourage her to accept new challenges and to operate outside of her comfort zone. "It is amazing to have leaders who rally for you to succeed. During challenges, they are right beside me because they have chosen to walk with me. Brig. Gen. Dennis Doyle and Col. Zotomayor have been my coaches, teachers, and mentors. Any success my team and I have achieved is also their success."
Medical Logistics is an integral part of the Army health System. Medical Logisticians support the requirements set forth by the Surgeon General, providing materiel acquisition and total product life-cycle management for medical material and equipment.
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