Lt. Col. Becket Mahnke, Pediatric, Congenital, and Fetal Cardiology Director, Pacific Asynchronous TeleHealth (PATH), at Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC), was presented with the 2014 Thurman Award for Excellence in Telemedicine and Advanced Medical Technoloy by Col. Daniel Kral, Director, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC), through Video Tele-Communication (VTC) on Oct. 6, 2014 at TAMC.
The General Maxwell R. Thurman is awarded on behalf of the commanding general of the United States Army Medical Research and Material Command (MRMC) at the American Telemedicine Association annual conference in recognition of someone who exhibits and demonstrates the qualites and attributes as a natural born leader, an innovator, someone who fosters positive change, a champion of the Soldier, and a pioneer of the advancement of technology to enhance the life of our service members.
"As somebody who prides himself on being an innovator in medicine, receiving the General Thurman award was an incredible honor," said Mahnke. "MRMC and TATRC truly understand the value of innovation as a force multiplier and long-term organizational asset. Medical innovation obviously includes the high-tech, cutting-edge devices and procedures that get lots of attention. But medical innovation also includes the use of technology to improve healthcare access, quality, and cost. That has always been the focus of the PATH telemedicine system--innovative use and design of tools that augment our providers expertise in caring for our beneficiaries."
Mahnke says receiving the award via VTC is fitting because working across several time zones via various telecommunication technologies is part of his everyday work process and even continued to direct the PATH program during past deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Prior year award winners include a former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, two former American Telemedicine Association presidents and several flag officers.
Social Sharing