FORT GORDON, Ga. -- Gregg Stevens, the Army Medical Department Civilian Corps chief, presented the 1st quarter Wolf Pack Award on behalf of Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, the Army surgeon general, to a group of 19 military and civilian employees at the Eisenhower Army Medical Center (EAMC) and the Lyster Army Health Clinic (LAHC) on March 13, 2015.
The Wolf Pack Award was designed to recognize exceptional teamwork by an integrated group of military and civilian members and the Radiology departments at both EAMC and LAHC envisioned a patient-centered and fiscally-responsible cooperative tele-radiology program where EAMC would interpret radiology examinations performed at LAHC.
The project took two years of planning and since beginning in July 2013 the program resulted in increased work for EAMC radiologists and a 50 percent savings for LAHC as well as speeding up the time to interpret LAHC's plain radiographs, CTs and MRIs for patients.
Prior to the program LAHC's radiology needs were served by an in-house contract radiologist who interpreted exams after normal working hours and LAHC providers had limited ability to consult the radiologist to address specific patient concerns. Also the technologists performing the exams did not have consistent access to a radiologist to assist with quality control but under this agreement, EAMC offered telephonic access to a radiologist for expert consultation in numerous subspecialties of radiology.
The tele-radiology program allowed for the use already existing equipment and technology to improve patient care and save the tax payers money resulting in an estimated cost savings of $176,000 annually. The program can also be reproduced at any facility across Army Medicine.
Stevens presented the EAMC award to Maj. Paul Michaud who acted as the team lead at EAMC during the ceremony and the LAHC award to Capt. Melissa Riester by video teleconference.
Michaud stated that, "this award means so much since my team has spent years trying to align our department with the Surgeon General's goals and it's a great thought think that we can affect Army Medicine and improve the care we give our patients."
Michaud's EAMC team consisted of Maj. Ivan Ramirez, Dr. Ward Knight, Dr. Morakinyo Toney, Master Sgt. Dorothee Smith, Reggie Jackson, Crystal Owen, and David Lykins.
Riester recognized the radiology team at LAHC willingness to "jump right in and try something new." Her team consisted of Sgt. Douglas Carter, Randal McBride, David Webb, Devin Bush, Gregory Huff, Jeffrey Brannon, Melissa Peterson, Brianna Sheffield, and Lenore Marshall.
"We are blessed because the mission of Army Medicine draws our civilians and our military together to focus on what we do best, we take care of Soldiers and their Families, anywhere, anytime, and under conditions that no one else would accept. And we are the best in the world," said Stevens.
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