Madigan Army Medical Center welcomed new leadership March 31, 2015, when Command Sgt. Maj. Horace Tyson assumed responsibility of the unit, replacing outgoing interim Command Sgt. Maj. Johnnie Bryant-Johnson.
Tyson previously served as the command sergeant major for the 10th Combat Support Hospital, Fort Carson, Colo.
"You have successfully led many organizations prior to coming here at Madigan, and I am quite sure that, along with Col. Fiorey, you are going to take this organization to the next height," said Command Sgt. Maj. Marshall Huffman, command sergeant major of Western Regional Medical Command, who presided over the ceremony.
A combat medical specialist by profession, Tyson served in numerous leadership and operational positions, to include serving as a senior line medic, an evacuation sergeant, a medical platoon sergeant, and a general staff operations sergeant.
As the Madigan command sergeant major, Tyson serves as the senior noncommissioned officer and senior enlisted advisor to the Madigan commander, and leads 5,100 staff members while taking care of more than 100,000 patients.
"I have no doubt that you will continue to provide the best quality of care for America's sons and daughters," Huffman said.
Tyson started providing care for Soldiers as a medic 25 years ago. A veteran of multiple deployments, including Iraq and Afghanistan, he knows what it means to make vital medical decisions and the reward that comes from saving lives.
"The reward that comes out of me is that I can watch a man that I've put my hands inside of on the battlefield and I see him again, and he doesn't know who I am, but I know who he is, and I know he's still here," said Tyson.
A Bronze Star recipient, he emphasized that medical corps members are also Soldiers in the profession of arms, who have volunteered and sacrificed alongside their fellow Soldiers.
"Inside of that profession of arms, first of all, you've got to have the (medical specialty), but before that you have to be a Soldier," said Tyson. "The pride is built in your job and in your mind as you grow."
He underscored that staff should focus on providing care to diverse patients by "recognizing that we have different cultures and different people throughout the facility, and that we have to just take care of them with compassion and care."
He wants patients to know that Madigan is customer-oriented and is actively seeking input from them.
"We're assuring that every customer need is met, and that we continue to seek improvement on our quality of service, our products, and our procedures," Tyson said.
He wants everyone to know that he cares not only about individual people but also those who stand behind them.
"I am here to support the families," said Tyson, who came to Madigan with his wife, Teresa; children Kandace, Jamar, Wilson, and Horace Jr.; and dog, Lucky.
"It is an honor amongst the ranks to be here," he said.
Social Sharing