Army Surgeon General, LTG Nadja West, recently visited Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital and the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La. The visit, a first for LTG West to Fort Polk centered on the hospital and the impact it plays in here and in the surrounding communities.

During a Town Hall, she stated that everyone contributes to readiness. "Readiness is Gen Milley's top priority," she said to a cross section of BJACH staff. "It's a strategic goal. I heard good things about this facility and its Soldiers. You are down at the grass level, where things happen. All members of the team contribute to readiness and help meet the mission," she emphasized. "BJACH has a good professional reputation and is highly admired on this installation."
"The Army Medical Command is transforming and there will be changes," West stressed. "While
there are still a lot of decisions to be made, it's a work in progress.
The military is evolving to meet the future needs of the nation and we too must develop the capabilities to be ready for the future. There are many challenges ahead and we can learn from each other through collaboration and sharing the lessons learned," she said.
"I encourage you to maximize your potential by ensuring our Soldiers are highly trained and that the training is tailored to what's needed -- individual competiticy and team training are great ways to achieve this goal."
LTG West and CSM Gerald Ecker, presented five outstanding Soldiers and civilians with a coin. MAJ Megan Riley, Sport Medicine Physician, CPT Gene Duplantier, Patient Centered Medical Home Chief Nurse, SPC Tanner Allen, Behavioral Health specialist, Melissa Box, Health, Education, Services Department Health System Assistant and Tonya McCartney, a Behavioral Health Nurse Case Manager,
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