SAUSHEC awards dinner honors best in military medicine, medical education

By Lori Newman, Brooke Army Medical Center Public AffairsMay 29, 2019

SAUSHEC Awards Dinner 2019
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Air Force Maj. Gen. John DeGoes, left, 59th Medical Wing commander, and Army Brig. Gen. George Appenzeller, right, Brooke Army Medical Center commanding general, present the 2019 Gold Headed Cane Award to Army Col. (Dr.) Andrew Cap, chief of Coagulat... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
SAUSHEC Awards Dinner 2019
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Retired Lt. Gen. Paul K. Carlton Jr., former Surgeon General of the Air Force, speaks at the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium awards dinner May 18, 2019 at the Parr Club at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. Carlton presented ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- The third annual San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium awards dinner was held May 18 at the Parr Club at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph.

Retired Lt. Gen. Paul K. Carlton Jr., former Surgeon General of the Air Force and guest speaker for the event, presented a 25-year history of military medicine and its impact on the San Antonio community.

Carlton addressed the audience of medical professionals lauding their dedication to healthcare and healthcare education.

"It's a team that accomplishes healthcare, with all players making it work," he said. "All specialties contribute to the military mission. I am convinced that the military-unique training San Antonio has been focused on is absolutely critical for the future."

He encouraged them to focus on the future and remember the past.

Carlton described 43 medical innovations and how those innovations saved lives on the battlefield. He also noted that 40 of these innovations came from San Antonio.

"This is something you are living." He said. "It's something you can be proud of, and it's a culture of innovation that needs to not just be nurtured; it needs to be expanded. The team approach is absolutely critical."

"The world is changing, it's not a safer place then before, so we have to be ready," he added. "You have done a tremendous job, but we can't rest on our laurels, you cannot rest on your laurels."

Along with the words of encouragement from the former surgeon general, several awards were presented during the ceremony.

"We are here tonight to celebrate what we do at SAUSHEC." said Air Force Col. Mark True, SAUSHEC interim dean. "We are here to celebrate the privilege of serving in SAUSHEC, where we enjoy the opportunity to instill values in our trainees."

True spoke about the importance of training medical professionals so they are ready to serve throughout the world.

"I hope you take a little time each day to reflect on just how important it is to do the job that we have," he said. "It's a very important task."

Last year's recipient of the coveted Gold Headed Cane Award, Air Force Col. Heather Yun, introduced the candidates and announced this year's winner, Army Col. (Dr.) Andrew Cap, chief of Coagulation and Blood Research at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research.

"The Gold Headed Cane Award really symbolizes the best that military academic medical has to offer," Yun said.

The Gold Headed Cane Award focuses on four areas: patient care, resident teaching, clinical research and operational medicine.

The tradition of the Gold Headed Cane originated in 1689 with John Radcliffe the personal physician to King William III. Radcliffe began the tradition of passing the cane to a successor whom he considered to be the greatest English physician of his time. The original Gold Headed Cane is now prominently on display at the Royal College of Physicians in London.

Other awards presented were:

Housestaff Hall of Fame Resident -- Army Capt. Patrick Reeves, Pediatrics

Housestaff Hall of Fame Fellow -- Air Force Maj. Matthew Koroscil, Pulmonary/Critical Care

Faculty Awards:

Scholarship in Action for each quarter in 2018:

Army Maj. Michael April, Emergency Medicine

Army Lt. Col. Angelo Paredes, Gastroenterology

Army Maj. Steven Schauer, Emergency Medicine

Air Force Col. Heather Yun, Infectious Disease

Professionalism -- Air Force Maj. Stuart Brigham, Internal Medicine

Quality Improvement/Patient Safety -- Air Force Capt. Brandon Kuiper, Internal Medicine

Graduate Allied Health Educator -- Army Lt. Col. Matthew Douglas, General Surgery Physician Assistant

Lt Gen PK Carlton Faculty Award -- Air Force Maj. Dana Blyth, Infectious Disease

"Each nominee in the award categories has clearly risen to the top of their field and is a winner in their own right," True said.