FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (Army News Service, June 28, 2007) - The Army Medical Department Center and School took its first step in a transformation officials hope will poise the world-renowned facility for future excellence.
The school's nine graduate programs, once scattered throughout four departments under the Academy of Health Sciences, have been aligned into one center, called the Center for Graduate Military Healthcare Education.
"We are truly excited about this historic event," said Col. Josef Moore, interim associate dean, Monday at the center's opening ceremony in Blesse Auditorium. "My colleagues and their respective faculty and staff have spent numerous hours in preparation for this."
The new center was formed to improve communication and collaboration between the graduate programs, which may differ professionally, but share a common need for academic and research collaboration.
"We should now be able to keep a good, open dialogue and make overall processes more efficient," Col. Moore said. "We also can look at more collaborative efforts for research, further expanding on what a true graduate education is all about."
In recent years, the Army's graduate health-care programs have garnered critical acclaim. U.S. News and World Report ranked the U.S. Army Graduate Program in Anesthesia Nursing, chaired by Lt. Col. Thomas Ceremuga, second in the nation; and the U.S. Army-Baylor University Doctoral Program in Physical Therapy, chaired by Col. Moore, fifth in the nation. Additionally, the healthcare administration program, chaired by Lt. Col. Nicholas Coppola, is ranked 20th in the nation, an "impressive" ranking in a nation filled with renowned business schools, Col. Moore said.
Along with improved collaboration, officials see the realignment as the first in a series of changes designed to improve the facility's education and training. A key part of that transformation is the creation of four "pillars of excellence." The new center is the graduate pillar, and programs and functions distributed throughout 14 departments will realign in upcoming months to form the other three pillars - the Center for Excellence for Leadership and Professional Development, the Center for Readiness Training, and the Center for Healthcare Education and Training.
The changes will position the school for continued success, said Maj. Gen. Russell Czerw, commander, AMEDDC&S and Fort Sam Houston.
"The transformation will enhance internal and external collaborative efforts and better facilitate the Army Medical Department transformation," the general said. "Most importantly, we're positioning ourselves to best support the war fight by providing our medics with the skill-sets needed to be successful on many battlefields.
"The product you produce is phenomenal and helps our programs to be where they're at today, what I feel is the best medical department in the world," Maj. Gen. Czerw said.
AMEDD Graduate Programs include:
Aca,!Ac Army-Baylor Graduate Program in Health and Business Administration,
Aca,!Ac U.S. Army-Baylor University Doctoral Program in Physical Therapy,
Aca,!Ac Doctorate in Pastoral Care Ministry,
Aca,!Ac U.S. Army Graduate Program in Anesthesia Nursing,
Aca,!Ac Interservice Physician Assistant Program,
Aca,!Ac U.S. Military-Baylor University Post-professional Doctoral Program in Primary Care and Sports Medicine,
Aca,!Ac U.S. Army-Baylor University Post-professional Doctoral Program in Orthopaedics and Manual Therapy,
Aca,!Ac U.S. Military Graduate Program in Nutrition and
Aca,!Ac Master's in Social Work Service
(Elaine Wilson writes for the Fort Sam Houston Public Information Office.)
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