Surgeon General Signs Healthcare Covenant, Honors Excellence at Military Health System Conference

By Michael ElliottFebruary 6, 2012

Army Medicine Healthcare Covenant
The Army Surgeon General and Medical Commander, LTG Patricia Horoho, and Command Sgt. Maj. Donna Brock, U.S. Army Medical Command Senior Enlisted Advisor, signed a new Army Medicine Healthcare Covenant. The covenant signed 2 Feb., during the Army bre... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The Army Surgeon General and Medical Commander, LTG Patricia Horoho, asked Soldiers and Civilians in the audience to stand as she and Command Sgt. Maj. Donna Brock, U.S. Army Medical Command Senior Enlisted Advisor, signed a new Army Medicine Healthcare Covenant. The covenant signed 2 Feb., during the Army breakout and final day of the Military Health System Conference is leadership's commitment to the health, wellness and resilience of the Force and their Families.

"We are signing a document today but it is more than a signature or words on paper. Our promise is clear -- we will continue to expertly care for the Force and their Families while we are on a mission of health," Horoho said.

"Health is a shared responsibility between patients and Army Medicine; and Army Medicine is leaning forward as we collaborate with our sister services and leading the health conversation in our Nation."

The covenant is a symbol of trust by Army Medicine to partner and provide all Army Medicine patients--Soldiers, Retirees and Family members the quality care and service they earned through years of service and sacrifice.

HOOAH -- came the call and response from Command Sgt. Maj. Brock to the excited audience. "Our commitment to the Force and their Families is ever present and our signatures here today solidify this Covenant," she said.

Horoho and Brock also presented Winter Performance Awards and checks totaling $3.75 million to 27 of 33 military treatment facilities (MTFs) and 2 of 5 Regional Dental Commands in recognition of excellence achieved in Medical Evidence Based Practice, Patient Satisfaction, Access to Care and Service Growth during the period March through August 2010 and the same period for 2011.

Commanders, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers and Civilians representing the five Army Medicine Regions (Northern, Southern, Western, Pacific and Europe) joined Horoho and Brock on stage to receive an award and a check presented to their command.

The Europe Regional Medical Command (RMC) led by Brig. Gen. Nadja West and Command Sgt. Maj., Robert Luciano, received an award and check for $360000, in recognition of achievement by the Bavaria Medical Activity (MEDDAC) and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

The Pacific RMC led by Brig. Gen. Keith Gallagher and Command Sgt. Maj. William Franklin, received an award and check for $480000, in recognition of outstanding performance and achievement by MEDDAC-Korea, Tripler Army Medical Center (AMC), Honolulu, Hawaii and BG Crawford Sams AMC, Japan.

An award and check for $720000 was also presented to the Northern RMC, led by Brig. Gen. Joseph Caravalho and Command Sgt. Maj. Benjamin Scott for excellence achieved by the Kenner Army Health Clinic (AHC), for Lee VA., Ireland Army Community Hospital, (ACH), Fort Knox Ky., Keller ACH, West Point, N.Y., Womack AMC, Fort Bragg, N.C., and Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center, Fort Meade, Md.

Maj. Gen. General Phillip Volpe and Command Sgt. Maj. Tuileam Nua, representing the Western RMC came to the stage to receive a check and award totaling $900000 for excellence achieved by the R.W. Bliss AHC, El Paso Texas., Irwin ACH, Fort Riley Kan., Evans ACH, Fort Carson, Colo., Munson Health Clinic, Fort Leavenworth Kan., William Beaumont AMC, El Paso Texas., Gen. Leonard Wood ACH, Fort Leonard Wood Mo., Madigan AMC, Joint Base Lewis-McChord., and Weed ACH, Fort Irwin, Calif.

Next, the Southern RMC, led by Maj. Gen. Ted Wong and Command Sgt. Maj. Marshall Huffman, received an award and check for $1.18 million to thundering applause and cheers from the audience in recognition of excellence achieved by Lyster AHC, Fort Rucker, Ala., Blanchfield ACH, Fort Campbell, Ky., Fox AHC, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., Dwight D. Eisenhower AMC, Fort Gordon, Ga., Martin ACH, Fort Benning Ga., Reynolds ACH, Fort Sill, Okla., Moncrief ACH, Fort Jackson S.C., Winn ACH, Fort Stewart, Ga., and the San Antonio Military Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas.

Col. Priscilla Hamilton and Sgt. Maj. Jaime Nunez-Acosta representing the U.S. Army Dental Command received an award and check, for $110000 in recognition of performance excellence achieved by the combined efforts of Northern and Western Regional Dental Commands (RDCs).

The Army Surgeon General's Excalibur Award, an award presented to recognize teams and organizations that demonstrate innovative thinking who continuously strive to work smarter to improve performance, was also presented during the Army breakout. Five categories received 28 nominations for the 2011 award period. Col. Doreen Lounsberry, Army Medicine's Chief of Quality Management, joined Horoho and Brock on stage to present the awards.

Col. Timothy Lamb accepted an award on behalf of Martin ACH, Fort Benning, Ga., for the category TDA MTF, Active Component, Direct Clinical Impact for their project entitled Soldier Centered Care - The Soldier's PCMH (Patient Centered Medical Home). The Soldier Centered Care Model increased the return of the trainees to their units from 16.5 to 85 percent, significantly decreasing lost training days.

In the category of TDA MTF, Active Component, Indirect, Col. John McGrath accepted an award on behalf of Evans Army Community Hospital, Fort Carson, Colo., for their project entitled Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES), Electronic Database Tracking System (EDTS). Improvements in the IDES processing resulted in a 60 percent time saved and a cost avoidance of $1,951,302 in personnel annually.

Col. Hamilton, in the category of TDA Non-MTF, Active Component, accepted an award on behalf of the U.S. Army Dental Command for their project: Electronic Dental Soldier Readiness Processing (SRP). The team developed synchronized electronic validation processes, which created a seamless system of trusted, synchronized dental readiness data for the Reserve Component.

This eliminated multiple paper processing and human decision-making processes, leading to dramatic improvements in SRP processing efficiency, cost savings and data integrity.

Capt. Shawn Defries, accepted an award on behalf of the 1st Cavalry Division Consolidated Physical Therapy Clinic for the category of TOE, Active Component. The clinic consolidated the assigned physical therapy assets within the Division footprint to provide Soldiers increased access to care for comprehensive rehabilitation/injury prevention services. As a result, wait times for appointments were cut in half and available appointments quadrupled leading to potential annual profit of nearly 1 million dollars.

Rodriguez Army Health Clinic, Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico accepted an award for their project entitled Personalismo: Building an Army Medicine Culture of Trust in a Latino United States Reserve and National Guard Community. Col. Danny Jaghab, accepted the award on behalf of the clinic that was recognized for improving continuity of care and access to care in the network for U.S. National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers. the project resulted in a 21 percent decrease in the number of visits, a 4 percent reduction in services used and a 9 percent cost savings in 10 months.

Mr. Ken Canestrini, director of the TRICARE Division for MEDCOM joined Horoho and Brock on stage to present the 2011 Beneficiary Counseling and Assistance Coordinator award to Ms. Denise Dibble, Darnall AMC, Fort Hood, Texas and Southern RMC. The 2011 Debt Collection Assistance Officer (DCAO) of the Year Award was presented to Ms. Elfinesh Worku, Heidelberg MEDDAC, Heidelberg, Germany, Europe RMC.

The awards are honorary awards presented annually by MEDCOM to recognize two individuals for outstanding contributions in support of Army Medicine beneficiaries. The RMCs submitted their nominations and MEDCOM convened a special board to select the winners. Dibble and Worku each received a plaque, a letter of appreciation and a cash award for $2000.

Col. Patrick Grady, MEDCOM's Director for Programs, Analysis and Evaluation, joined Horoho and Brock on stage to present the 2011 Readiness Awards given to recognize overall program success towards meeting Army medical readiness goals. There are three key measures considered for this award. First, the percentage of medical profiling officers and profile approving authorities who successfully completed the web-based provider certification course. Second, the percentage of Medical Readiness Class 1 and 2 Soldiers (Medically Ready) and third, the percentage Medical Readiness Class 4 Soldiers (Status Indeterminate).

Camp Zama, led by Col. Kathleen Ryan and Sgt. Maj. Henry Myrick and the BG Crawford Sams U.S. AHC, Japan received a check and award for $120000. Evans ACH, Fort Carson, Colo., led by Col. John M. McGrath and Command Sgt. Maj. Ly Lac received an award and check for $160000.

The final award for the afternoon was presented to Baynes-Jones ACH, Fort Polk, La., led by Col. David Dunning and Command Sgt. Maj. Jayme Johnson, who received an award and check for $140000.

Horoho concluded the conference by thanking the Soldiers and Civilians for their service, passion and ideas as members of the Army Medicine Family and for always working to always working to strengthen the culture of trust. She also issued a challenge.

"Moving from a healthcare system to a system for health -- particularly under a new MHS Governance model, will demand that each one of us do our part," Horoho said.

"I challenge you to think "out of the box" to answer this question every day.

"What do our patients need and how can we move them to health?" I'm confident that, collectively we can lead the Army-- and the Nation to a more effective and efficient patient-centered system of health."