Tripler surgeon honored with 'Mahalo Award'

By Stephanie Bryant, Tripler Army Medical Center Public AffairsJune 7, 2012

Tripler surgeon honored with 'Mahalo Award'
HONOLULU -- Lt. Col. Joseph Sniezek, chief, Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, Tripler Army Medical Center, was presented with the Mahalo Service Award from the Hawaii Speech-Language Hearing Foundation April 12, during the annual Hawaii Speech-L... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

HONOLULU -- One of Tripler's own recently received the Mahalo Service Award from the Hawaii Speech-Language Hearing Foundation.

The award was given to Lt. Col. Joseph Sniezek, chief, Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, Tripler Army Medical Center, April 12, during the annual Hawaii Speech-Language-Hearing Association convention.

The Mahalo Service Award recognizes non-HSHA members who have made meaningful contributions to serving patients or students with communication disabilities.

Dr. Pauline Mashima, chief, Speech Pathology, TAMC, nominated Sniezek for the award because she felt he was the perfect candidate for the award after working with him for the past 11 years.

"Dr. Sniezek inspires members of his team including (Ear Nose and Throat) staff and residents, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and a corps of support staff, by serving as an exemplar of professionalism, dedication, and commitment to excellence with the goal of providing the best we have to offer our patients," Mashima wrote on his nomination form. "He has been a champion of our efforts to develop guidance for cognitive-communication rehabilitation for (speech-language pathologists) working with service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with mild traumatic brain injury."

Sniezek, who has served as the chief of Otolaryngology for the last 4.5 years, was honored by his nomination and selection.

"It's an incredible honor to be nominated and receive this award," Sniezek said. "It is also very humbling because the folks who nominated me are truly world class speech pathologists who are defining the way that (traumatic brain injury) patients throughout the (Veterans Affairs) and (Department of Defense) are treated and rehabilitated."

"It makes me incredibly proud to know that this work is being done right here at TAMC and we are truly leading the (Army Medical Department) in this regard," Sniezek added.