Skip to main content

Military Health System

MHS Team Resiliency Awards recognize medical response to COVID-19

Image of Sailors wearing masks, leaning on a table and writing on sheets of paper. Sailors wearing masks, leaning on a table and writing on sheets of paper

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Research & Innovation | Patient Safety | Patient Safety Awards Program | Ready and Resilient Award

Teams from 35 facilities throughout the Military Health System were honored during the presentation of the 2020 Team Resiliency Awards in a virtual awards ceremony held at the Defense Health Agency headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia on Dec. 14.

The awards – based on peer nominations – recognize the exemplary and heroic work by front-line staff, teams, and individuals in military medical treatment facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Created in April 2020, the awards are part of a program to recognize both clinical and non-clinical professional staff and to highlight efforts throughout the DOD.

Nearly 400 individuals and teams were recognized for their flexibility, hard work, and innovation in response to COVID-19. Another ceremony, held in August, honored more than 100 awardees.

The awards exemplified five key attributes:

  • Putting people first
  • Taking care of your team
  • Asking for and offering help
  • Taking care of yourself
  • Prioritizing the essential
  • Doing the right thing right

Submissions for the awards were made via the DHA’s Patient Safety program and are a component of Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety, or TeamSTEPPSTeam Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) is an evidence-based teamwork system designed to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare. TeamSTEPPS consists of a collection of instructions, materials and tools to help drive a successful teamwork initiative from the initial planning to implementation through to sustainment. The system is designed to improve patient safety using a three-phase approach: Phase I Assessment: Facility determines organizational readiness; Phase II Planning, Training & Implementation: Facility “decides what to do” and “makes it happen;” and Phase III Sustainment: Facility spreads the improvements in teamwork performance, clinical processes and outcomes resulting from the TeamSTEPPS initiative.TeamSTEPPS®, which reinforces critical team resiliency capabilities to mitigate risks and reinforce proven endurance strategies when faced with uncertainties.

Army Sgt. Maj. Esteban Alvarado, DHA senior enlisted leader for combat support, said personnel, facilities, and teams from throughout the MHS went above and beyond and deserved to be recognized.

Hospital personnel wearing a mask and stethoscope, listening to patient's lungs
Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Aris Pacheco listens to a patient’s lungs during a routine exam at the Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay’s Primary Care Clinic. More than 100 staff members at Naval Medical Readiness Training Command Guantanamo Bay were recognized during the awards ceremony. (Photo by Seaman Lauren Nguyen.)

“From the men and women who work tirelessly to clean our facilities to the pharmacy staff, emergency departments, public health teams, laboratory staff, corpsmen, medics, nurses, and physicians, this year has really been a trying time,” Alvarado said. “It’s fitting that we come together today to recognize a few of you.”

His observations were echoed by Dr. Paul Cordts, DHA’s chief medical officer and deputy assistant director for medical affairs.

“We see the innovation here (at DHA) that’s coming from you…we’re now on our sixth iteration of our practice management guidelines,” Cordts said. “As a leader you need to think of the resilience of your team and what it will take to keep them going and doing their heroic work.”

The awards display military medicine’s vast capabilities, especially during an unexpectedly adverse and potentially deadly situation. According to Heidi King, DHA patient safety program manager for medical affairs, it’s situations like these that show military training and resourcefulness, as well as teamwork, and can bring stability to chaos.

“There have been so many awesome stories that have come in that are being recognized, both individuals and teams, to safeguard our staff as well as our patients, and this just shows how we are ready and reliable and resilient during this heightened stress and uncertain times,” King said.

One example, featuring dozens of awardees, was Naval Hospital Rota in Spain.

Like other commands outside the continental United States, proactive and creative responses including a “pseudo-ICU” were needed early in the pandemic to deal with factors such as the lack of established evidence-based practices or higher authority guidance due to COVID-19’s swift spread through Europe prior to its arrival in the United States.

“Battling COVID and social isolation, the team at Naval Hospital Rota was able to effectively mitigate spread and yield 100% force health protection success as evidenced by Naval Hospital Rota’s selection for this and other awards,” said Navy Cmdr. David Paz, Rota’s chief medical officer.

The Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center in Ft. Hood, Texas, also recognized dozens of staff members who quickly adapted to their new reality.

“The biggest contributors were open communication, team collaboration, and knowledge-sharing, as well as encouragement and massive cross-training,” said Sonya Woodson, chief of patient safety at Ft. Hood. “It was instrumental in the team’s ability to not only overcome challenges, but create multiple avenues to delivering health care innovations.”

Another example was Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, where more than 100 staff members were recognized.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a spotlight, of course, on our health care heroes,” said Executive Officer Navy Capt. Anja Dabelić. “Through teamwork, resiliency and championing, Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay staff has adapted to these challenges through multi-disciplinary teams and a COVID-19 task force.”

Measures taken at Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay included the construction of a triage center, quarantine tent, a negative pressure isolation center, single points of entry for patients and staff and a drive-through pharmacy.

“This is truly a peer-to-peer award, and you all spent a lot of time putting in the effort to recognize your peers at the front line of what military medicine is all about,” said Dr. Brian Lein, DHA assistant director for health care administration, “patient safety, focusing on the patient, and going that extra mile in support of staff that are around you.”

The DHA Patient Safety Program is accepting and reviewing submissions for the next round of awards. Military hospitals and clinics can nominate as many individuals and teams as they wish.

Anyone with questions about the award can email the Patient Safety Program. To nominate an individual or team, please visit the TeamSTEPPSTeam Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) is an evidence-based teamwork system designed to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare. TeamSTEPPS consists of a collection of instructions, materials and tools to help drive a successful teamwork initiative from the initial planning to implementation through to sustainment. The system is designed to improve patient safety using a three-phase approach: Phase I Assessment: Facility determines organizational readiness; Phase II Planning, Training & Implementation: Facility “decides what to do” and “makes it happen;” and Phase III Sustainment: Facility spreads the improvements in teamwork performance, clinical processes and outcomes resulting from the TeamSTEPPS initiative.TeamSTEPPS page on the Patient Safety Learning Center site.

You also may be interested in...

Frontline Expeditionary Dental Care is Near-Time Reality

Article Around MHS
1/26/2023
Field Portable Dental System

U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity’s Warfighter Deployed Medical Systems is working to modernize several field deployable dental treatment systems to provide dental treatments to warfighters in a not-so typical way.

Recommended Content:

Dental Health | Research & Innovation

U.S. Army Medical Laboratory Forges Relationship with Australian Defence Force Institute

Article Around MHS
1/25/2023
Military personnel in medical laoratory

American soldiers from the 1st Area Medical Laboratory were hosted by their counterparts at the Australian Defence Force Malaria and Infectious Disease Institute in Brisbane, Australia. Find out what was discussed at this meeting to strengthen critical relationships, save lives, and enable both sides' mission readiness.

Recommended Content:

Building Partner Capacity and Interoperability | Health Readiness & Combat Support | Research & Innovation

Genome Sequencing Assists Research at Naval Health Research Center

Article
1/24/2023
Lab technicians doing genome research

Learn how unique samples from naval vessels, US-Mexico border populations, and DOD beneficiaries aided in the Naval Health Research Center’s sequencing efforts.

Recommended Content:

Research & Innovation | Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Coronavirus

U.S. Military HIV Research Lends Lessons Learned to COVID-19

Article
1/19/2023
Gloved hands working in laboratory

The U.S. military has engaged in HIV research for three decades, contributing critical lessons learned, knowledge, and expertise during the COVID-19 research and vaccine development effort.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response | DOD HIV/AIDS Prevention Program | Research & Innovation | Coronavirus

Naval Medical Research Center Uses Genome Sequencing for Variants

Article
1/12/2023
Military personnel pose for a group photo

NMRC’s efforts provided important support for sequencing and viral isolation to the Department of Defense and Military Health System.

Recommended Content:

Research & Innovation | Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Coronavirus

DOD Aims to Shield Warfighters From Novel Biological Agents

Article Around MHS
1/11/2023
Military personnel in chemical cloud

Newer and more complicated biological battlefield threats are prompting the need for stronger countermeasures. We explain the DOD's new advances in medical countermeasures - including cutting edge technology and artificial intelligence - to keep the warfighters operational and combat ready.

Recommended Content:

Research & Innovation | Chemical and Biological Exposures

“Call for Abstracts” Opens for 2023 MHS Research Symposium

Article
1/10/2023
Attendees enjoying the 2022 MHSRS scientific poster presentation

Preparations for the 2023 MHSRS are currently underway! Learn how you can qualify to present at the DOD's premier scientific meeting for the unique medical needs of the warfighter. (Deadline for abstracts: Feb. 19th)

Recommended Content:

Research & Innovation | MHS Research Symposium

USAMRIID Focuses on Genome Sequencing to Detect Variants

Article
1/5/2023
Military medical personnel in laboratory

A connected family of laboratories across the MHS allows a more rapid response to the outbreak.

Recommended Content:

Research & Innovation | Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Coronavirus

Uniformed Services University Professor Develops Self-Diagnosis, Treatment Kit for Common Female Infections

Article Around MHS
1/4/2023
USU infographic with Dr. Elizabeth Kostas-Polston

It's a major research advancement in women's health and females serving in the U.S. military may soon have access to it. See how a new, self-diagnosis and self-treatment kit can help deployed women overseas or in austere environments.

Recommended Content:

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences | Research & Innovation | Women's Health

Whole Genome Sequencing at Tripler Army Medical Center

Article
12/29/2022
Dr. Keith Fong reviews data with other lab technicians

The third installment in a 6-part series highlighting the efforts of the Military Health System laboratories and the technicians who worked to identify COVID-19 variants using special sequencing technology.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Research & Innovation | Coronavirus

Air Force Research Laboratory Launches Wearable Biomolecular Sensors Program

Article Around MHS
12/29/2022
Military personnel demonstrating a wearable human performance monitoring device

It's like an aircraft's "black box" - that Soldiers wear. Learn about the research collaboration that will literally "arm" warfighters with a sensor to track their well-being during critical missions, predicting performance and health issues before they occur.

Recommended Content:

Research & Innovation | Health Care Technology

Tele-Critical Care Brings New Capability to Womack Army Medical Center

Article Around MHS
12/27/2022
Military medical personnel demonstrating new tele-critical care medicine

This groundbreaking new tool gives critically ill patients access to 24/7 monitoring by deploying medical experts who can get them help immediately. See how it works, and why military medical experts are calling it the fail-safe mechanism that cannot be underestimated.

Recommended Content:

Telehealth Program | Health Care Technology | Research & Innovation

Defense Threat Reduction Agency Celebrates Opening of New Training Center

Article Around MHS
12/27/2022
Defense Threat Reduction Agency members

It's been eight years in the making! Now, learn more about this ceremonial culmination of a large, global collaboration toward preventing future disease outbreaks and biological threats.

Recommended Content:

Research & Innovation | Building Partner Capacity and Interoperability | Biological Threat Reduction Program | Ebola

Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Implements SARS-CoV-2 Genome Sequencing

Article
12/23/2022
Military medical personnel in laboratory

This is the second article in a 6-part series that highlights the work of technicians and scientists in Military Health System laboratories who worked to identify COVID-19 variants using special sequencing technology.

Recommended Content:

Global Health Engagement | Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Research & Innovation

U.S. Army Medical Team Helps Smithsonian National Zoo to Protect Endangered Red Pandas

Article Around MHS
12/23/2022
Red panda at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo

A U.S. Army medical team contributed to an investigation into the cause of death of a red panda at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. The findings will ultimately help to protect the endangered species.

Recommended Content:

Research & Innovation
<< < 1 2 3 4 5  ... > >> 
Showing results 16 - 30 Page 2 of 36
Refine your search
Last Updated: December 07, 2022
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery