Photo By Marcy Sanchez | Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel Jr. (left), commanding general, Regional Health...... read more read more
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William Beaumont Army Medical Center concurrently held a change of command and change of responsibility ceremony at Fort Bliss, July 18.
During the ceremony, Col. John A. Smyrski III relinquished command of WBAMC to Col. Erik Rude and Command Sgt. Maj. Donald George relinquished responsibility to interim WBAMC command sergeant major, Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Fetzer.
The event welcomed Maj. Gen. Thomas R. Tempel Jr, commanding general, Regional Health Command-Central.
“(George and Smyrski) have been extraordinary leaders, it’s my honor to thank both of you for your tremendous contributions to this command and to Army Medicine,” said Tempel. “WBAMC has absolutely responded to the challenges of a rapidly changing environment by creating key relationships that were essential to maintain the trust of those we serve and those we serve with.”
The outgoing command team oversaw multiple achievements at WBAMC during their tenure including trailblazing the deployment of the latest robotic surgical system in the Department of Defense, DoD’s first Certified Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, various initiatives and improvements for mothers delivering at WBAMC, multiple surgical firsts in vascular, ENT and oral-maxillofacial surgery and, most recently, acquisition of the Army Safety and Occupational Health Star making WBAMC the first and only medical center in the continental United States to achieve this award.
“(George and Smyrski) developed a ready-medical Force at WBAMC and a medically-ready force at Fort Bliss,” said Tempel. “The entire staff at WBAMC has elevated the level of care at WBAMC to an unprecedented one.”
Prior to the official ceremony, Tempel awarded George and Smyrski each with the Legion of Merit award for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of services. The award is the United States’ sixth highest award.
“It has been an unbelievable privilege to serve you these past two years, together we continue the WBAMC tradition of excellence in the healthcare community,” said Smyrski, a native of Hastings, Minnesota. “I’m very proud of what (WBAMC) does every day in support of our Nation’s Army.”
Upon departing WBAMC, Smyrski is slated to head the Health Services Division at U.S. Army Human Resources Command.
“Every man wants to leave a legacy; I believe caring for people is the legacy (the outgoing command team) leaves at WBAMC,” said Smyrski.
“(WBAMC staff) made (the outgoing command team’s) job easy with their professionalism and can-do attitude,” said George, whose next assignment will be at the Office of the Surgeon General. “If asked to, I would do it all over again.”
Rude, a Medical Services Corps aviator, comes to WBAMC after serving as special assistant to the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“I will give (WBAMC) 100 percent every day, I guarantee you that,” said Rude, the hospital’s 41st commander whose Army roots trace back to Fort Bliss where his Advanced Individual Training took place. “I feel like I’ve come home. I couldn’t have picked a better place.”
William Beaumont Army Medical Center provides outpatient primary care, specialty care, surgical care, emergency care and inpatient services to nearly 100,000 DoD-eligible beneficiaries across Fort Bliss / El Paso, Texas and Southern New Mexico. The hospital also serves as a level III trauma center in El Paso and provides emergency, inpatient, and specialty referral services to nearly 75,000 El Paso VA Health Care System veterans.
| Date Taken: | 07.21.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 07.21.2017 13:59 |
| Story ID: | 242073 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TX, US |
| Hometown: | EL PASO, TX, US |
| Hometown: | HASTINGS, MN, US |
| Web Views: | 277 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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