Photo By Jessica Dowell | PORTSMOUTH, Va. (July 1, 2020) - Rear Adm. Darin K. Via, right, virtually salutes Rear...... read more read more
PORTSMOUTH, Va.— Naval Medical Forces Atlantic (MEDLANT) conducted its change of command ceremony on July 1, in order to preserve a time-honored Navy tradition while observing social distancing and health and safety protocols in the time of Coronavirus 2019 (COVID 19).
MEDLANT held a change of command ceremony where Rear Adm. Anne Swap was relieved by Rear Adm. Darin Via as commander, Naval Medical Forces Atlantic, and senior market manager, Tidewater Military Health System.
The event was presided over by Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham, surgeon general of the Navy, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
“What you’ve done for Navy Medicine isn’t in your award write up,” Gillingham said. “It’s not covered by a dozen pages of statistics or glowing fitness reports. Your remarkable performance, inspirational leadership, sound resource stewardship, and vision have inspired professionalism, commitment, and tireless effort on behalf of your 26,500 staff located across the globe.”
Swap, a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, assumed command of MEDLANT more than three and a half years ago. Her next position will be as director, National Capital Medical Directorate, Defense Health Agency, Washington, D.C.
Swap, in her role as commander, MEDLANT, exercised superior command and control over an Echelon III headquarters command comprised of 19 military treatment facilities, 68 branch clinics, 10 public health activities, 1 dental battalion, and an annual $1.5 billion dollar budget all in support of providing care to more than 1 million eligible beneficiaries across the globe.
As senior market manager, Tidewater Military Health System, Swap led and orchestrated healthcare integration between three military treatment facilities and 12 satellite clinics with a combined Defense Health Program budget of more than $1 billion dollars, 272 operational beds, 20 operating rooms, 8,000 staff, and 400,000 beneficiaries.
Swap spoke directly to her MEDLANT team and thanked staff past and present for their love of medicine and commitment to the command, stating, “You, the MEDLANT team, are masters of the art of medicine and the fleet sails because of you,” said Swap. “You underpin every strike package, every ship at sea, and every school house. Don’t forget that.”
Via, the new commander, comes to MEDLANT from the Medical Resources, Plans, and Policy Division of the Chief of Naval Operations, where he served as the director. Via, a Navy anesthesiologist, has served in a variety of clinical, operational, and leadership positions during his 35-year career, including the USNS Comfort during Operation Noble Eagle and multiple combat deployment tours in Iraq and Afghanistan during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
Via also served as the command surgeon, U.S. Pacific Fleet, where he directed and oversaw all force health protection, warfighter mission medical readiness, and strategic medical efforts in the Pacific. Via was selected as the first Navy medical officer to serve as the U.S. Central Command surgeon responsible for all health services support in theater.
Via thanked Swap for her leadership and congratulated her on her successful tour. “Where will we go moving forward?” Via asked. “Not much has to change. We will continue the initiatives that make MEDLANT successful, in line with the surgeon general’s priorities. We will continue to put ready units out the door, making sure they have the people and platforms they need to serve our Navy and our nation,” said Via.
The change of command ceremony photos will be posted to DVIDS following the ceremony at: https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/MEDLANT.
Naval Medical Forces Atlantic, headquartered in Portsmouth, Virginia, provides well-trained medical experts, operating as high performance teams, to project medical power in support of naval superiority. Led by Rear Adm. Darin K. Via, the command ensures the warfighter is medically ready; makes certain medical forces are manned, trained, and equipped to meet the operational mission; and increases the survivability of those who go in harm’s way.
| Date Taken: | 07.01.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 07.02.2020 12:55 |
| Story ID: | 373339 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 645 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Naval Medical Forces Atlantic Conducts Change of Command, by Tia Nichole McMillen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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