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Defense Health Agency Acting Director Dr. David Smith and Senior Enlisted Leader U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Tanya Y. Johnson hosted an employee recognition ceremony July 17 at Defense Health Headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia.
The ceremony recognized the exceptional work and innovation of service members and civilians of the year for 2024, the fourth quarter of calendar year 2024, and the first quarter of calendar year 2025.
Smith noted the importance of recognizing everyone who contributes to the DHA mission, especially the supervisors who took time to nominate their people for recognition.
"There is a large pool of awardees, which is another indication of our great organizational core," Smith said. “Congratulations to all."
Johnson also acknowledged the importance of supporting employees in their careers and expressed admiration for the knowledge and expertise of the awardees.
“When I hear innovation, I think about all of you,” said Johnson. “You are the foundation of what we do. You are the dependability, humility, and agility that we talk about in our core values.”
Here’s a full listing of the honorees driving better health outcomes, innovation, and mission success.
DHA Service Members of the Year for 2024
Junior Noncommissioned Officer: U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Victor J. Smith, Infrastructure and Operations, AD-Support, San Antonio, Texas
Smith oversees operations for all DHA IT support in the San Antonio metropolitan area across seven specialties and 16 geographically separated units.
Senior Noncommissioned Officer: U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Kristine Richardson, Medical Logistics, AD-Support, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi
Richardson directs teams in the execution of a multi-million-dollar logistics operation spanning three combatant commands, balancing manpower and driving career development for airmen across five military hospitals and clinics supporting 35,000 beneficiaries. She was also recognized as the senior noncommissioned officer for the 4th quarter of 2024.
Company Grade Officer: U.S. Air Force Capt. Kelsey A. Liu, Facilities Enterprise, AD-Resources and Personnel Integration, San Antonio, Texas
Liu led the planning efforts for a multi-million-dollar renovation of the Department of Defense genetics research lab at Keesler Air Force Base, expanding the lab's genetics mission by 3,000 square feet to incorporate RNA testing capabilities.
Field Grade Officer: U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jaime C. Zhunepluas, Program Executive Office for Medical Systems, AD-Support, San Antonio, Texas
Zhunepluas’ strategic leadership helped secure funding to drive the complex modernization of the Global Integrated Communications System across 400 military hospitals and clinics.
DHA Service Members of the Quarter, 4th Quarter 2024
Junior Noncommissioned Officer: U.S. Navy Petty Officer Second Class Nicholas Reddoch, Health Care Operations, AD-Health Care Administration, Falls Church, Virginia
Reddoch managed compliance requirements and coordinated inspections for 324 vessels to validate ship readiness and ensure laboratory safety for deployed sailors and marines.
Company Grade Officer: U.S. Air Force Capt. Alex DeSonnaville, Facilities Support, AD-Resources and Personnel Integration, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
DeSonnaville oversaw military construction, operations, and maintenance projects in Ramstein Air Base in Germany, delivering U.S. federal and medical accreditation-compliant tri-service projects.
Field Grade Officer: U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jonathan Gomez-Rivera, Facilities Enterprise, AD-Resources and Personnel Integration, Falls Church, Virginia
Gomez-Rivera is responsible for the Indo-Pacific region facilities enterprise project portfolio, leading staff on critical projects supporting 113,000 joint forces and 232,000 beneficiaries.
DHA Service Member of the Quarter, 1st Quarter 2025
Junior Noncommissioned Officer: U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Lindsey Fuentes, AD-Support, Fort Detrick, Maryland
Fuentes designed a maintenance framework for veterinary clinics and realigned the support of 10,000 devices to the closest capable agency, slashing repair response times by 92% and expediting care to pets and military working dogs.
Senior Noncommissioned Officer: U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Terrance W. Scott, Solutions Delivery Division, AD-Support, Falls Church, Virginia
Scott supported annual logistics and supply chain activity while ensuring secure, uninterrupted operations for 25,000 end-users. He also helped eliminate cybersecurity vulnerabilities to protect requisitions and transactions from compromise.
Company Grade Officer: U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. J-Carl G. Williams, Facilities Enterprise Division, AD-Resources and Personnel Integration, San Antonio, Texas
Williams’ outstanding project management skills and leadership secured requirements to enhance medical support for 16,000 patients at 9th Medical Group’s Beale Air Force Base clinic.
Field Grade Officer: U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Ryan P. O’Neil, Medical Logistics, AD-Support, Fort Detrick, Maryland
O’Neil oversees a multi-million-dollar program and diverse team across a global medical enterprise. He directed cybersecurity activities across 249 systems and 1,289 servers, thwarting more than 300,000 vulnerabilities to protect critical medical infrastructure from emerging threats.
Civilian Award Recipients
DHA Employee of the Year for 2024 – Category 1: Jenny Erichsen, Defense Health Network Continental, 20th Medical Group, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina
Erichsen added daily appointments and launched a walk-in women's health clinic, enhancing patient care and reducing delays.
DHA Employee of the Year for 2024 – Category 2: Joseph Archangel, Defense Health Network Continental, 96th Medical Group, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
Archangel has overseen several process innovations, providing high-quality, meaningful training to improve patient outcomes, whether for deployment or preparing for a life support crisis.
DHA Employee of the Year for 2024 – Category 3: Robert Tejada, Defense Health Network Central, San Antonio, Texas
Tejada trained leaders in contract management, approval, and processes and identified a central contract effort for dental equipment across the enterprise.
DHA Employee of the Quarter for 4th Quarter 2024 – Category 1: LeeAnn Weddle, Defense Health Network West, General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital, Missouri
Weddle is well-respected by course instructors and her teammates for her ability to navigate challenges, optimize medical coverage, and promote safe training conditions.
DHA Employee of the Quarter for 4th Quarter 2024 – Category 2: Cynthia Boone, Defense Health Network West, Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital, Louisiana
Boone has dedicated more than 1,600 on-call hours to assist with referrals, messages, and medication refills. She is cross trained in labor, delivery, recovery, and post-partum, as well as the emergency room department, and is also one of three installation sexual assault forensic examiners.
DHA Employee of the Quarter for 4th Quarter Of 2024 – Category 3: Chase Denton, Defense Health Network Central, 19th Medical Group, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas
Denton plays a significant part in the clinic's cutting-edge best practices, including group therapy, direct access, and the acute care clinic.
DHA Employee of the Quarter for 1st Quarter 2025 – Category 1: Heather Patrick, 23rd Medical Group, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia
Patrick ensured deployment readiness, strengthening DHA operations by training and expediting certification of technicians, accelerating capabilities by 75%. She also spearheaded inventory reconciliation and medical record transfers, streamlining operations across 76 military hospitals and clinics.
DHA Employee of the Quarter for 1st Quarter 2025 – Category 2: Ashley Piper, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland
Piper's technical and leadership skills were key to the successful planning and execution of pivotal studies to support the development of medical countermeasures and promising therapeutics against emerging biothreat agents.
DHA Employee of the Quarter for 1st Quarter 2025 – Category 3: Suzanne Firth, 673rd Medical Group, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
Firth educated medical providers, improving emergency services capabilities and reducing maternal and neonatal injury rates by 38%.
DHA People’s Choice Award for 4th Quarter 2024: Pamela Nash-Young, Office of the General Counsel, Falls Church, Virginia
Nash-Young helped organize a Global Ethics Day at Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center and developed a period of instruction and research poster on the intersection of legal and ethics matters in healthcare settings.
DHA People’s Choice Award for 1st Quarter 2025: Nicole Johnston, Medical Logistics, AD-Support, Fort Detrick, Maryland
Johnston developed and implemented a centralized, auditable process for annual equipment inventory, training accountable property officers worldwide and ensuring comprehensive understanding and compliance.
DHA Rising Leader for 4th Quarter 2024: Patricia Bredlau, Office of the General Counsel, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Bredlau keeps new employees informed of updates in health law and legal issues resulting in high quality, timely advice for military hospitals and clinics across the agency. She is an on-the-job trainer and has instilled confidence in new employees to seek guidance and propose solutions to complex legal issues.
Rising Leader for 1st Quarter 2025: Michael Kile, Healthcare Operations, AD-Health Care Administration, Falls Church, Virginia
Kile is a sought-after operational virtual health expert, expanding the Advanced Virtual Support for Operational Forces program to 17 specialties leading to a Virtual Medical Operations Center providing 24/7 support. His leadership has built an outstanding virtual health team providing superb medical readiness and mentoring of junior personnel.
DHA Positive Spirit Award for 4th Quarter 2024: Stephanie Bancroft, Defense Health Network West, General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital, Missouri
Bancroft maintains her composure in high-stress situations, and many employees rely on her expertise resulting in better outcomes for pediatric and neonatal emergencies.
DHA Positive Spirit Award for 1st Quarter 2025: Marie Penk, Defense Health Network Central, 375th Medical Group, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois
Penk has a positive spirit and is dedicated to improving patient outcomes. She developed a successful outreach strategy to increase mammography walk-ins, resulting in a 166% increase in screenings.
DHA Innovation Award for 4th Quarter 2024: Lisa Barkley, Defense Health Network Continental, 96th Medical Group, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
Barkley's innovation reduced patient wait-times and increased access to care by 50% for breast biopsy patients, culminating in faster diagnostic results and reduced patient stress.
DHA Innovation Award for 1st Quarter 2025: Charla Marshall, Armed Forces Medical Examiner System and Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory, Dover Air Force Base, Delaware
Marshall spearheaded a new standard operating procedure for the use of single nucleotide polymorphisms genotyping data, which led to 19 immediate identifications of missing service members from previously failed cases. This breakthrough is projected to increase identifications of missing service members by 20%, providing long-awaited closure for their families.
APEX Award for 4th Quarter 2024: Adam Crelling, Defense Health Network Europe, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany
Crelling invests in and develops the providers around him, positively impacting the coordination and delivery of excellent care for U.S. European Command, U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Central Command.
APEX Award for 1st Quarter 2025: Ingrid Svihla, Pharmacy Operations Division, Healthcare Operations, AD-Health Care Administration, Falls Church, Virginia
Svihla developed and executed the first virtual clinical pharmacy services conference for Military Health System pharmacists, resulting in more than 250 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians receiving 25 hours of continuing education.
DHA Good Steward Award for 4th Quarter 2024: Luis Maldonado, Defense Health Network West, General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital, Missouri
Maldonado intervened after noting a fellow employee and veteran exhibiting signs of severe emotional distress. This life-saving act exemplifies his dedication to the well-being of his coworkers and set a standard for proactive and compassionate care for the agency.
DHA Good Steward Award for 1st Quarter 2025: Andrea Kelly, Office of General Counsel, Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Kelly identified robust legal arguments in medical malpractice suits at Womack Army Medical Center leading to a pivotal legal defense in a Federal Tort Claims Act case. She also streamlined financial responsibility and ensured ethical conduct through comprehensive training and compliance with financial disclosure reporting for Defense Health Network East.
DHA Excellence in Leadership for 4th Quarter 2024: Patricia Hoogeveen, Defense Health Network Central, 19th Medical Group, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas
Hoogeveen treats more than 8,000 active duty service members and 42,000 beneficiaries in four states as an optometrist.
The event concluded with a coin presentation for Tynisha Walker in Healthcare Operations. During the TRICARE contractor transition, Walker provided vital support to healthcare providers experiencing payment issues while also managing more than 200 congressional inquiries and several hundred external organizational taskers. Her dedication helped support providers as well as military families during the transition.
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.04.2025 09:34 |
| Story ID: | 544552 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 83 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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