Photo By Sean Hall | (Pictured from right to left): Brig. Gen. Deydre S. Teyhen, commanding general,...... read more read more
MADIGAN ARMY MEDICAL CENTER, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. – Madigan Army Medical Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., bid farewell to one commander and welcomed another in a change of command ceremony at Madigan’s Swan Plaza on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, as Col. Hope M. Williamson-Younce handed over leadership to Col. James “Jimmy” Watts.
Watts began his Army career in 1998 upon graduation from the United States Military Academy. Following graduation, he attended the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine and completed his Graduate Medical Education at Madigan Army Medical Center, Brooke Army Medical Center, and Massachusetts General Hospital. He is board-certified in Cardiovascular Medicine and a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. Watts is also a graduate of the U.S. Army War College and the Carlisle Scholars Program. His return to Madigan as commander of the organization is poetic, according to Watts.
“So everyone, I definitely express our sincere gratitude to the Madigan family and JBLM community for welcoming us back here after a 20-year absence. As you guys know, this was our first home as an Army family,” Watts remarked. “ Twenty years ago, we left University of Miami, Florida with each other and our dog, Jesse, as a big Rottweiler in two cars and really no furniture or anything like that, and we landed here in Madigan, and the team then embraced us, brought us into the Army family, and showed us an incredibly important and enduring experience that shaped my career going forward. And I will tell you that it's those memories that are forged into my soul, and I commit to each and every one of you to give you a phenomenal experience to start or continue on your Army journey as you move forward in your professional careers,” Watts added.
Madigan’s new commander gave multiple references to Madigan’s spirit of care with compassion and a culture focused on putting people first. “I will tell you, we are starting from a position of strength here at Madigan. This organization emanates soul, and it comes from the heart of its people. The people are our center of gravity here,” added Watts.
As Williamson-Younce relinquished command, she handed the unit’s colors to the ceremony’s presiding official, Brig. Gen. Deydre S. Teyhen, commanding general, Medical Readiness Command, Pacific & director, Defense Health Network Indo-Pacific. Madigan’s Swan Plaza served as a majestic backdrop for the ceremony on a sunny summer afternoon, with Mount Rainier in clear view.
“We are so excited to recognize this amazing team, and I know I said it a minute ago, but what you guys do day in and day out to support this community is clearly outstanding,” said Teyhen. “I would like to give the team one more round of applause. Today's ceremony is more than the passing of the colors; it's a reaffirmation of our enduring mission to deliver safe, high-quality care and build readiness anytime, anywhere, always. Madigan stands as a beacon of excellence, not only as a role for casualty receiving platform, but as a premier graduate medical education institute,” Teyhen added.
Willamson-Younce took the helm of Madigan as commander in the summer of 2023, just one year after beginning the transition of civilian personnel, assets, and operational authority to the Defense Health Agency. Teyhen noted the progress at Madigan over the last two years stating, “As was mentioned before in the last two years, 2.2 million patient encounters, Operating Rooms (ORs) grew from four ORs to 12 ORs during her tenure, which allows us to bring the complex care back. That complex care from the ORs lets us have a thriving graduate medical education program. She's doubled the emergency department beds, which allows us to bring trauma in so that we can actually train here at the top of our credentials. During her tenure, we also gained the 2025 LeapFrog Grade A Score.”
Teyhen also noted the size and scope of commanding Madigan, saying “What I would like to highlight in Col. Williamson-Younce's leadership is that she led with this idea of ‘how do we take the pebbles out of people's shoe who work so hard to serve this community?’” Williamson-Younce led a staff of 4,000 professionals in 66 different facilities in the Pacific Northwest with a budget of $656 million, delivering care to 128,000 patients.
“You've been taking pebbles out of people's shoes so that we can focus on the mission,” Teyhen remarked.
Holding the ceremony at Madigan’s Swan Plaza, the tranquil heart of Madigan for staff and patients alike, was a departure from previous change of command ceremonies for Madigan as a tribute to the entire Madigan team.
In her parting remarks to the Madigan staff and attendees of the ceremony, including active-duty and retired military leaders, community partners, staff and special guests, Williamson-Younce praised the team at Madigan saying, “I envisioned that the people of Madigan Army Medical Center would line these walls. Today, again, it's for you. We wanted to inspire you all and let you know that we see you, we honor you, and we thank you for your service.”
“Such an awesome day again here at Swan Plaza with the historic Madigan Hospital Tower in the backdrop, with our great staff right now standing their watch,” said Williamson-Younce. “I believe this is quite fitting as we pay tribute to the Madigan team and our Indo-Pacific partners, past, present and future. Madigan is the tallest building on JBLM and stands today as a beacon of hope, health, and healing from the battlefields of 1944, where we treated 7,000 casualties, to the strategic front lines of today and into every uncertain tomorrow.”
Indeed, Madigan has a storied history and legacy in military healthcare since September 22, 1944, when War Department General Order Number 76 officially redesignated Fort Lewis General Hospital as Madigan General Hospital after Colonel Patrick S. Madigan, who died suddenly that same year. Madigan General Hospital was formally dedicated in August 1945 and named in honor of Dr. Madigan, a Medical Officer who was known as the father of Army neuropsychiatry, including an interest in post-traumatic stress as a result of his experiences as a regimental surgeon in the 7th Infantry Division during World War I. Madigan General Hospital continued to grow over the years with the many modernizations and upgrades.
Today, Madigan Army Medical Center is a system of health with medical facilities in Washington and California, including the Sierra Army Depot, Fort Hunter Leggit, Camp Roberts, Joint Base Lewis-McCord Dental Activity, and the California Medical Detachment at the Presidio of Monterey, while serving more than 100,000 active-duty service members, retirees, and families. Much like its civilian counterparts, Madigan Army Medical Center is a tertiary care center. It provides a wide variety of medical services, including a 24-hour level 2 trauma emergency room, a level 2 neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU), a pediatric ICU, inpatient and intensive outpatient behavioral services, and wellness services.
Madigan’s recent change of command ceremony was streamed live and can viewed at: Facebook.com/Madiganhealth
| Date Taken: | 08.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.11.2025 12:00 |
| Story ID: | 545334 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 54 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Madigan holds Change of Command Ceremony at Swan Plaza, by Joseph Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
