A Defense Health Agency occupational health nurse from Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Hood, Texas, recently traveled to Munson Army Health Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to backfill a critical occupational health role, ensuring the installation continued to meet local regulatory requirements and maintain workforce readiness.
The temporary assignment highlighted DHA’s integrated staffing model, which enables clinicians to move seamlessly between military treatment facilities to sustain operations and support the mission.
“This is a great example of how the Defense Health Agency allows us to be truly plug-and-play,” said Munson Army Health Center Director, Col. Jolanda L.J. Walker. “Health care and health care support staff can step-in across military treatment facilities, integrate, and ensure we continue meeting local requirements while supporting the mission.”
Occupational health nurses play a vital role in readiness by monitoring how workplace environments impact the long-term health of service members and the federal civilian workforce. Their responsibilities include conducting regulatory surveillance exams, compliance driven screenings, and identifying early signs of health changes related to occupational exposures such as noise or hazardous materials.
“Occupational health nursing is unique because we focus on how someone’s job impacts their health over time,” said Stephanie Manogin, the occupational health nurse from Fort Hood, who provided on-site support at Munson. “Whether it’s monitoring hearing in noisy environments or tracking exposure risks, we’re helping catch changes early and keeping the workforce healthy and ready.”
Manogin worked in close coordination with Department of Public Health Deputy Chief Lt. Col. (Dr.) Nina Rodriguez, an occupational medicine physician from Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center. Rodriguez completed her required occupational health exams remotely for Fort Leavenworth personnel with Manogin’s assistance in the Public Health Clinic at Munson.
“The effort also aligns with DHA’s expanding use of virtual occupational health capabilities, which allow providers to conduct portions of occupational health evaluations remotely while maintaining regulatory compliance and continuity of care,” said Munson’s Deputy Commander for Nursing, Col. Gwendolyn O’Keefe, who helped support the visit. “We are incredibly grateful for the support provided through DHA and our teammates at CRDAMC.”
This was Manogin’s second trip to Munson since the fall, supporting completion of about 160 essential occupational health screenings.
Traveling about 700 miles from home, Manogin said she enjoyed the opportunity to experience a different part of the country complete with a winter snowstorm that blanketed the installation with about six inches of snow in 24-hours.
"The snow was very pretty and something we don't typically see in [Fort Hood,] Texas," Manogin added.
The collaborative approach ensured occupational health services continued without disruption, directly supporting Force health protection and operational readiness. By leveraging clinical expertise across locations, DHA enabled Munson Army Health Center to meet mission demands while safeguarding the health of the Fort Leavenworth workforce.
| Date Taken: |
02.05.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
02.05.2026 14:02 |
| Story ID: |
557542 |
| Location: |
FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: |
17 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
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This work, DHA Collaboration Delivers Occupational Health Support to Fort Leavenworth, by Maria Christina Yager, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
