For Capt. Delaney Washburn, to be a Trusted Care Hero is less about recognition and more about the daily effort it takes to meet the mission and provide high-quality patient care.
A family medicine physician and core faculty member in the family medicine residency program at the 60th Medical Group, Travis Air Force Base, California, Washburn balances patient care with a commitment to developing the next generation of Air Force Medical Service professionals.
In addition to managing a patient panel, Washburn teaches residents and medical students in outpatient and inpatient settings, while leading procedure clinics to develop their hands-on skills ranging from skin biopsies to obstetric ultrasounds.
“I loved every rotation of medical school and wanted a specialty in which I could care for patients at every age and stage of life,” she said. “Family medicine was a perfect fit.”
Her commitment to educating others became especially important while deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Working in a smaller medical setting gave Washburn opportunities to identify gaps in warfighter patient care and respond with targeted education.
While deployed, she helped improve concussion and mild traumatic brain injury management. She reviewed initial treatment practices, educated providers across the medical squadron and worked with the nursing team to develop a tracking tool for patients diagnosed with mild TBIs. The tool helped increase follow-up rates while identifying trends in the underlying causes of injuries.
Washburn also shared her clinical expertise with 4N medics, nurses and providers through evidence-based practice training, including local anesthesia and battlefield acupuncture courses.
Col. Michelle Dimoff, 379th Expeditionary Medical Squadron commander, nominated her for the AFMS Trusted Care Hero recognition.
“She is a deeply respected and valued leader who consistently makes our team and our mission stronger,” Dimoff said. “Her work builds a commitment to resiliency by creating stronger systems and more knowledgeable personnel.”
For Washburn, investing in military medics is ultimately an investment in the mission. She recalled the peace of mind she felt when her spouse received care from the military health system while she was deployed. In that critical moment, she knew her family was in expert hands.
“This experience reminded me again that the care we provide as physicians often goes far beyond the individual person … what we do can impact patients, their families, and the Air Force mission in ways that may not always be initially obvious,” she said.
Washburn views her Trusted Care Hero recognition as a reflection of the values she sees in the medical professionals around her.
“Trusted Care Heros are what I think of as ‘everyday heroes,’” she said. “Showing up every day determined to make their workplace a little better, treating each patient to the highest standard, rallying the team, and being satisfied even if those actions go unrecognized.”