Skip to main content

Military Health System

Test of Sitewide Banner

This is a test of the sitewide banner capability. In the case of an emergency, site visitors would be able to visit the news page for addition information.

Military medicine heroes recognized for COVID-19 pandemic response

Image of Photo of the virtual "Heroes of Military Medicine" award ceremony. Army General Gustave Perna credited “the true unsung heroes” of the COVID-19 pandemic, “the over 100,000 Americans who supported clinical trials, who made delivering hundreds of millions of vaccines possible.” Perna made his remarks virtually to the Henry Jackson Foundation “Heroes of Military Medicine” awards ceremony May 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C., where he was honored for his senior leadership of the COVID-19 vaccine and therapeutics effort. (Courtesy of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc.)

The COVID-19 pandemic will have a lifetime impact on how military medicine is conducted, Defense Health Agency Director Army Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Ronald Place told the Henry M. Jackson Foundation (HJF) for the Advancement of Military Medicine "Heroes of Military Medicine" awards ceremony May 6, in Washington, D.C.

"The events of the past year will have profound effects on medicine, military medicine, for years to come in how we prepare for threats, how we organize, who we organize alongside of in making the system better for everyone," Place said.

Of the honorees and the whole-of-America effort to detect and mitigate the impact of the virus, he said, "Success requires shared commitments and shared responsibilities." Readiness, he said, "means being ready for anything. This is what our future looks like."

"That's what the Military Health System does best," Place said, with "medical teams coming together to improve health care for those we serve, whether that is caring for a wounded soldier in Afghanistan or a retired Marine battling a novel infectious disease."

"Dr. Terry Adirim, acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, told attendees: "As the complexity of bringing health care to all military members around the globe has increased, so too has our appreciation for the broad spectrum of skills that make military medicine truly world class. Tonight, we just don't recognize clinicians, we recognize laboratory expertise, logistics professionals, and acquisition specialists."

"This is a total team effort that exemplifies military medicine's potential during the COVID-19 pandemic," Adirim said. "Perhaps more than ever before, we have pushed laboratories to deliver more results faster, we've asked acquisition systems to produce equipment at a wartime scope and scale, and we've relied on our logisticians to figure out how to get vaccines delivered around the world. These are unprecedented facts."

The foundation recognized as its senior leader honoree Army Gen. Gustave Perna, the chief operating officer for the federal COVID-19 vaccines/therapeutics operation (Operation Warp Speed). He co-leads the partnership to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics.

Said HJF president and CEO, Dr. Joseph Caravalho of Perna: "There was no individual in this country better positioned to lead the whole-of-government, public-private logistics operation to ensure every eligible American had ready access to the newly developed vaccines. History will show this critical aspect of supply chain logistics was accomplished with precision. For that, the nation owes a debt of gratitude to this senior leader and his management team."

In his previous assignment, Perna served as the 19th general commander of U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC), one of the Army's largest commands.

DHA Director Dr. Ronald Place speaking at a podium
DHA Director Dr. Ronald Place tells HJF awards ceremony that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a lifetime impact on how military medicine is conducted. (Courtesy of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc.)

Introducing Perna, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley said if AMC were a private company, it would be among the Fortune 100.

He called Perna "the most talented logistician who has ever worn the uniform." And added, "No one demonstrates personal perseverance and organizational logistics leadership better than General Perna."

Perna said the situation with COVID-19 is much like the WWII war-time footing and deployment. "The situation is very similar. While we're in different times, our 'whole-of-America' response harnessed the power and existing capabilities of government, scientists, and industry. Without them, delivering safe and effectives vaccines and therapeutics in under a year would not have been possible."

He credited "the dedication and hard work of our entire team, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Health and Human Services, industry partners, and the true unsung heroes - the over 100,000 Americans who supported clinical trials, who made delivering hundreds of millions of vaccines possible."

Army honoree Lt. Col Michelle Colacicco-Mayhugh is the military deputy to the principal assistant for acquisition at the U.S. Medical Research and Development Command. Since April 2019, she has served as a product lead for the COVID-19 Joint Acquisition Task Force and the Defense Assisted Acquisition Cell, supporting the interagency response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Army Brig. Gen Mary Kreuger introduced Colacicco-Mayhugh as making "an incredible impact on our nation's efforts to combat COVID-19 in the last year." Krueger, the deputy chief of staff of support, U.S. Army Medical Command, said Colacicco-Mayhugh has "delivered critical solutions for the nationwide vaccine campaigns and her contributions and leadership were instrumental in developing the initial strategy to ensure that the supplies required to manufacturer, package, and administer COVID-19 vaccines were readily available."

Colacicco-Mayhugh credited "a massive team of people" who took on more work to fill in for the first-line teams. "Those people are not recognized nearly enough, but their contributions are equally as critical as each of the people who ended up supporting a specific pandemic-response effort," she said.

Introducing Air Force military medicine honoree Lt. Col. Patrick Kennedy was Air Force Maj. Gen. Dorothy Hogg, surgeon general of the Air Force. She quoted poet/writer Maya Angelou about who is a hero - "a person really intent on making this a better place" - and said "this is exactly was Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Kennedy has done."

Kennedy is the director of the 60th Medical Group's Clinical Investigation Facility at Travis Air Force Base, California. He supports the Air Force Medical Service line and readiness mission research requirements by addressing medical capability gaps to improve health outcomes.

Army Lt. Col. Michelle Colacicco-Mayhugh accepting an award
Army Lt. Col. Michelle Colacicco-Mayhugh accepts her 2021 “Heroes of Military Medicine” honor at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine awards ceremony May 6, 2021. (Courtesy of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc.)

Discussing the pandemic, Kennedy said: "The ambiguity of COVID-19 drove my team on every front to learn more."

Having worked on the Ebola crisis, Kennedy said: "I was aware of the potential of a large-scale respiratory pandemic from the onset. Particularly of concern was the high transmissibility rate."

Kennedy manages more than 50 human/animal research protocols, a $31.8 million budget, and a 45-member staff that includes physicians, nurses, scientists, and support personnel, according to HJF. In addition, he oversees regulatory compliance with federal/DOD/Air Force research guidelines.

He has been honored for his work on the Ebola outbreak, for improving wounded soldier outcomes at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan, and for his work on an advisory committee to convey and assess biosafety security risks to the Assistant Secretary of Defense on nuclear, biological, and chemical entities, HJF said.

Navy honoree Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) Matthew Hall serves as the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery's preventive medicine and public health policy advisor during the pandemic. His initial work in coordinating logistic and medical policy efforts in the Department of the Navy and across the joint force was instrumental in the successful implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination program, HJF said. As a public health emergency officer, he has conducted numerous COVID contact investigations, overseen outbreak responses, and advised on the safe operations of Navy installations worldwide under pandemic precautions, said HJF.

He is also a major contributor in the development of Navy COVID-19 containment policy and oversees the Department of the Navy's influenza vaccination program, which is responsible for the vaccination of more than 500,000 service members and dependents.

Navy Surgeon General Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham said of Hall: "I've had him on speed dial as one of my closest advisors throughout the pandemic...so that I can provide the best possible guidance to the fleet marine force as they operate around the world."

The annual awards "recognize outstanding contributions by senior military leaders and medical professionals, as well as civilians who have distinguished themselves through excellence and dedication to advancing military medicine and enhancing the lives and health of our nation's wounded, ill, and injured service members, veterans, and their families."

Also honored during the ceremony were COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Janssen, AstraZeneca and Sanofi-Pasteur.

You also may be interested in...

How to Get Your Kids Up to Date on Vaccinations

Article
8/25/2022
Child wearing a mask getting the COVID-19 vaccine

Resources to help you get and keep your child’s immunizations up to date in time for back to school.

Learn the Most Recent Age Requirements for COVID-19 Vaccines and Boosters

Article
8/10/2022
A man fist bumps a child.

The best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to get your vaccines and booster shots.

Telemedicine Privilege by Proxy Expands Access to MHS Care

Article
8/10/2022
Infographic featuring Lt Col Legault

MHS has Telemedicine Privilege by Proxy: A fast, efficient process that enables providers to file one application and get permission to virtually treat patients anywhere in the MHS.

Future of Nursing: Telehealth, More Innovation and Maybe Some Robots

Article
5/13/2022
Second Lt. Nina Hoskins, 81st Surgical Operations Squadron operating room nurse, briefs Col. Debra Lovette, 81st Training Wing commander, and other base leadership on robotics surgery capabilities inside the robotics surgery clinic at the Keesler Medical Center June 16, 2017. (Photo: Kemberly Groue, U.S. Air Force)

The future of nursing is here due in part to changes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

How One Military Nurse Persevered Through the COVID-19 Response

Article
5/5/2022
Air Force Capt. Courtney Ebeling, a medical-surgical nurse at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Family Health Clinic, Texas, was deployed to support the COVID-19 response in Afghanistan in 2021. They administered vaccinations to U.S. citizens, service members, and foreign military members as well as supported the preparation to withdraw from the country. (Photo: Courtesy of Air Force Capt. Courtney Ebeling)

Nurses across the Military Health System have played a vital role in providing routine patient care and meeting the needs of the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘I Love the Intensity’ – One Nurse Recalls Three COVID-19 Deployments

Article
5/5/2022
In 2020, Air Force 1st Lt. Tiffany Parra, an ICU nurse at the 633rd Medical Group, on Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, was deployed to a North Dakota hospital to support a FEMA COVID-19 mission. In the photo, she trains on equipment used for critical patients in a North Dakota ICU. (Photo: Courtesy of Air Force 1st Lt. Tiffany Parra)

Nurses are unique, they follow a calling to care for others. Military nurses do that as well as serve their nation. For Nurses Week, the MHS highlights some of their own.

Pandemic Spotlights the Vital Role of Military Lab Workers

Article
5/2/2022
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Ashley Solomon, 18th Medical Support Squadron NCO in charge of microbiology, unloads blood samples from a centrifuge at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Jan. 31, 2019. (Photo: Tech. Sgt. Matthew B. Fredericks, U.S. Air Force)

MHS clinical labs produce results.

Helping Your Child to Cope with Grief and Losses Related to COVID-19

Article
4/28/2022
Shirley Lanham Elementary School students perform Taiko drumming during a Month of the Military Child celebration aboard the Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan, April 6, 2022. (Photo: Petty Officer 2nd Class Ange-Olivier Clement, Naval Air Facility Atsugi)

Many military children have lost loved ones to COVID-19. How parents can help with the grief.

How to Help Military Children Reconnect After Two Years of the Pandemic

Article
4/25/2022
Airman 1st Class Rocio Romo, Space Launch Delta 30 public affairs specialist, and her son pose for a photo at Cocheo Park on Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, March 25, 2022. During the month of April, we celebrate Month of the Military Child to highlight the sacrifices military children make on the home front while their parents serve the United States. (Photo: Airman Kadielle Shaw, Space Launch Delta 30 Public Affairs)

How parents can help children stressed by more than two years of COVID-19.

COVID-19 Booster Effectiveness Remained High During Omicron Surge

Article
4/18/2022
Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Mary Ashcraft, assigned to the combat ship USS Tulsa, administers a COVID-19 vaccine booster to Aviation Machinist Mate 1st Class Anthony Johnson Jan. 10, 2022, at Apra Harbor, Guam. (Photo: Mass Communication Specialist Petty Officer 1st Class Devin M. Langer, Command Destroyer Squadron 7)

Two new studies of active-duty service members show COVID-19 booster vaccines are effective, but uptake rates in the military community lagged behind the civilian population.

8 Tips to Help Kids Adjust to Change during the New Pandemic Phase

Article
4/15/2022
A parent comforts his child while she receives a pediatric dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Jan. 28, 2022. (Photo: Airman 1st Class Anna Nolte, 18th Wing Public Affairs)

Parents should prepare their kids for the new normal of the ongoing pandemic, recognizing that the status of the disease can change quickly as new variants of COVID-19 emerge.

Military Medical Officials Back FY 23 Budget Before Senate Appropriations Committee

Article
4/6/2022
Marines with Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing take precautionary measures by cleaning and disinfecting their hands during field day on Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., March 20, 2020, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 while continuing to perform mission-essential tasks. (Photo: Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jaime Reyes)

Military Medical officials, including Army Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Ronald J. Place, Defense Health Agency director, back FY 23 Budget before the Senate Appropriations Committee, March 29, 2022.

How COVID-19 Made the Military Medical Community Stronger

Article
3/21/2022
Image of a service member being treated

Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic has made the military medical community stronger and will help when confronting the next crisis, whether that’s another pandemic, a new conflict or natural disaster

COVID-19 Responses Underscore Importance of Patient Safety

Article
3/14/2022
Every day, patient safety is one of the top priorities for the Defense Health Agency. Patient safety means providing ready, reliable care to service members, veterans, and dependents no matter the circumstances. (Photo: Defense Health Agency)

Patient safety is a topmost concern of MHS, and Patient Safety Awareness Week 2022 focuses on Ready, Reliable Care.

Answering Your Questions About COVID-19 Testing

Article
2/25/2022
Military personnel performing a COVID-19 Test

COVID-19 continues to spread, now as the Omicron variant. Getting vaccinated is the most effective way to protect you and your family from getting seriously ill, getting hospitalized, or dying. You should also make sure you’re up to date with your vaccines. Testing is another important step you can take to protect yourself and others.

Page 2 of 14 , showing items 16 - 30
First < 1 2 3 4 5  ... > Last 
Refine your search
Last Updated: May 17, 2021
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery