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.

Air Force Veteran Honored Posthumously at Medical Research Symposium

Image of Steven Rodriquez (left), and wife, Christine Rodriquez (center), accept a posthumous award for Dario Rodriguez from Seileen Mullen, the acting Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. . U. S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant (Ret.) Dario Rodriquez was awarded the Distinguished Service Award posthumously at the Military Health System Research Symposium in Orlando, Florida, on, Sept. 12. His son, Steven Rodriquez (left), and wife, Christine Rodriquez (center), accept the award from Seileen Mullen, the acting Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.

Dario Rodriquez, Jr. dedicated his career to developing technologies to care for injured service members and training first responders to use those same technologies. The impact of his contributions to military health and medicine are enduring. Rodriquez, who retired from the U.S. Air Force as a chief master sergeant, demonstrated a lifelong commitment to advancing care for warfighters through his research into lifesaving interventions for combat casualties, his work on clinical trials, and his commitment to training. Last August, he was posthumously recognized with a Distinguished Service Award during the 2022 Military Health System Research Symposium. Rodriquez lost a long battle with cancer in March 2022.

"The late Mr. Dario Rodriquez understood the complexities and difficulties in the military medical continuum that require change and flexibility. He dedicated his life to ensure better warfighter care during military air evacuation," said U.S. Army Col. Jennifer Stowe, a science program administrator at the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory, who presented the award for his work to increase the effectiveness of en route combat casualty care.

The Distinguished Service Award is a lifetime achievement award and recognizes contributions that have advanced the professional growth of MHS research and demonstrates outstanding leadership in the pursuit of excellence for country and service.

Dedicating A Life to Research

Rodriquez started his career with the U.S. Air Force as a respiratory therapist, moving up to be a career field manager for respiratory care practitioners. Throughout his career, he dedicated his work to developing and providing training for those caring for wounded warfighters.

As en route care product area lead at the Air Force Research Laboratory's 711th Human Performance Wing, Rodriquez focused on the advancement of warfighter medical care, representing the 711HPW on various committees and working groups including the Committee on En Route Combat Casualty Care.

Rodriquez spearheaded training for the Critical Care Air Transport Team, an in-flight, intensive care team that cares for injured service members as they are transported from the point of injury to next higher level of care.

While at the Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, he led the advancement and performance of several research initiatives in en route care, aeromedical evacuation, and CCAT research.

After spending 30 years in the U.S. Air Force, Rodriquez continued training and aiding in military medicine research at the University of Cincinnati as the research director of the En route Care Center.

Colleagues shared how devoted he was to his work, noting "his integrity and his desire to provide the best care, and he wouldn't accept anything less than that," said Richard Branson, a professor in the department of surgery for the University of Cincinnati.

Throughout his time in the research field, he continued to expand his knowledge while sharing and mentoring countless others. "He was proud of those he worked with, wanting to ensure that they were getting the best training, advice, and career growth," said James Lehman, the medical research program manager for the University of Cincinnati.

Rodriquez's career was also defined by his work on clinical protocols and numerous training programs. For example, he led a clinical trial for a closed-loop control for mechanical ventilation, briefing high-ranking officials about potential lifesaving interventions for combat casualties.

Many of his research efforts have aided the Department of Defense with knowledge, technology, and solutions while opening doors to future research ventures. His philosophy regarding medical research was "no knowledge left unturned, and no technology left unchallenged," Lehman shared. He was a lifelong learner while also sharing his vast knowledge with students and mentees.

His expertise was sought after by government and DOD agencies, including the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

"The research he did has already impacted how patients are cared for, eliminating things that were not helpful or potentially dangerous. [He] focused on people doing evidence-based medicine to improve outcomes and working diligently to move the military toward systems that would automatically help care for patients when there were not enough caregivers available," Branson stated.

A Family Man with a Lasting Legacy

Each person who shared memories of Rodriquez remembered the passion he held for his family and friends.

His wife, Christina Rodriquez, described his humbleness. "He would come home and say, 'I got an award today,' and the funny thing was, I never knew he was up for anything. He was just like that, humble and passionate about his job."

He had an infectious sense of humor, and he always found a way to lighten the mood, even when he was undergoing cancer treatments. He maintained a bright, positive outlook.

"It did not matter what happened at work. When he was home, he was home," shared his son, Steven Rodriquez. "He wanted to know about our day. He was the sort of person that could motivate you without effort."  Christina and Steven accepted the posthumous award on behalf of Rodriquez at MHSRS on Sept. 12.

You also may be interested in...

Effective Health IT Reduces Burnout, Improves Patient Care

Article
5/25/2023
Effective Health IT Reduces Burnout, Improves Patient Care

Information technology and its intersection with military health care was at the forefront of a key discussion at the annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society conference, held in Chicago, Illinois, from April 17 to 21.

DHA Senior Leader: ‘Virtual First’ is the Future of Military Health System

Article
5/25/2023
DHA Senior Leader: ‘Virtual First’ is the Future of Military Health System

The Military Health System needs to invest in culture change to truly put the patient first.

Imaging Specialists Look Beyond the Skin

Article Around MHS
5/10/2023
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Leila Liza Smith, a diagnostic imaging specialist with the 6th Medical Group, practices abdominal ultrasound procedures at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, on ct. 25, 2022. Smith evaluates the images produced by the ultrasound for abnormalities, such as lumps or nodules on the thyroid gland. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Lauren Cobin)

Diagnostic imaging specialists are medical professionals that use imaging equipment and soundwaves to form images of many parts of the body, known as ultrasounds. They are trained to acquire and analyze these sonographic images so that doctors can diagnose and treat many medical conditions.

Defense Occupational and Environmental Health Readiness System – Hearing Conservation (DOEHRS-HC)

Fact Sheet
5/8/2023

The Defense Occupational and Environmental Health Readiness System – Hearing Conservation (DOEHRS-HC) is an information system designed to support personal auditory readiness and help prevent hearing loss through early detection.

Department of Defense Investing in Wearable Technology That Could Rapidly Predict Disease

Article Around MHS
5/8/2023
U.S. Air Force Airman Katiha Falcon wears a watch at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, on Dec. 3, 2020. The wearable technology is part of a study with the Defense Innovation Unit that will allow detection of illnesses such as COVID-19 within 48 hours. (Photo by Cynthia Griggs, U.S. Air Force)

The Defense Innovation Unit, in partnership with the private sector, has developed a wearable device that was highly successful during the COVID-19 pandemic in identifying infections.

Lab Professionals Play Key Role in Public Health and Patient Care

Article
5/2/2023
Lab Professionals Play Key Role in Public Health and Patient Care

Lab professionals provide value to the MHS and DHA communities.

Crosland Discusses Dawn of Digital Health at HIMSS 2023

Article
4/28/2023
Crosland Discusses Dawn of Digital Health at HIMSS 2023

“My priorities as a combat support agency are about health of the force, and the redesign of our health care system is about health of our patient,” said U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Crosland. “And as an agency, it's about health of our people.”

Blanchfield Army Community Hospital ICU joins DHA’s Joint Tele-Critical Care Network

Article Around MHS
4/18/2023
Blanchfield Army Community Hospital Intensive Care Unit Chief Nurse U.S. Army Maj. Brenda Mitchell preforms a communication check with a nurse at the Defense Health Agency Virtual Medical Operations Center at Naval Medical Center San Diego, California, using the Joint Tele-Critical Care Network, on March 27. (Photo by Justin Moeller, Blanchefield Army Community Hospital

Blanchfield Army Community Hospital is the latest military hospital or clinic in the Military Health System to join the Defense Health Agency’s Joint Tele-Critical Care Network. The JTCCN virtually integrates 24/7 access to highly skilled critical care physicians, or intensivists, from DHA medical centers, or hubs like Naval Medical Center San Diego and Brooke Army Medical Center, with satellite intensive care units at nearly 20 military hospitals or clinics worldwide.

Like a Cable Boss: Connecting Medical Technology

Article Around MHS
4/12/2023
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Andrea President, a medical information service systems technician, 379th EMDSS, demonstrates using a cable testing device at the 379th EMDG radiology lab at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. (Photo by U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Bayard Lewis)

Inspecting and connecting tiny wires may seem like a small task, but it’s one that has a big effect on medical care that military patients receive in deployed locations like Qatar.

5 Reasons to Download MyCare Overseas App

Article
4/6/2023
5 Reasons to Download MyCare Overseas App

If you live overseas, the MyCare Overseas app makes it easy to manage your health care at home and on the go.

Brooke Army Medical Center Interventional Radiology Offers Less-Invasive Option for Patients with Disc Degeneration

Article Around MHS
3/21/2023
U.S. Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Matthew Taon, interventional radiologist, demonstrates a minimally invasive image guided procedure at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jason W. Edwards, Brooke Army Medical Center)

You may not have to go "under the knife" to ease debilitating back issues, thanks to a new technology. Find out how surgeons at Brooke Army Medical Center are relieving patients from pain where surgery was once the only option.

Belvoir Hospital Reaches Milestone with Robotic-Assisted Joint Replacement Surgery

Article Around MHS
3/20/2023
Fort Belvoir Community Hospital is the first military hospital in the Defense Health Agency to employ this robotic-assisted platform, and the cutting-edge technology provides the joint replacement surgeons an unparalleled amount of real-time surgical data.  (Photo by Reese Brown, Fort Belvoir Community Hospital)

Would you trust your surgical procedure to a robot? See the cutting-edge technology that's taking Belvoir Hospital's joint replacement surgery into a new era.

DHA Director: Technology Helps to “Meet the Patients Where They Are”

Article
2/17/2023
DHA Director Lt. Gen. Telita Crosland speaking at a podium

DHA Director Lt. Gen. Crosland discussed her priorities and the burgeoning role of technology at DHA and within the wider MHS.

Genome Sequencing Work at U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine

Article
2/16/2023
Military personnel posing by Wright-Patterson AFB sign

U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine technicians and scientists working in Military Health System laboratories helped to identify COVID-19 variants using special sequencing technology.

Technology Safety Stand Out at 2023 Army Best Medic Competition

Article Around MHS
2/9/2023
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Ilnur Sibagatulin competes during the U.S. Army Best Medic Competition

This year's U.S. Army Best Medic Competition adds a technological twist! Find out about a wearable device called HRAPS, and how it tracks health data during high-risk training events and real-world operations.

Page 1 of 16 , showing items 1 - 15
First < 1 2 3 4 5  ... > Last 
Refine your search
Last Updated: November 29, 2022
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery