Photo By Chief Petty Officer Kyle Steckler | 210820-N-RG482-0214 BREMERTON, Wash. (Aug. 20, 2021) U.S. Navy Capt. Shannon J....... read more read more
Capt. Shannon J. Johnson handed over duties and responsibilities of Naval Hospital Bremerton (NHB) and Naval Medical Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Bremerton to Capt. Patrick Fitzpatrick on August 20, 2021.
Johnson’s two-year tenure was notable by her leadership over the last 18 months, directing staff efforts to help stop the spread of COVID-19 across the third largest fleet concentration in the U.S. Navy.
“Capt. Johnson has been a truly exceptional leader,” commented Rear Adm. Timothy Weber, Commander, Naval Medical Forces Pacific and Medical Service Corps director, and guest speaker for the ceremony.
In her remarks, Johnson acknowledged it was demanding and difficult in dealing with the pandemic, yet the challenge was handled with a collaborative effort from partnerships forged across the Pacific Northwest, as well as by the resolute determination of her staff.
“To my Bremerton team, there are not words to fully express how I feel about you,” Johnson stated. “Gratitude, admiration, great affection…get close, but in this moment, do not seem sufficient. Crisis often brings out the best in people, and the best performance. You have proven this to be true a hundred times over. You were ready when the unprecedented challenge came and you delivered when our military community here and your nation most needed you.”
Under Johnson, the COVID-19 response led to establishing highly effective, multidisciplinary and well-coordinated public health efforts, along with developing strong partnerships with community, municipal and tri-service colleagues that ensured a unified response across Navy Region Northwest. From implementing a drive through screening and triage, to establishing a COVID-19 Asymptomatic Testing clinic, to implementing evidence based health protection measures, Johnson guided her team in responding to the pandemic. She also supported such crucial requirements as force testing of deploying Navy fleet assets, along with sentinel surveillance testing, and contract tracing.
Upon receiving the initial shipment of Moderna COVID vaccine on Dec. 22, 2020, vaccination of first responders began the next day – following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocols – through a phased approach to vaccinate all active duty and reserve components, TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select beneficiaries, and select DoD civilians and contract personnel authorized to receive immunizations from DoD.
Yet confronting a highly-infectious virus was a long ways away when Johnson took command in August 2019.
“I had expected challenges. We were heading into full implementation of the long envisioned military health system transformation. Simultaneously, we were becoming a Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command, and mitigating the impact of force shaping and potential medical manpower reductions. All while ensuring we were ready to support the operational forces and national security mission both here on the home front and aboard. At the time that seemed like a lot of challenge for one tour,” related Johnson.
The focus for her, her leadership team, staff as well as the entire world took a drastic shift six months into her tenure.
“In early January 2020 we started hearing more about the virus. Soon we became fully involved with this new disease referred to as COVID-19. Something that none of us had anticipated was now the most important item on our agenda. Our focus shifted, the pace accelerated, days extended into evenings, and weekends went away. We became wholly engaged,” explained Johnson. “To some extent we were on own. It was here in the Pacific Northwest where the first case, followed by the first outbreak in a long-term care facility, just miles away from our (Naval Station) Everett clinic, was the dominate national news story. It would be weeks later that our Navy Medicine colleagues in other regions would be facing similar challenges. From that first moment, this team responded to the pandemic in a steadfast, deliberate and collaborative manner that set the standard.”
Deflecting credit, Johnson devoted the majority of her comments to praising her team for their hard work and personification of character, competence and compassion traits.
“As I finish up here, I am acutely aware of the legacy of this place, and this team. There is a culture here that is unique, in terms of unit cohesion and a sense of mission conviction. Your collective knowledge, skills and abilities are important, but your secret power is your solidarity and commitment to leaving no one behind,” Johnson stated.
In a unique first for the command, Fitzpatrick will follow Johnson in a duel-hatted role.
He will oversee DHA handling the management and administration of NHB and three branch health clinics located at Naval Base Kitsap Bangor, Naval Station Everett and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
“Capt. Johnson has done an amazing job under very trying circumstances,” said Fitzpatrick.
With DHA having oversight of the facilities and infrastructure, Fitzpatrick will guide Navy Medicine’s primary focus on Navy and Marine Corps operational readiness, as well as the overall readiness of Navy medical forces to support all mission requirements. He will ensure command and control of Navy Medicine Sailors and the continuation of delivering health care benefits to all beneficiaries, active duty, retiree and family members.
Fitzpatrick reports to Naval Hospital Bremerton after serving as executive officer, Naval Health Clinic Cherry Point (NHCCP), N.C., since May, 2019. His assignment as commanding officer of both NHB and NMRTC Bremerton is a return to where he spend his initial active duty station, designated as an emergency/trauma registered nurse 2000-20003.
“There was change when I was last here. I was on duty in the emergency room on 9/11, 2001, and watched those events. That changed our country, and still does. But then, as now, what has not changed is the people here, the compassion and culture,” noted Fitzpatrick.
NHB/NMRTC Bremerton staff consists of approximately 1,200 dedicated military, civil service and government contract personnel, including active duty medical staff forward deployed in support of various overseas commitments.
| Date Taken: | 08.20.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 08.20.2021 18:19 |
| Story ID: | 403669 |
| Location: | BREMERTON, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 973 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A Change of Command during a Time of Change, by Douglas Stutz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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