Oral Maxillofacial Surgeons Attribute Success to Teamwork at WRNMMC

Courtesy Photo | Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) Jason Burkes has been ranked first out of 162 oral maxillofacial surgeons in the Department of Defense (DOD) for the number of surgical procedures completed to maintain surgical skillset for deployment.  

UNITED STATES

03.06.2023

Courtesy Story

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

By Aisha Pearson Lomax
WRNMMC Command Communications
Patient first is the guiding motto for Oral Maxillofacial Surgeons (OMFSs) Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) Jason Burkes and his colleagues Army Maj. (Dr.) Richard Yim, Navy. Cmdr. Leonel Perez Jr., and Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) Jesus M. Gonzalez.
It is a focus on this motto that enabled the OFMSs to achieve the highest knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) scores and productivity in the Department of Defense (DOD). The Military Health System (MHS) uses the KSA scores as a measure of annual deployment readiness.
Burkes topped the list of 162 OMFSs in DOD for the number of surgical procedures completed to maintain surgical skillset for deployment. He was followed by Yim (No. 2), Perez Jr. (No. 3), and Gonzalez (No. 8).
With a foundation in dentistry, Burkes explained a deployment to Afghanistan fueled a passion of his to become an oral surgeon. “I wanted to fix those guys by setting their teeth and jaws.”
He expanded his practice beyond teeth to include care of head and neck injuries, well as patients with cancer. “I want to get them the things they need so that they can return to a good quality of life,” he said.
Yim agreed, adding, “It’s rewarding to see patients healed and happy and not in pain. It’s the best thing.”
“We are doing our best, and at WRNMMC we have the opportunity to be a high producing group,” Yim continued. “It’s a privilege to work at WRNMMC with a stellar team, and it’s a testament to the support we receive,” he added.
“We work for the patients,” Burkes shared. “We try to see people the same day even if they’ve missed an earlier appointment,” he continued. He added his support staff is instrumental to their success because they put in the hours, even after their shifts, to make sure the instruments are cleaned for the next day.” He also said leadership at WRNMMC is supportive and receptive to their needs.”

• Date Taken: 03.06.2023
• Date Posted: 03.06.2023 14:08
• Story ID: 439784
• Location: US