Courtesy Photo | U.S. Army Col. (Dr.) Michael Wirt, Brooke Army Medical Center department of radiology...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, Oct. 24, 2023 – Three Brooke Army Military Center staff members received the Heroes of Military Medicine San Antonio award from the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Oct. 12.
The Heroes of Military Medicine award honors military professionals who demonstrate excellence in medical research or clinical care through compassion and selfless dedication to advancing military medicine and the overall health of the nation’s wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans.
U.S. Army Col. (Dr.) Michael Wirt, department of radiology chief; U.S. Air Force Capt. Sarah Juhasz, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation nurse; and U.S. Navy Lt. Rachel Robeck, emergency medicine physician assistant, accepted the award during a ceremony held at the Red Berry Estate in San Antonio. The event recognized top researchers, practitioners, ambassadors, and champions of military medicine within the San Antonio community.
All three humbly said they didn’t consider themselves “heroes.”
“There are so many highly skilled, deserving medical professionals at BAMC who provide exceptional care each and every day,” said Wirt. “I am deeply honored to have been nominated for the Army Hero of Military Medicine Award and truly humbled to have been selected.”
“I certainly do not consider myself a hero, but as an individual who has been extremely fortunate to work as a member of exceptional teams and organizations throughout my career, providing care for our Nation’s most treasured patients: our service members, retirees, and our military families,” Wirt added. “’Hero’ is a term I reserve for the combat medics who place themselves in harm’s way at the point of injury and for those injured on the battlefield, the brave service members to whom we provide care anytime, anywhere.”
“I appreciate the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for all they do in the realm of military medical research and for taking the time to recognize clinicians from each service, but I feel truly lucky to get to do the job I do every day at BAMC and NAMRU-SA (Naval Medical Research Unit – San Antonio),” Robeck said.
Robeck is the research director for the Army-Baylor Emergency Medicine PA Fellowship and a clinical research scientist within the NAMRU-SA.
HJF is a global nonprofit that administers more than $500 million in medical research funds annually. Since 1983, HJF has partnered with researchers and clinicians to provide bench-to-bedside-to-battlefield research support. More than 3,000 HJF teammates provide scientific, administrative and program operations services to researchers in the military, academia and private industry.
“To me the real heroes of Navy medicine are those out there doing the somewhat unglamorous tasks the Navy has asked of them – whether that be seeing sick call (patients), staying late after clinic signing Physical Health Assessments, or spending months away from family and friends while forward deployed,” Robeck said. “Meanwhile I’ve been fortunate enough to challenge my skills, learn every day, mentor other PAs (physician assistants), and participate in cutting edge research with NAMRU-SA. I hope the efforts I’ve put in during my time here in San Antonio lead to future opportunities for more PAs to obtain advanced training and experience in a Level I Trauma Center.”
Juhasz said joining the U.S. Air Force in 2021 changed her life. “The Air Force has given me all that I could have wished for and more,” she said.
“I am so honored to receive this recognition; however, I can honestly say that I work with heroes every day, and these heroes cannot go unnoticed,” Juhasz said. “At Brooke Army Medical Center we are a team of heroes. This team of heroes works together for one common purpose - healing. Sometimes we are healing wounds, sometimes healing minds, sometimes healing hearts… We all have been blessed with unique gifts so that we can be a blessing to others and be the heroes our patients need.”
Dr. Tom Mayes, a retired pediatric intensivist and a lung transplant recipient, received the civilian provider award. Mayes served on active duty as a pediatric and pediatric critical care medicine physician for eight years at Wilford Hall.
The keynote speaker at the event was Benjamin Hall, State Department correspondent for FOX News. Hall received care at BAMC and the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research Burn Center after suffering traumatic injuries in Ukraine.
“Since 2010, HJF has celebrated men and women who exemplify commitment to military medicine for those who need it most—whether warfighters, veterans or civilians,” said retired Army Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Joseph Caravalho Jr., HJF President and CEO. “We are thrilled to honor these heroes for the second year in San Antonio.”
Caravalho is also a former BAMC commanding general.
| Date Taken: | 10.24.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.24.2023 12:21 |
| Story ID: | 456412 |
| Location: | FORT SAM HOUSTON, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 980 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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