Command Team Messages

Col. Michael A. Weber Commander Landstuhl Regional Medical Center

The core mission of our organization is the readiness, health and welfare of the joint warfighters and their Families. In order to accomplish our mission successfully, everything we do must revolve around the quality of our healthcare and the safety in which we provide it. Whether you’re operating on a wounded warrior, tracking the training of our military personnel, comforting a pediatric patient scared of needles, or everything in between, the attention you pay to the quality and safety of your work makes all the difference in our ability to provide world class healthcare.

Many of you may have heard me refer to quality and safety as our center of gravity. I use that phrase to highlight the critical importance of quality and safety to our operations. Carl von Clausewitz and

Command Sgt. Maj. Thurman L. Reynolds

Command Sergeant Major Landstuhl Regional Medical Center

During the last hospital command and staff meeting, alarming information was shared about the current status of our government travel cards. As of July 8, there are 43 cards with outstanding balances past their due dates, 15 of which were suspended. Additionally, there were 72 unsubmitted travel vouchers totaling nearly $109,000. One travel voucher was over 240 days delinquent.

Team, we must do better.

The lack of personal responsibility to ensure that accounts are zeroed out and vouchers are filed in a timely manner has resulted in our inability to secure a centrally billed account, Baron Henri Jomini dedicated a lot of thought to describing the importance of centers-of-gravity on strategy. Joint Publication 5-0 describes the center of gravity as “the source of power that provides moral or physical strength, freedom of action, or will to act.” Our everyday experience with nature shows us the center of gravity is the point in which the entire weight of an object is concentrated so that if supported at this point, the entire object remains in balance. In our case, when we focus our energy on ensuring high quality, safe healthcare delivery, we will maintain our ability to effectively treat and care for our patients through any disruption, interference or surprise to our operations.

All of us working or volunteering at the medical center perform some tasks that directly contribute to quality and safety. It is vitally important that each of us takes the initiative to address any risks that arise when removing the only option for some on our team to travel for professional development conferences, required military training and schools or even emergency leave.

The Government Travel Charge Card Regulation, DoDI 5154.31 Volume 4, dated June 2019, requires that all DOD personnel, military or civilian, will pay for all costs related to official government travel with their government travel card. Benefits of using the government travel card include a reduction in need (and costs to the DOD) for travel advances, reconciliation and collection, eliminates the need for travelers to pay for expenses with personal funds (although authorized payments made with a personal funds may be eligible for reimbursement), and

we recognize them. There is no risk too small to be ignored when it comes to quality and safety: our center of gravity. Every morning at 0730, there is a hospital daily safety briefing at the second floor landing above the 4-Corners.

As we continue our way ahead,

see Commander on pg. 9

improves financial readiness and security of travelers. With a system built to protect our personal financial liability when conducting business on behalf of the government, there is no excuse for anyone on Team LRMC to be delinquent with reconciling travel vouchers. see GTCC on pg. 7

By Marcy Sanchez Public Affairs Specialist Landstuhl Regional Medical Center

The 86th Medical Squadron held a change of command ceremony where Air Force Col. Regina R. Paden relinquished command to Air Force Col. Sean L. Jersey, at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, July 19.

During the ceremony, Air Force Col. Michael Roberts, commander for the 86th Medical Group at Ramstein Air Base, praised Paden for a successful command and readied Jersey for joint operations at LRMC.

“When I took command 17 months ago, my purpose was attaining (86th MDS Airmen’s) trust and making sure you had no doubt of what you bring to the mission,” said Paden. “Your dedication to this mission, resiliency and ability to succeed despite the challenges is why I’m convinced you’re the most special squadron I’ve ever had the pleasure to command.”

Paden emphasized the importance of teamwork within LRMC where more than 250 Airmen in the squadron work side by side with Soldiers, civilians, and local nationals to provide care for beneficiaries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

“Every member of this squadron is bilingual; we speak Air Force and Army,” said Paden. “You are LRMC, and you’re working side by side with Soldiers, civilians, volunteers to provide extraordinary care, and making it ordinary for our Nation’s heroes.”

Paden, a certified nurse midwife, previously led the unit’s nursing element as the chief nurse until her appointment as commander in 2018.

“Not only are we the best squadron in the Wing but we’re the best squadron in the Air Force,” said Paden, noting Ramstein Air Base’s recent selection for the 2019 Commander in Chief’s Annual Award for Installation Excellence. “We have lives to save up here, we have a mission to run.”

Near the conclusion of the ceremony, Airmen with the 86th MDS rendered a final salute to Paden and welcomed Jersey with a first salute.

“It doesn’t matter what uniform you wear and what theater you come from, we all practice the same medicine, and we all have the same mission,” said Jersey. “The future of the Defense Health Agency is right here. The partnerships that we have together, with our different services, with our German partners; we’re here for the warfighters.”

Jersey, a board-certified radiologist, previously served as deputy commander for the 18th Medical Group and commander of the 18th Medical Operations Squadron.

“This unit has a long and storied history of caring for the warfighters, our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines,” said Jersey. “They all fight harder and fly a little higher because of the work that we do in making sure when they have the worst day up there doing their jobs, they know we’re there behind them to pick them up, get them back on their way and take care of their families while they’re on their missions.”

Air Force Col. Michael Roberts (left), commander, 86th Medical Group, passes the 86th Medical Squadron unit colors to Air Force Col. Sean Jersey, commander, 86th MDS, during a change of command ceremony at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, July 19.

By Marcy Sanchez Public Affairs Specialist Landstuhl Regional Medical Center

A long family relationship with the U.S. Forces drove Thomas Holzberger to seek employment at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in the early 2000s. But it was a love for the hospital’s namesake that led him to offer Americans a crash course in German culture.

Holzberger can trace his family tree back 250 years when his ancestors migrated from nearby Austria. Although his family’s roots are interesting in itself, he hopes to arouse American curiosity and teach them about his town, region and country during their tours in Germany.

“My family has a real close relationship with the American Forces,” said Holzberger, whose father was a NATO Soldier and mother worked at LRMC for over 40 years. “My mom’s family is from (Landstuhl) and my dad’s family is originally from Austria, 250 years ago.”

As a child, Holzberger’s aunt, who worked at Landstuhl’s City Hall, roused his interest in history and his hometown. Today, he embodies the hospital’s motto of selfless service by paying it forward to American coworkers, who may be unprepared for German culture.

“(Holzberger) invited my spouse and me to go to some of his favorite restaurants with him and showed us some of his favorite menu items,” said Dr. James Rundell, a psychiatrist at LRMC’s Embedded Behavioral Health program.

Family ties to the U.S. also includes Holzberger’s great aunt, who worked at the nearby Vogelweh Commissary in the 1960s, and a brother who is currently employed by the U.S. Air Force. Holzberger himself has nearly two decades of employment with the U.S. Army and currently serves as a medical coder as part of LRMC’s Patient Administration Division. In this position, the Landstuhl native was introduced to multiple providers where he has extended an invitation to paint the town red.

“I like to teach people about (the region) because it’s a great place to live, and it’s really a rich history,” said Holzberger. “If people hear Landstuhl, they think the hospital outside of the U.S., but what’s behind it, they may not know.”

Justifying Holzberger’s passion, history shows Landstuhl having its earliest settlements 2,500 years ago during Celtic times, with continued occupation during Roman rule and into the present. Eventually the village transformed into a spa resort.

“Just the hospital’s history itself (is interesting),” said Holzberger, noting a few current structures were founded during the Third Reich and remain occupied today. “There are some details (Americans) may not notice right away, but they are (historical) sites.”

While Holzberger volunteers his free time to get Americans better acquainted with the region, he’s hopeful it will open their eyes to take in what’s around them and better prepare them for their tours.

“(Holzberger) taught us to use the train system, told us about his favorite shopping secrets and locations, and how get the lowest train fares for places we wanted to go,” said Rundell, currently on his third year in Germany. “We’ve actually remained friends since then. That ‘extra mile’ has significantly enhanced our experience of living in Germany.”

For Holzberger, going that “extra mile” is only part of being hospitable to his American coworkers, confident his personal tours will build bridges between Germans and Americans for the next generation.

“A lot of people get here, enjoy working here but want to get away (from Landstuhl),” said Holzberger. “I would like to interest people so they can get to know the area, get to know the people, let them experience what it’s like to live here, and not just be stationed here.”