'Continue to Motivate, Inspire,' Woodson Tells Staff Published June 25, 2013 By Bernard S. Little Walter Reed National Military Medical Center BETHESDA, Md. -- The Military Health System is going through a transformative period with tough budget decisions, and everyone working in the system needs to stay strong and engaged, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs said during a recent visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. "Change is often difficult because it creates a sense of turbulence, but in many cases, change is necessary," Dr. Jonathan Woodson, said during a June 7 visit. "I want to say, 'Thank you for the job that you do.' It's not an easy thing to do." Woodson, who also serves as the director of TRICARE Management Activity, credited some "amazing" things accomplished in the MHS during the last ten years. He cited the improvements in medical evacuations, which have saved many lives, the innovations in telemedicine, allowing "sophisticated care" to be delivered in remote areas, and the lowering of mortality rates. The senior defense health advisor encouraged people to build on these improvements and innovations, because of the DoD's mission of caring for the nation's heroes and their families. "Going forward, we have to figure out how to get things in balance," Woodson said. "I recognize there's a growing tension between services being able to train, equip and modernize the force versus what we need to do to continue to provide superb care, access to care, [and a] medically-ready force. We have a responsibility to modernize the medical force." For the future, the military medicine team needs to be more joint and integrated. "We [also must] appreciate what our civilian colleagues do," Woodson said. "Civilians are a very important part of our organization. We need them." Woodson ensured the hospital staff that their thoughts are of concern. "I would remind you, your feelings are being felt throughout the entire MHS as we work through this transformative and [fiscally-challenging] period," he said. "I cannot do this [and] your leadership cannot do this without you. We need you to surface the issues, continue to motivate and inspire and not get demoralized with the process. We will solve these issues together and on the other side, be stronger for it. Thank you for all you do." After meeting with the Walter Reed Bethesda staff, Woodson visited wounded warriors and their families on the wards to inquire about the care they are receiving at the Nation's Medical Center. Woodson, a vascular surgeon and brigadier general in the Army Reserve, was deployed to Saudi Arabia when Operation Desert Storm began, and he deployed to Kosovo, Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has also served as a senior medical officer with the National Disaster Management System, where he responded to the attack in New York City, Sept. 11, 2001.