Posted on Jul 25, 2022
Military investigating possible ‘dysfunction’ at Texas medical center after colonel resigns
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Military investigating possible ‘dysfunction’ at Texas medical center after colonel resigns
By Rachel S. Cohen
Jul 25, 11:23 AM
Then-Maj. Kenneth Bode, 48th Surgical Operations Squadron orthopedic surgeon, marks a surgical site prior to incision in 2009. (Airman 1st Class Perry Aston/Air Force)
An Air Force colonel sounded the alarm on what he called widespread “Machiavellian maneuvering and counterproductive bureaucracy” as he resigned from command at Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas — the military’s largest health care hub.
The hospital system at Joint Base San Antonio has a deeply ingrained toxic culture of “cronyism and sycophancy” that is “an affront to ideals of military leadership,” Col. Ken Bode, the outgoing commander of the 959th Medical Operations Squadron, wrote in a July 19 resignation letter obtained by Air Force Times.
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel Lt Col Charlie Brown SSG Michael Noll Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Cpl Vic Burk SGT Charlie Lee PO2 Marco Monsalve SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth ] SSG William Jones Sgt (Join to see) SrA John Monette SFC Bernard Walko SPC Michael Terrell SMSgt Anil Heendeniya CPL Douglas Chrysler A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney GySgt Jack Wallace SGT Mark Anderson CPL LaForest Gray SGT Steve McFarland
Military investigating possible ‘dysfunction’ at Texas medical center after colonel resigns
By Rachel S. Cohen
Jul 25, 11:23 AM
Then-Maj. Kenneth Bode, 48th Surgical Operations Squadron orthopedic surgeon, marks a surgical site prior to incision in 2009. (Airman 1st Class Perry Aston/Air Force)
An Air Force colonel sounded the alarm on what he called widespread “Machiavellian maneuvering and counterproductive bureaucracy” as he resigned from command at Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas — the military’s largest health care hub.
The hospital system at Joint Base San Antonio has a deeply ingrained toxic culture of “cronyism and sycophancy” that is “an affront to ideals of military leadership,” Col. Ken Bode, the outgoing commander of the 959th Medical Operations Squadron, wrote in a July 19 resignation letter obtained by Air Force Times.
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel Lt Col Charlie Brown SSG Michael Noll Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Cpl Vic Burk SGT Charlie Lee PO2 Marco Monsalve SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth ] SSG William Jones Sgt (Join to see) SrA John Monette SFC Bernard Walko SPC Michael Terrell SMSgt Anil Heendeniya CPL Douglas Chrysler A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney GySgt Jack Wallace SGT Mark Anderson CPL LaForest Gray SGT Steve McFarland
Military investigating possible ‘dysfunction’ at Texas medical center after colonel resigns
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Posted >1 y ago
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
I did a six-week rotation at BAMC back in the early '80s and felt I'd been thrust decades into the past, as far as Draconian leadership and communication were concerned. It was apparent that the negativitiy seeped into the patient care, which in my estimation was frequently underwhelming. I thought politics reigned in every corner of that facility, and as soon as I got my certificate, I flew out of there, happy to return to my home base, and I never looked back.
If anything, it appears the climate in that 'facility' hasn't changed. And it was apparent that the leadership didn't model any part of the Oath of Maimonides. Pretty sad.
I did a six-week rotation at BAMC back in the early '80s and felt I'd been thrust decades into the past, as far as Draconian leadership and communication were concerned. It was apparent that the negativitiy seeped into the patient care, which in my estimation was frequently underwhelming. I thought politics reigned in every corner of that facility, and as soon as I got my certificate, I flew out of there, happy to return to my home base, and I never looked back.
If anything, it appears the climate in that 'facility' hasn't changed. And it was apparent that the leadership didn't model any part of the Oath of Maimonides. Pretty sad.
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When you are a field grade officer and write this in your resignation letter, "The Army has eschewed cooperation and common sense at every turn, starting with its refusal to adopt a joint name like “Brooke Military Medical Center” then you Sir are nothing more than a petulant child. It probably costs hundreds of thousands to change a name and reality is, Army and Navy medicine dominate. I do think shutting down Big Willy as a trauma center in South San Antonio was a bad idea for the community but with that closure, there just is not a need for the AF to have a large medical component. To cry that a name change to a hospital older than the Air Force did not happen is not something a senior officer should do. Somebody needs to focus on practicing medicine.
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