WRNMMC, Bethesda, MD  –   Mylan Tran and retired Army Lt. Col. Johnnie Jackson received special recognitions during Walter Reed National Military Medical Center’s monthly town hall meeting on Feb. 14.

Tran received her award for being named the U.S. Navy’s Civilian Pharmacist of the Year for 2022, and WRNMMC leadership recognized Jackson as an early innovator in establishing electronic health records and automation within the Military Health System (MHS).

As a supervisory pharmacist at WRNMMC, Tran leads a team of more than 40 civilians and 10 active-duty service members. She is credited with “implementing innovative process improvement projects, the professional development of her team, and the mentorship of the next generation of tri-service military officers,” stated Army Col. James Masterson, chief of the Department of Pharmacy, when nominating her for the award.

“With a decades-long career in service of Navy pharmacy, Ms. Tran continues to prove herself an indispensable asset and unquestionable pillar within the MHS,” Masterson added. He also commends Tran for establishing and leading the Pharmacy Nursing Working Group, bringing together a multi-disciplinary team monthly to address issues impacting and improving patient care at WRNMMC.

“It’s an honor to work alongside so many great and wonderful people,” Tran said. “I could not do or complete anything without the support of our pharmacy team.”

Jackson was one of the first individuals to call for and lead efforts to increase and improve automation concerning patient records within the MHS when he was director of Management Information Systems (MIS) at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, a predecessor to WRNMMC, during the 1970s. His MIS team oversaw the installation of an automated patient monitoring system, an online patient registration system, a food service system, and hospital logistics system. He was instrumental in helping to develop the Tri-Service Medical Information System (TRIMIS), a program for the application of automatic data processing to improve the effectiveness and economy of health care delivery in the Army, Navy and Air Force. The system served as a predecessor to the Composite Health Care System (CHCS) and Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application (AHLTA). These systems helped set the groundwork for the current MHS GENESIS, the single, continuous record of care supporting the provision and coordination of care for the 9.5 million beneficiaries worldwide being implemented at WRNMMC this spring.

“In 1972 when I was the director of MIS, I wrote a letter to the then WRAMC Commanding Officer, Maj. Gen. Robert Bernstein, strongly suggesting consolidating our efforts, and that was the beginning of MHS GENESIS,” Jackson recalled upon receiving a Certificate of Appreciation from Navy Capt. Felix (Drew) Bigby, WRNMMC director.

WRNMMC’s conversion to MHS GENESIS was also a topic of discussion during the town hall, and Bigby expressed the need to build modern health delivery systems that drive military health to the next level. Bigby encouraged employees to complete MHS GENESIS training before it goes live.

Bigby and Navy Command Master Chief Trey Hauptmann, WRNMMC senior enlisted leader, also recognized individuals earning the Values in Action Awards at the town hall. Those individuals included Desi Beam, Sara Brown, Sharon Lilley, Jennifer Walrond, Army Spc. Rhett Davis, Jinzhi Li, Army Staff Sgt. Aarynne Ghant, Seaman Apprentice Jesse Padilla, Ronnie Currie, Maria Elane, Teresa Jacobs, and Janique Gill.

“This award shows you that what you are doing is right and inspires you to do better because what you do matters and not to stop,” said Padilla.

Currie agreed, stating, “It feels rewarding to know that you’re being recognized for the things that we do, being helpful does not go unrecognized.”

“I was shocked, I didn’t expect it. I was nervous. I never received any award except the Ace departmental award,” Elane shared. She added she’s excited about being acknowledged and appreciated for her hard work.

Leadership also discussed the Joy in Work initiative during the town hall. This initiative is more than just the absence of burnout. According to noted author and management consultant W. Edwards Deming, “Management’s overall aim should be to create a system in which everyone may take joy in their work.” Strategies include asking yourself what I can do today, determining how open you are to change, and by taking a quick quiz for an assessment. The goal is to produce the best results during a difficult task, believing that improvement is possible when there is a focus on strengths.