NMCP Doctor Receives 'Building Stronger Female Physician Leaders' Award

PORTSMOUTH, Va (NNS) -- Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) announced March 19, one of its members has received the "Building Stronger Female Physician Leaders in the Military Health System" award as the junior Navy winner.

Cmdr. Nicole McIntyre is one of six female physicians - one senior and five junior winners from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and U.S. Public Health Service - selected for the award that recognizes those who have made significant contributions to military medicine and served as exemplary role models to female military doctors.

"It is truly an honor to receive the award," said McIntyre, an otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist). "I feel humbled knowing that the award recognizes women who have made significant contributions to military medicine and who have served as exemplary role models for other female physicians. There are so many women doing so many great things in military medicine today - deployed, on the battlefield, clinically engaged, research-oriented, academically involved and in significant leadership positions. I feel barely worthy of this award."

Since the award program began in 2010, a female physician from NMCP has been selected as the junior Navy or senior recipient three out of the four years.

"Her outstanding leadership and clinical abilities have proven invaluable to this command," wrote Rear Adm. Elaine C. Wagner, NMCP commander, in McIntyre's nomination package. "Her dedication to Navy Medicine's mission and her demonstrated abilities as a strong leader undoubtedly exemplifies all the traits that are most important and desired in a strong female physician leader."

McIntyre said there are good leadership opportunities for women in the military which are easier to attain when there are strong female leaders and mentors early in one's career.

"Leadership in the military for women is really all about role models," McIntyre said. "Years ago, when I was a lieutenant, I was fortunate enough to have had good role models. If you're exposed to good role models, it is easier to move forward to those positions. I have had a few women who were very strong role models, so I would like to pay that forward and help other women when they are up and coming."

To keep that involvement going, she mentors female residents, interns and medical students as a faculty member of the NMCP and Eastern Virginia Medical School Otolaryngology residency programs.

McIntyre is a board-certified head and neck surgeon. She completed her internship in 1997, and her residency in 2005, both at NMCP. She has been staff at NMCP since 2009, first as the Otolaryngic Allergy department head, and most recently as the president of the Executive Committee of Medical Staff. She is in charge of 1,000 medical personnel, providing policy guidance and indentifying performance and clinical improvement opportunities. In addition, she continues to operate, train residents and provide expert patient care.

While serving as the Otolaryngic Allergy department head, McIntyre pioneered cutting-edge care by developing and administering the only large-scale allergy center in the Department of Defense; it has enrolled more than 300 patients. She also implemented the transition to injection-free allergy therapy at NMCP, the only facility in the Navy to offer this new treatment.

"This has probably been the biggest personal and professional growth year of my life," McIntyre said. "There's no other job where I would have gotten this experience, so I'm really lucky."

McIntyre first became interested in a career in Navy Medicine 20 years ago when she learned about the military's Health Professions Scholarship Program through her roommate in her first year of medical school at Michigan State University's College of Osteopathic Medicine.

"What appealed to me the most was the fact that everyone would be treated equally in the military, as well as the ability to travel and try new things," McIntyre added.

She has also been assigned as an air wing flight surgeon for Carrier Air Wing 3 aboard Naval Air Station Oceana, deploying on board USS Enterprise.

For more news from Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, visit www.navy.mil/local/NMCP/.