Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center held a change of command ceremony and retirement at the North Chicago hospital July 22.

Navy Medical Corps Capt. Bradford Smith assumed command of Lovell FHCC, relieving retiring Capt. Robert G. Buckley. Smith also takes on the role of deputy director of Lovell FHCC, the nation's only integrated federal health care center between the Department of the Navy and Department of Veterans Affairs.

Deputy Surgeon General and Deputy Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Rear Adm. Terry Moulton, praised Buckley for his dedicated leadership of the one-of-a-kind integrated health care facility through critical high-level evaluations to determine the FHCC's future. Moulton said Buckley "made a significant difference.

"Capt. Buckley is one of those outstanding leaders all of you can be proud of," Moulton said. "He has been a caring and trusted leader and set the bar high. His exemplary leadership ensured the care of a benefit population of 85,000 ... His collaborative approach further shaped this tremendous (Lovell FHCC) template."

Buckley, who assumed command of the Lovell FHCC two years ago, is retiring from the Navy after 28 years of service in the Medical Corps, including service as force surgeon, U.S. Central Command, in Bahrain. Buckley served as a doctor of emergency medicine several times during his distinguished career, including when he deployed to Iraq with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force as the officer-in-charge of Shock Trauma Platoon 7 during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

Buckley said he was honored to serve at the Lovell FHCC and work to further the integration of the two cabinet-level agencies.

"Integration across two federal health agencies is hard," Buckley said. "But I'm convinced the FHCC will continue to serve as a model for partnerships. It is fully blended and will continue to benefit our beneficiaries. It makes no sense to keep shared needs of patients and the shared (DoN and VA) abilities apart."

Reflecting on his retirement, Buckley thanked the Navy, and his wife and two children - one who followed his footsteps into the Navy.

"I've gone places I never ever thought I would, and done things I never thought I could do," Buckley said.

Lovell FHCC Director Dr. Stephen Holt said Buckley truly exemplified the facility's mission of "readying warriors and caring for heroes."

"What staff and volunteers have shared with me is that they most appreciate that Capt. Buckley is present, and interactions with him are meaningful," Holt said. "They are accustomed to seeing him across the facility and at the clinics on a regular basis.
But it is more than just seeing him. They receive a warm and friendly greeting and feel his interest in what their role is here at Lovell FHCC in promoting our sacred mission."

Holt went on to thank Buckley, "on a personal note, for his professionalism, dedication and comradery when I came on board at Lovell FHCC."

Holt said, "He helped make my transition a smooth one, and a satisfying one. Working with him has been a pleasure. Leading Lovell requires the leaders, Navy and VA, to work together interdependently as one. In Capt. Buckley, I have felt as though I experienced true partnership, while learning the nuances that make this organization unique."

Chief of the Navy Medical Corps Rear Adm. Paul Pearigen, guest speaker and long-time friend of Buckley, praised Buckley's outstanding service to the Lovell FHCC, and the Navy.

"He's been asked to do something away from the fold time and time again because of his leadership abilities and adaptability, and he didn't let the Navy down, Pearigen said.

"Bob is the real thing. The Navy, and me, will be forever in his debt," said Pearigen, who also is the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery liaison to Defense Health Agency.

Smith, a Navy aviator and board-certified pediatrician, said during his remarks he is happy to return to the Naval Station Great Lakes area to serve at the Lovell FHCC, which he called "an amazing institution.

"It's truly an honor to be here," he said, noting that he was part of the initial planning for the creation of FHCC. "I've been watching the FHCC over the years and celebrated every victory."

In 2001, Smith reported to the former Naval Hospital Great Lakes where he served as the department head of pediatrics and successfully implemented the concepts of Medical Home more than five years before it became the standard across Navy Medicine. He also served on a deployment to Djibouti, Africa, as the senior medical officer and deputy officer in charge of the expeditionary medical force. In 2009, Smith was named deputy chief of staff, Navy Medicine National Capital Area, where he was instrumental in the successful execution of the historic Base Realignment and Closure integration between Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Navy Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Before coming to Lovell FHCC, Smith was the executive officer, Navy Medical Center Portsmouth.

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