On May 1, Naval Hospital (NH) Jacksonville Commanding Officer Capt. John Le Favour proclaimed May 3-9 as Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) throughout the hospital's six facilities in Florida and Georgia.

The week provides the chance to reflect and thank the almost 650 civilian men and women who serve as physicians, nurses and support staff for their dedicated work.

"Each and every day, our public service workers continue to put service above self," Le Favour said. "Their hard work demonstrates the three pillars on which we, at NH Jacksonville, strive to excel inexcellence in care, excellence in family, and excellence in leadership."

The theme for PSRW 2014 is "Government Works." The theme reminds the nation of the important roles federal workers play in ensuring the U.S. government works at all federal, state, county and local levels. NH Jacksonville civil service team demonstrates this daily by the attentiveness they show to the more than 71,000 enrolled patients across the command.

During his proclamation to the command, Le Favour introduced NH Jacksonville Pharmacist and Acting Executive Steering Committee Civilian Representative Dr. Alexandra Vance. She spoke about how both her father-in-law, serving as a Marine in Vietnam, and her husband, serving in the U.S. Air Force during the first Gulf War, influenced her to become a civil service worker. After serving for almost eight years, she said she has seen firsthand the teamwork between military members and civilian staff to provide exceptional patient care on a regular basis.

"Side by side with our military, contract and volunteer staff, our civil service personnel guarantee that our patient care is top notch, no matter what our roles," said Vance. "It is especially rewarding for me to have the opportunity to represent the tremendous people who make up our civilian staff across our six facilities."

Employees of the U.S. Civil Service not only accept a job but an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Each member has specific duties that are performed. Federal workers, like military members, come from many different walks of life and fulfill many different missions. Together, they unite to uphold the pledge to serve and protect the U.S. government. They demonstrate the meaning of what the Constitution stood for so long ago and still stands for today -- a government of, by, and for the people.

"Nurses, doctors, filing clerks, custodians, information technicians, social workers ... there are so many important roles taken on by our dedicated civil service staff," said Le Favour. "By working together with those in uniform, all of our civil service personnel give us the ability to successfully meet our readiness, value and jointness goals."

Today, almost 3 million strong, federal employees are researching cures for cancer, developing solutions to address energy and climate crises, serving alongside warfighters and caring for the nation's heroes. These public service workers are normally invisible to the people they serve, as they work selflessly behind the scenes to ensuring that the U.S. government is the best in the world.

For more information on ways to celebrate PSRW, visit www.psrw.org.

NH Jacksonville's priority since its founding in 1941 is to heal the nation's heroes and their families. The command comprises the Navy's third largest hospital and five branch health clinics across Florida and Georgia. There are more than 71,000 active and retired Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen and their families enrolled with a primary care manager and Medical Home Port team at one of its facilities. To find out more and to download NH Jacksonville's mobile app, visit the command website at www.med.navy.mil/sites/navalhospitaljax.

For more news from Naval Hospital Jacksonville, visit www.navy.mil/.