Capt. Sarah Martin relieved Capt. Maureen Padden as commander of Naval Hospital Pensacola (NHP) during a change of command ceremony, Aug. 21, at the National Museum of Naval Aviation aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola.

Padden served as NHP's executive officer from 2009 - 2011, before taking command in 2012. She will now report to Commander, Navy Surface Forces Pacific, Coronado, California, to serve as their fleet surgeon.

During her tenure as commanding officer of NHP, Padden oversaw several significant and successful changes at the hospital, including the conversion of the Emergency Room to an Urgent Care Center, the closure of the Intensive Care Unit, and the integration of Pediatrics and Family Medicine into a single clinic.

The captain also developed Hospital Corpsman University, which is a 14-week training course that allows new corpsmen assigned to NHP to receive follow-on advanced training after completing basic corpsman training at Medical Education and Training Campus, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Under her command, the hospital received the 2012 Department of Defense Patient Safety Award for Primary Care Manager Continuity, and was the first naval hospital to be named a top performer by the Joint Commission.

"Naval Hospital Pensacola has been a beacon of innovation and will continue to be in the future," said Padden. "The hospital has been the origin to many great ideas including the Medical Homeport model, the Readiness Center, dental and surgical optimization projects, and Hospital Corpsman University. We have a lot to be proud of as a command. Change can be hard, but our team made it happen."

Martin's last assignment was as the chief of staff for Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland. Commissioned as an ensign in the Navy in 1987, she previously served at Naval Hospitals Yokosuka, Japan; Bremerton, Washington; Camp Lejeune; North Carolina; and at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.

"It is an honor to be the commanding officer of Naval Hospital Pensacola," said Martin. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead a command with a reputation like Naval Hospital Pensacola and to be in a great city like Pensacola. The hospital will continue to provide the great quality of care that is expected from the beneficiaries we are honored to serve."

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