Naval Medical Center San Diego’s (NMCSD) orthopedics surgery department was chronicled as a top-performing department during fiscal year 2019 (FY19).    

The Department of Orthopedic Surgery’s mission is to provide clinical and surgical services for active duty Navy and Marine Corps personnel, active duty members of other federal, uniformed services, and to dependents and retirees. The department also provides specialty training in orthopedic surgery to medical officers through an accredited, residency training program, and to Hospital Corps personnel via on-the-job training.

According to Orthopedic Surgery Department, the department saw 43,048 outpatient clinic visits during FY19, and supported NATO’s Role 3 multinational medical unit in Kandahar, Afghanistan, with two deployed surgeons.

In keeping with NMCSD’s culture of continuous training, the department maintains a surgical residency program.

“The residency program is integral to the Orthopedic Department’s function and success,” said Capt. Scot A. Youngblood, NMCSD’s orthopedic surgery department head. “In June of 2019, four residents graduated and subsequently passed their written boards, and are now productive, orthopedic surgeons at their gaining commands.”

Medical officers assigned to the department received awards and recognition throughout the medical community. Lt. Jessica Stambaugh received the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for professional achievement for quality improvement research. Lt. Ethan Bernstein and Lt. Cmdr. Jennifer Smith received the 2019 Louise House Award from the Society of Military Orthopedic Surgeons for their research on reducing opioid use in postoperative orthopedic patients in December 2019.  

Additionally, the orthopedics department scored a 97 percent overall satisfaction rating, up from 94% from FY18, from the Joint Outpatient Experience Survey (JOES), a Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey that reports on patient healthcare experiences, by the Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ).

NMCSD’s mission is to prepare service members to deploy in support of operational forces, deliver high quality healthcare services and shape the future of military medicine through education, training, and research. NMCSD employs more than 6,000 active duty military personnel, civilians, and contractors in Southern California to provide patients with world-class care anytime, anywhere.
    

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