Cmdr. Darian C. Rice, a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, received the 2015 Hero of Military Medicine Award.

This award is presented by the Center for Public-Private Partnerships at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., in Washington, D.C., May 7.

A Hero of Military Medicine is an individual who has distinguished himself or herself in medical research or clinical care through compassion, excellence and selfless dedication that go above and beyond the call of duty. He or she is committed to advancing military medicine and enhancing the lives and health of our nation's wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans.

The annual award is given to active-duty military medical professionals - one recipient each from the Army, Navy and Air Force.

"To me, it recognizes what I've accomplished during my 20-year career," said Rice, who is the chief of cardiothoracic anesthesia and the Anesthesia Residency Program director. "I didn't know I was nominated, so winning the award was a huge surprise. Never in a million years did I think I would be the recipient of this award. It's the nicest award or recognition I've received while I've been in the military. But every day I work with people who are as equally motivated and equally deserving of this award."

Rice said he's had a variety of experiences he would never have seen as a civilian. Rice's military career has spanned operational medicine such as a general medical officer to operational medicine and as a cardiothoracic-trained specialist. During deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, or while assigned as a flight surgeon and working with NASA, he has used his knowledge and experience to apply it toward the operational environment, which has improved outcomes, with 99 percent survival rates in Afghanistan where Rice was deployed.

As a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist, Rice has been trained to care for a unique patient population - those with cardiovascular disease or thoracic disease. Rice said his favorite place to be is in the heart room. His favorite cases are the more complex cardiac surgeries performed at NMCP.

"I enjoy the patient interaction and taking care of people in the OR and making their operative experience as good as it can be," Rice said. "As anesthesiologists, we establish a rapport with the patients and give them a sense of comfort. If they wake up in pain or are throwing up, we can fix that. We can make their surgical experience more comfortable, and because of that, I think we have a huge influence on surgical outcomes."

As chief of cardiothoracic anesthesia, Rice leads a team of up to five other anesthesiologists who provide care to any patient undergoing heart or lung surgery.

"Cmdr. Rice is one of those who would be called upon to evaluate those patients because he's probably the best one in the department to understand cardiovascular physiology, the effects of anesthesia on patients with cardiac disease, and how to best care for them in the operating room," said Capt. Darin K. Via, NMCP's commanding officer, who is also an anesthesiologist.

"His work with NASA, his work in pulmonary physiology and research that he's done - I think while there are a few military physicians that do that, Cmdr. Rice is in a very unique group and a very unique class when you look at his qualifications."

"The cumulative sum of everything he's done just sets him apart," said Lt. Cmdr. Chris Call, a third year anesthesiology resident. "He's triple-warfare qualified, and he understands the fleet. He's got a Ph.D. in cardiovascular physiology; he's certified in aerospace physiology and advanced transesophageal echocardiography. Yet, even with all these accomplishments, and I would even dare to say in spite of all these accomplishments, Dr. Rice remains just an all-around good person. Few, if any, can match the level of humility he possesses. I believe that that quality helps set him apart as more than just another smart person."

In addition to his initiatives as chief of cardiothoracic anesthesia, his residents believe he has "completely revolutionized the anesthesiology residency training curriculum."

"Dr. Rice has moved beyond the traditional classroom lecture model," Call said. "In any given week, we might be up in the simulation center running emergency protocols and situations on a full-size interactive anesthesia mannequin. We might be working with the transesophageal echocardiogram simulator, or the critical care ultrasound. He's brought in outside lecturers to come in and to present to us. Sensing a relative deficit on our program, he just began a bi-weekly transesophageal cardiography morning lecture series."

Rice also believes that a resident education as doctors are becoming specialists requires a foundation of research, so he has added a requirement that all anesthesia residents publish or present some type of a clinical trial, literature review or case report.

"I want them to be immersed in education," Rice said of his residents. "I want them to leave here having had the best possible preparation for being a board-certified anesthesiologist working independently. Every day, I'm trying to raise the bar on them and their personal expectations. I do push them but I think it's in a good way. I always want them to be at the top of their game and for them to be the best that they can be. As program director, I have influence over the shape, and direction and curriculum of the program. I think we have a great curriculum and all of the residents are fantastic."

"I have no doubt that Dr. Rice will take the vision and the passion and his work ethic with him that has benefited our residency program over the past several years to whatever leadership position that he fills," Call added. "He has this combination of very sound clinical judgment, interpersonal skills, and just dedication to duty that has earned him, and will continue to earn him, the respect and the trust of all those with whom he interacts. I see Dr. Rice shaping military medicine and influencing it as an institution that fulfills the military objective without compromising the care to the individual patients that we are entrusted with as medical providers."

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